News

On Monday, November 28, Charlotte City Council approved a land swap between CRVA and Millennium Capital to swap a portion of 501 S. Caldwell St. for a portion of 401 S. College St which exchange will allow for the addition of a hotel next to the convention center.

Moore & Van Allen (MVA) represented Flywheel Group, a local development company led by Tony Kuhn, during the recent purchase of parcels at Yadkin Avenue and E. 35th Street. This transaction, which was handled by Commercial Real Estate Associate Holly Bannerman, Counsel Robert Allen and Paralegal Alyssa McLean, was highlighted in the Charlotte Observer article titled, “Parking in NoDa’s already a hassle. A local developer just bought a parking lot there.”

Moore & Van Allen (MVA) Corporate Associate Cowden Rayburn was recognized by The MVA Public Service Committee for his contributions within the community and his outstanding commitment to service. Cowden has been helpful in presenting to the Boost Pad cohort over the past several months.

Moore & Van Allen (MVA) Litigation Associate Precious McLaughlin served as a guest speaker for a Southern Politics class at Francis Marion University in Florence, SC on Monday, November 21.

Moore & Van Allen (MVA) Bankruptcy & Restructuring Member Hillary Crabtree has been invited to speak on a panel discussing Subchapter V of the Bankruptcy Code (governing small business reorganizations in chapter 11) at the annual Caribbean Insolvency Symposium presented by the American Bankruptcy Institute (ABI), the nation’s largest association of insolvency professionals. Hillary’s co-panelists include a prominent bankruptcy judge from the Southern District of Florida, and other leading bankruptcy practitioners. 

The MVA Black Attorney Resource Group (BARG) recently hosted a Black Professionals Networking Mixer to connect and re-connect with Black Professionals across the Charlotte community. Over 30 guests gathered for the event at the Grand Bohemian for cocktails and conversations among attendees.

Moore & Van Allen PLLC (MVA) is pleased to announce that the firm received national rankings for seven practice areas in the 2023 edition of U.S. News – Best Lawyers® "Best Law Firms." In addition, the firm garnered 39 Tier 1 rankings among its 53 metropolitan rankings for multiple practices.

MVA Corporate Associates Tyler Carpenter and Addison Dufour were recipients of the October Pro Bono Monthly Award by the MVA Public Service Committee for their contributions within the community and their outstanding commitment to service. MVA recently launched its newest pro bono project called the Charlotte Legal Initiative to Mobilize Businesses (CLIMB) which offers transactional legal services to entrepreneurs and small businesses in historically under-resourced communities of Charlotte, especially BIPOC, female, LGBTQ+, veteran, and disabled entrepreneurs. In addition to providing direct legal services, CLIMB offers legal education seminars to its community referral partners that includes the Boost Pad small business incubator.  

Moore & Van Allen Member Ed O’Keefe and Senior Counsel John Stoker were quoted in the Global Data Review on October 19 titled, “CFPB lawsuit could limit regulatory power over algorithms”.  The article discusses how a lawsuit challenging the CFPB’s recent broad-ranging approach to claims and reviews of discrimination could whittle the agency’s focus on algorithms leveraged for financial products.

Moore & Van Allen’s client CCP Capital Strategies, a private equity investment firm, and its newly formed CCP affiliate has acquired 100 percent of the equity of Wireless Maritime Services, LLC (“WMS”) from AT&T and Anuvu on October 17.  The primary MVA attorneys assisting in the representation of CCP Capital Strategies on this matter were Members John Evans and Brian Mesibov and Associates Zach Ainsztein, Kathy Clark, Samuel Gilleran, and Natalie Hilmandolar.

Moore & Van Allen PLLC (MVA) is pleased to announce that the Charlotte Triage Pro Bono Partnership (Charlotte Triage) — developed to expand pro bono services for low-income Charlotte residents — marked its fourth anniversary with CLE training sessions attended by 272 legal and other professionals who learned about Charlotte Triage and participated in training to assist pro bono- clients.

Moore & Van Allen (MVA) is pleased to announce that it has been ranked as a “highly recommended” firm for Dispute Resolution and a “recommended” firm for Labor & Employment in North Carolina in the 2023 edition of Benchmark Litigation. This is the 14th consecutive year in which MVA has earned Benchmark recognitions.

Moore & Van Allen (MVA) Co-head of Litigation and White Collar, Regulatory Defense & Investigations John Fagg was named to Lawdragon’s list of the nation’s  “500 Leading Litigators in America.”

Moore & Van Allen (MVA) Litigation Member Jim McLoughlin was named to Lawdragon’s list of the nation’s “500 Leading Litigators in America.”

Moore & Van Allen PLLC (MVA) is pleased to announce that Sarah Dohoney Byrne, senior counsel in the firm’s Charlotte office and leader of MVA’s Human Trafficking Prevention & Compliance practice, has been named to The American Lawyer magazine’s 2022 list of South Trailblazers.

Moore & Van Allen (MVA) Firm Chair & Managing Partner Tom Mitchell was quoted in the Charlotte Business Journal article titled, “Return to Office? How Cushman, Crescent and other local employers are meeting challenges, opportunities of workplace changes” which was published on September 23. 

Moore & Van Allen (MVA) Financial Regulatory Advice & Response Senior Counsel Sarah Byrne was engaged by the United Nations University Centre for Policy Research and the Finance Against Slavery and Trafficking (FAST) Initiative to provide a review and recommendations for the Survivor Inclusion Initiative. The results of that project were released in “Lessons from the Survivor Inclusion Initiative (SII) in the UK, US, and Canada.” The SII is a financial access project launched in September 2019 in the UK, US, and Canada by the Finance Against Slavery and Trafficking (FAST) Initiative. It is a global financial sector initiative intended to provide support and remedy to survivors of human trafficking.

Congratulations to the following 25 Moore & Van Allen attorneys who have completed 50 or more hours of pro bono legal services in 2021 and are members of the 2021 NC Pro Bono Honor Society.

Moore & Van Allen (MVA) Litigation Associate Sarah Sheridan served as a guest speaker for a virtual panel to a group of 1L Duke Law students on September 9. Sarah discussed values-driven decision-making, which is a new program designed to help 1L students inventory their core values and make decisions both inside and outside the classroom that are aligned with their values.

Moore & Van Allen (MVA) has been ranked at number one on the Triad Business Journal’s Largest N.C. Metro-Area Law Firms list published September 9. MVA is number one with 339 attorneys. Information on The List was supplied by individual firms through questionnaires, emails and phone calls and could not be independently verified by Triad Business Journal.

Moore & Van Allen (MVA) is pleased to announce that the following individuals have been ranked in the 32nd edition of IFLR1000 United States. MVA chairman Tom Mitchell and member Charlie Harris were rated as a “highly regarded” banking & finance lawyers in North Carolina, and member Steve Hope was rated as a “highly regarded” M&A lawyer in North Carolina. Member Carolyn Meade was rated as a “notable practitioner” M&A lawyer in North Carolina and counsel Ed Ivey was rated as a “rising star” capital markets: derivatives and capital markets: structured finance and securitisation.

Moore & Van Allen (MVA) Financial Regulatory Advice & Response Associate John Lightbourne has been named to The National Law Journal’s 2022 list of Cryptocurrency/Blockchain/Fintech Trailblazers. The National Law Journal’s Trailblazers supplements recognizes professionals who have moved the needle in the legal industry. The legal professionals on this list have made significant contributions in the cryptocurrency, blockchain and fintech industries.

Moore & Van Allen (MVA) Corporate Member Carolyn Meade provided deal advisory services and legal representation of FranDevCo in the transaction partnership with ABACO, a premier lower middle market private equity firm led by Michael Abdy, with backing from Noah Lowy of the Lowy Family Group. Additionally, MVA Tax Consultant Laura Gray provided tax advice on the transaction.

We at Moore & Van Allen grieve the loss of our friend and partner Ronald S. Melamed, who passed away on August 4, 2022, after living for seven years with pancreatic cancer. Ron carried on with grace and humor. He will be remembered for his inexhaustible spirit and his unwavering positivity in the face of adversity. In this, as in many things, Ron was an example to us all.

The American Bankruptcy Institute (ABI), the nation’s largest association of insolvency professionals, has appointed MVA Bankruptcy & Restructuring Member Luis Lluberas to serve on the Advisory Board for ABI’s annual Caribbean Insolvency Symposium (CIS). The CIS is a longstanding, broadly publicized conference featuring prominent restructuring professionals and judges, focusing on national insolvency issues as well as issues specific to the Caribbean region. The CIS, which alternates yearly between Puerto Rico and Grand Cayman, will take place February 6 – 8, 2023 at the Westin Grand Cayman.  For more information, please visit:  https://www.abi.org/caribbean-insolvency-symposium-7

Moore & Van Allen (MVA) Employment & Labor Member John Zaloom was quoted in the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) article titled, “Distinctions Among Class, Collective and Representative Actions Make a Difference” which was published on August 23.

Moore & Van Allen PLLC (MVA) is pleased to announce the arrival of Julianne Farnsworth as counsel and a member of the firm’s Litigation Group, based in the Charleston office. Prior to joining MVA, Farnsworth was the owner of Farnsworth Law Firm LLC and a partner at McNair Law Firm.

Moore & Van Allen PLLC (MVA) is pleased to announce that the 2023 edition of The Best Lawyers in America© has listed 104 MVA attorneys who were highly recommended by their peers. In addition, 11 firm attorneys were named Best Lawyers® “Lawyer of the Year” and 34 MVA attorneys were selected as Best Lawyers® “Ones to Watch.”

Moore & Van Allen (MVA) Co-head of Privacy & Data Security Member Karin McGinnis and Financial Regulatory Advice & Response Counsel Jonathan Prytherch were interviewed for the Citywire article titled, “How advisors should prepare for new cybersecurity rules” which was published on August 18.

Moore & Van Allen PLLC (MVA) is pleased to announce the arrival of Tracey Easton as senior counsel and a member of the firm’s Commercial Real Estate (CRE) group, based in the Charleston office.

MVA Public Affairs Counsel Leslie Pedernales and Intellectual Property Counsel Ellen Andelman served as presenters for the ACC CLE titled, “Advertising, Copyright, Trademark and Avoiding Trouble,” which was held on August 4. Approximately 95 attendees joined for the discussion on how to spot issues in their marketing team’s efforts, and ultimately help them get to “yes” for the exciting creative they are developing for your company. 

Moore & Van Allen (MVA) has again been ranked as a top legal adviser on syndicated loans. The firm's Finance team ranked in the top tier of Refinitiv Loan Pricing Corporation’s (LPC) first half of 2022 U.S. Law Firm League Tables for representing Lead Arrangers on syndicated loan transactions. For the first half of this year, MVA has advised on 80 syndicated loan transactions, which generated over $61 billion in aggregate gross proceeds and earned the firm a second place position on the league table for all syndicated loans based on number of deals. As further evidence of MVA's ongoing distinction in the secured/leveraged lending market, MVA advised on 40 syndicated leveraged loan transactions, which generated more than $21 billion in aggregate gross proceeds, earning the firm a second place position on the league table specifically for syndicated leveraged loans based on number of deals.

MVA Co-head of White Collar, Regulatory Defense & Investigations Valecia McDowell and Litigation Associate Elena Mitchell were quoted in a Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) article titled, “Equity Audits Address Racism in the Workplace,” which was published on August 9.

Moore & Van Allen PLLC (MVA) is pleased to announce that MVA attorneys Charles M. Jordan, Jr. and David B. Wheeler have been named to Charleston Business Magazine’s 2022 Legal Elite listing of top attorneys in the region as recognized by their peers.

Moore & Van Allen PLLC (MVA) is pleased to announce a major victory for its client, retired Pilgrim’s Pride Corporation CEO Bill Lovette, in a high-profile federal criminal antitrust case brought by the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division alleging a multi-year conspiracy to rig bids and fix prices in the national broiler chicken market in violation of the Sherman Act. 

Moore & Van Allen PLLC (MVA) is pleased to announce that MVA Member Frank E. Schall has been recognized by Benchmark Litigation as among the leading litigators in the United States age 40 and under.

Moore & Van Allen (MVA) attorneys John Fagg, Frank Schall, Jim McLoughlin, Kaitlin Price, Catherine Prater and Fielding Huseth were named American Lawyer’s Runners Up for Litigators of the Week for having represented their client who went to trial for a third time on criminal antitrust charges in federal court in Denver.

Moore & Van Allen’s (MVA) Head of Wealth and Estate Planning Member Chris Jones and MVA’s Private Wealth Practice has been recognized in the 2022 Chambers High Net Worth directory.

Moore & Van Allen (MVA) welcomes Barrett Morris to our Swaps, Derivatives and Structured Products group. Barrett has over seven years of experience working at Wall Street and other large US banks, and brings that experience to provide legal guidance on OTC and exchange trades swaps, options, futures and other derivatives, including related guidance on debt and capital market activities. Barrett leverages his past in-house and compliance experiences to strategically advise clients through regulatory investigations and exams. 

Moore & Van Allen (MVA) Co-head of White Collar, Regulatory Defense & Investigations Valecia McDowell has been invited to serve as a member of the Duke University Law School’s Board of Visitors for the 2022-2025 term. 

Moore & Van Allen (MVA) Co-head of Litigation Mark Nebrig successfully represented four PDQ executives in achieving dismissal of an ESOP shareholder class action suit. Nebrig was quoted in the recent Law360 article titled, “PDQ Execs Beat Worker Suit Over $12M Kwik Trip Sale Profits,” "Decisions like these from our federal judges, coupled with Congress' current legislative effort with the RISE and SHINE Act, go a long way in promoting ESOPs and the benefits of employee ownership.

Moore & Van Allen (MVA) Financial Regulatory Advice & Response Co-head Neil Bloomfield and Senior Counsel John Stoker served as panelists for the Strafford live webinar “Attorney-Client Privilege and Bank Examination Privilege for Financial Institutions” which took place June 28. 

Moore & Van Allen (MVA) Co-Head of White Collar, Regulatory Defense & Investigations Valecia McDowell and Litigation Associate Elena Mitchell were featured in Episode 78 of The Financial Executive Podcast. The episode is entitled “Auditing a Company’s Civil Rights Record” and aired on June 22.

Moore & Van Allen (MVA) Public Affairs Counsel Leslie Pedernales was a featured speaker on Media and Advertising Law during a Marketing Legal Training Seminar for Apex Tool Group (ATG) that was held on June 28.  The training provided ATG’s Global team an overview of the legal issues to be on the lookout for as they design, develop, and implement ATG’s marketing strategies.

Moore & Van Allen (MVA) Member and Co-head of Financial Restructuring Zach Smith has been elected to the Arts+ Board of Directors, Class of 2023.  Arts+ is a well-known non-profit organization working to promote the transformative impact of arts education in every corner of the Charlotte region. 

Moore & Van Allen was presented with the “City Builders Award” from Charlotte Center City Partners at the 2022 Vision Awards on May 26. The firm was selected based on our work on the Center City Small Business Innovation Fund in which Tom Mitchell is a funding committee member. This award recognizes individuals and organizations that exemplify remarkable vision and make a difference in the City’s ongoing transformation. This initiative was designed to spur and support innovation by Charlotte’s small businesses as they adapt to the new economic realities caused by COVID-19. As a key partner for this program, Tom was able to accept the award on behalf of Moore & Van Allen.

Moore & Van Allen (MVA) will serve as an Opening Reception Sponsor for the 27th Annual American Bankruptcy Institute (ABI) Southeast Bankruptcy Workshop taking place in Amelia Island, Florida from July 21-24. MVA Financial Restructuring Counsel Reid Dyer serves as an advisory board member for this year’s event. 

MVA celebrated its longstanding commitment to public service by hosting the 21st Annual Sally & Bill Van Allen Public Service Award luncheon presentation on June 8. This annual event serves as an opportunity to celebrate the achievements of our employees and community partners who are making significant service contributions.

Moore & Van Allen (MVA) White Collar, Regulatory Defense & Investigations Member Frank Schall was profiled in the Law360 article, “Rising Star: Moore & Van Allen's Frank Schall” which was published June 14.

Moore & Van Allen PLLC (MVA) is pleased to announce that Member Frank E. Schall has been selected as one of Law360's 2022 “Rising Stars” in the White Collar category.

Moore & Van Allen PLLC (MVA) is pleased to announce that two firm practice areas and six MVA attorneys are recommended in the 2022 edition of the Legal 500 United States legal industry referral guide.

Moore & Van Allen PLLC (MVA) is pleased to announce that the firm and two MVA attorneys have been ranked by Chambers and Partners in 2022 as national leaders in Financial Services Regulation: Banking (Compliance). This year’s Chambers USA legal industry referral guide also highly ranked 10 MVA practice areas and 32 firm attorneys in the Carolinas.

Moore & Van Allen (MVA) was named one of North Carolina’s leading intellectual property firms in Managing Intellectual Property’s edition of IP Stars, a legal directory that provides state-by-state analysis of the nation’s IP market. The following Intellectual Property Members were recognized as “IP Stars":

Arlene Hanks, Trademark Star 2022

Dick Lupo, Patent Star 2022

Henry Ward, Transactions Star 2022

Moore & Van Allen PLLC (MVA) is pleased to announce that the firm is a recipient of a 2022 Mecklenburg County Bar (MCB) Pro Bono Award for Outstanding Collaborative Project for its Human Trafficking Pro Bono Project.

Moore & Van Allen (MVA) Managing Partner Tom Mitchell and Co-head of White Collar, Regulatory Defense & Investigations Valecia McDowell were named to Business North Carolina’s Power List 2022. This annual report highlights the state’s most influential leaders from several area industries. Business North Carolina created the list after seeking nominations, talking with dozens of sources, undertaking significant research and spending years covering North Carolina’s business community from their unique statewide perspective.

Moore & Van Allen (MVA) Co-heads of Financial Restructuring Zach Smith and Steve Gruendel, and Member Hillary Crabtree co-author the Chambers article titled, “NORTH CAROLINA: An Introduction to Bankruptcy/Restructuring.”

Moore & Van Allen (MVA) was proud to support the Veterans Bridge Home Star Spangled Salute, which was held at Founders Hall, Bank of America Corporate Center on May 14. In attendance were Litigation Member Tom Myrick, Litigation Attorney Jennifer Braccia and Litigation Summer Associate Reaghan Wooster.

Moore & Van Allen (MVA) Wealth & Estate Planning Member Thomas Cooper served as a panelist during the recent ABA Hybrid 2022 May Tax Meeting. Thomas joined the discussion for two topics, “Estate and Gift Tax and Fiduciary Income Tax Recent Developments” and “Closely Held Business Dispute Resolution.” Attendees were able to meet and learn from the country's leading tax professionals and government officials, discussing the latest international, federal, state, and local tax policies, and more.

Throughout the month of March, the MVA Charlotte office raised over 165,900 pounds of food in support of Feeding the Carolinas and the Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina by way of the 2022 NC Legal Feeding Frenzy. Overall, the Frenzy raised an astounding $226,646.42 which will be allocated to food banks across the state of North Carolina. This incredible generosity will better the lives of so many and help eradicate hunger in our communities. ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

We are thrilled to announce that Moore & Van Allen has been named the winner of the Legal Feeding Frenzy’s Large Law Firm Division for the second year in a row. North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein – who has championed the work of the NC Legal Feeding Frenzy for several years – announced the winners via Facebook Live in late April.

The Women of Moore & Van Allen (WoMVA) held their 2022 WoMVA Conference: Reflect and Reconnect on May 5 at the Duke Mansion. The conference included breakout sessions on topics titled, “Reflections on Finding a Successful Legal Career”, “Defining Your Success”, “Building Confidence in your Law Practice”, and “Cultivating and Maintaining Client Relationships.” 

Moore & Van Allen (MVA) German Desk Director Livia Daisy Birtalan served as moderator for the GACC South - German American Chamber of Commerce of the Southern U.S., Inc. organized SME Business Development Conference which was held on April 25. Daisy moderated a successful and lively panel discussion for the topic, “How to Succeed as a Manufacturer in the Southeast.” This panel discussed current issues supporting the revival of manufacturing in the United States, and the implications for the future.

Moore & Van Allen (MVA) is pleased to announce that two Charleston office members have been selected to the 2022 South Carolina Super Lawyers list. Financial Restructuring Member David Wheeler has been selected a South Carolina Super Lawyer in the Bankruptcy: Business category. Health Care Member Jessica Simpson has been selected to the 2022 South Carolina Rising Stars list in the Health Care category. 

Moore & Van Allen’s (MVA) Intellectual Property group was named one of North Carolina’s leading intellectual property firms in Managing Intellectual Property’s edition of the 2022 IP STARS, a legal directory that provides state-by-state analysis of the nation’s IP market. The firm’s Intellectual Property group received a “Recommended” ranking. The research for IP STARS covers a variety of IP practice areas and more than 70 jurisdictions, making it the most comprehensive and widely respected IP guide in the legal profession. To learn more and to see the full list of firms recognized, click here.

Moore & Van Allen (MVA) Co-head of White Collar, Regulatory Defense & Investigations Member Valecia McDowell has been appointed one of 11 members to the Law360 2022 Compliance Editorial Advisory Board. The editorial advisory board provides feedback on Law360's coverage and insight on how best to shape future coverage.

Moore & Van Allen (MVA) Financial Services Member and North Carolina Lawyers Weekly Lawyer of the Year, Kimberly Zirkle, was featured in the North Carolina Lawyers Weekly article drawing on empathy in making a difference. 

Moore & Van Allen PLLC (MVA) is pleased to announce that North Carolina Lawyers Weekly (NCLW) has named MVA Member Kimberly Easter Zirkle its 2022 “Lawyer of the Year.”

Moore & Van Allen (MVA) Financial Regulatory Advice & Response Senior Counsel Sarah Byrne and Litigation Associate Jules Carter co-authored the article, “A Penumbra of Rights at Risk: Human Trafficking Victims’ Rights in Federal Criminal Cases” which was published by the Boston University Law School Public Interest Law Journal Volume 31.2- Symposium 2022.

Moore & Van Allen (MVA) is proud to continue supporting the mission of JDRF for the ninth year in a row. We are proud to sponsor the 21st Annual JDRF Charlotte Hope Gala, which takes place on April 30 at the Westin Charlotte.

Moore & Van Allen (MVA) Corporate Member Joey Norman’s article, “How I Made Partner: 'For Me, It’s All About Client Service” was published by Law.com on April 14. Joey discusses his career as an associate to partner level, key to successful business development, and influences on his career among other topics.

Moore & Van Allen (MVA) Co-head of White Collar, Regulatory Defense & Investigations Valecia McDowell was appointed as Hearing Officer in late 2021 in the proceeding to determine whether to remove Monroe City Councilwoman Angelia James from office. Litigation Associates Fielding Huseth and Raquel Macgregor Pearkes assisted throughout the public evidentiary proceeding that included 12 witnesses and expert testimony and prepared findings of fact and conclusions of law laying out the Councilwoman’s misconduct in office. 

Moore & Van Allen PLLC (MVA) is pleased to announce the arrival of Gregory A. Dodge as a member of the firm’s Corporate group, based in the Charlotte office. He previously was an attorney with McGuireWoods.

Moore & Van Allen’s Co-head of Financial Regulatory Advice & Response Member Ed O'Keefe and Financial Regulatory Advice & Response Senior Counsel Sarah Byrne served as speakers for the UNC Banking Institute’s Virtual Event that was held March 31- April 1.

Moore & Van Allen (MVA) Co-head of White Collar, Regulatory Defense & Investigations Member Valecia McDowell and Co-head of Financial Regulatory Advice & Response Member Ed O'Keefe served as speakers at the SIFMA C&L Annual Seminar which took place March 20-23 in Orlando, FL. Valecia served as a panelist for the session titled "Litigating with Current Employees in the COVID Era: Risks, Strategies and Best Practices” on March 22. Ed joined as a panelist for the session titled "Prudential Bank Regulators’ View of Compliance Programs” on March 23.

Moore & Van Allen (MVA) Co-head of Financial Regulatory Advice & Response Neil Bloomfield and Litigation Associate Aishaah Reed Foster served as guest speakers for the Mecklenburg County Bar’s 15th Annual Increasing Diversity in the Legal Profession Virtual Conference on March 19.

Moore & Van Allen (MVA) Corporate Associate Samuel Gilleran, Financial Services Member Sonny Ha and Litigation Associate Raquel Macgregor Pearkes served as panelist for the Wake Forest Diverse Attorney Career Panel held on March 17. The informal virtual panel was hosted by the Wake Forest Asian Pacific American Law Student Association, the Black Law Students Association, the Latinx Law Student Association, and the First-Generation Law Students Association.

In December of 2020, the Service Employees International Union Pension Plans Master Trust (“SEIU Fund”), which holds several billions of dollars in pension fund assets under management, issued a shareholder proposal to CoreCivic, Inc. (“CoreCivic”) to conduct a racial equity audit. CoreCivic adopted the proposal by agreement that same month and engaged Moore & Van Allen to conduct the audit. The shareholder proposal to CoreCivic was one of approximately 12 such proposals issued to publicly traded companies in the late 2020 and early 2021 timeframe.

Moore & Van Allen’s (MVA) website has been named a 2021 Horizon Award Winner as a silver award placement for websites legal category. The Horizon Interactive Awards, now in its 20th year, has become one of the most prestigious web design awards available today. The competition recognizes, promotes and awards the best web sites and web site design, interactive experiences, video production, online advertising, print media campaigns and mobile applications.

Moore & Van Allen (MVA) has been ranked in the number one spot on the recent Charlotte Business Journal list of largest banking and finance practice groups at Charlotte law firms. The list of the largest banking and finance practice groups at Charlotte-area law firms, were ranked by number of local attorneys in the practice group. To view the full list, click here.

Moore & Van Allen (MVA) Litigation Associate Jules Carter and Corporate Member Carolyn Meade co-authored the article titled, “How FinCEN Shell Co. Rules Differ From Past BSA Standards” which was published by Law360 on March 11.

Moore & Van Allen (MVA) Co-head of Derivatives Member Ed Ivey was quoted in the Practice Insights from IFLR article titled, “Confusion as separate states pass their own Libor legacy law” published on March 7. The article discusses state-specific legislation attempting to address tough legacy LIBOR contracts that, without legislation, may leave financial institutions unable to transition from LIBOR to SOFR.

Moore & Van Allen (MVA) Financial Regulatory Advice & Response Senior Counsel Sarah Byrne served as the co-keynote speaker for the recent Ensure Justice conference which was hosted by the Global Center for Women and Justice in Costa Mesa, California.

Moore & Van Allen PLLC (MVA) is pleased to announce that Bradford Sneeden has joined the firm’s Public Affairs Group as a director, continuing growth of the team based in Raleigh. Sneeden most recently served as legislative counsel for North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein and previously was a policy advisor to the governor of North Carolina.

Moore & Van Allen (MVA) Litigation Attorney Jennifer Braccia co-authored the judicial profile of Western District of North Carolina Judge Graham Calder Mullen which was published by The Federal Lawyer magazine.

Moore & Van Allen (MVA) Financial Services Senior Counsel Jonathan Murray recently participated as a guest speaker for the North Carolina Bar Association’s (NCBA) CLE program titled Fostering LGBTQ+ Equity, Inclusion and Belonging: Past, Present and Future. Jonathan served as the panel moderator for the program’s discussion around LGBTQ+ workplace best practices and allyship which featured speakers from Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, Belk Inc., and Cadwalader Wickersham & Taft LLP.

Moore & Van Allen (MVA) Litigation Associate Jules Carter and Co-head of Data Security & Privacy Member Karin McGinnis served as guest speakers for the ACC CLE virtual event, “Managing Compliance When Using AI and Machine Learning in Your Company” that was held February 24. 

Moore & Van Allen PLLC (MVA) is pleased to announce the arrival of Michele M. Glessner as a member of the firm’s Intellectual Property Group. Glessner is both a trained trademark and a registered patent attorney. Glessner counsels clients in a wide variety of business sectors on complex trademark, patent, copyright, and other intellectual property issues. She was previously a partner at Alston & Bird.

Moore & Van Allen (MVA) Co-head of Commercial & Technology Transactions and Data Security & Privacy Member Todd Taylor served as a guest speaker for the recent Charlotte Smart Business Dealmakers Conference discussing cyber security in M&A: asking the right questions, protecting data and IP, and making sure your company is ready for dealmaking. This virtual conference focused on the topic, “The Growing Concern Of Cyber Security In Deals.”

Moore & Van Allen (MVA) Member and Restructuring Team Co-Leader Zachary Smith served as the Co-chair for this year’s American Bankruptcy Institute (ABI) Caribbean Insolvency Symposium which took place Feb 7-9 at the Ocean Reef Club in Key Largo. A faculty of prominent bankruptcy judges and experienced practitioners provided a top-notch learning experience and ample networking opportunities at this annual ABI conference.

Moore & Van Allen (MVA) White Collar, Regulatory Defense & Investigations Member Frank Schall served as a panelist for the Globalaw webinar titled, “Cross-Border and Multi-Jurisdictional Investigations and Enforcement: Challenges and Best Practices” which was held on February 8.

Moore & Van Allen (MVA) Wealth & Estate Planning Member Thomas Cooper served as a panelist for Tax Recent Developments as part of the ABA Virtual 2022 Midyear Tax Meeting held on February 3rd.  The panel reviewed developments in federal estate, gift and generation-skipping transfer tax laws since October 2021. 

Moore & Van Allen (MVA) has been ranked the largest area law firm in the most recent Charlotte Business Journal (CBJ) list, ranked by number of local attorneys, and has been ranked #1 in number of women attorneys in Charlotte. MVA grew the most out of the 26 listed firms with the addition of 29 attorneys in 2021.

Moore & Van Allen (MVA) is proud to be ranked at the top of Charlotte Business Journal’s list of Women attorneys at Charlotte's law firms.  The list is ranked by number of local women attorneys with 115 MVA women attorneys. MVA was number one on the list out of 27 Charlotte-area law firms. To view the complete list, please click here.

Moore & Van Allen (MVA) has again been ranked as a top legal adviser on syndicated loans. The firm's Finance team ranked in the top tier of Refinitiv Loan Pricing Corporation’s (LPC) 2021 U.S. Law Firm League Tables for representing Lead Arrangers on syndicated loan transactions. Through all of 2021, MVA advised on 195 syndicated loan transactions, which generated over $123 billion in aggregate gross proceeds and earned the firm a second place position on the league table for all syndicated loans based on number of deals. As further evidence of MVA's ongoing distinction in the secured/leveraged lending market, MVA advised on 87 syndicated leveraged loan transactions, which generated more than $35 billion in aggregate gross proceeds.

Moore & Van Allen Litigation Member Tom Myrick was quoted in the Law360 article titled, “Justice Breyer On State Tax: Key Moments To Know” which was published on January 28. The article discusses how Justice Stephen Breyer, who announced Thursday that he would retire at the end of the U.S. Supreme Court's current term, made a distinctive mark on several key state tax cases heard by the court. One specific case mentioned was that of North Carolina Department of Revenue v. Kimberley Rice Kaestner 1992 Family Trust in which Tom represented the Kimberley Rice Kaestner Family Trust.

Moore & Van Allen (MVA) Managing Director & Head of Public Affairs Walter Price’s role as one of the  lead executives on the Mayor's Racial Equity Initiative for the Corridors of Opportunity was highlighted in the Triangle Business Journal article, “Charlotte leaders launch public-private initiative to raise $250M for racial equity’ published on January 26.

Moore & Van Allen Litigation Counsel Jonathan Prytherch discusses a regulatory notice by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority that reviews a rule requiring broker-dealers to prepare for business disruptions in his Westlaw Today article titled, “FINRA closes out 2021 with further guidance on pandemic-related issues for member firms.” To view the article, please click here. 

Moore & Van Allen has been recognized by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s Corporate Equality Index as a Best Places to Work for LGBTQ+ Equality for its commitment to advancing inclusion in the workplace. The firm received its final rating for the 2022 Corporate Equality Index and achieved a perfect score of 100 which earned the honored designation. Human Rights Campaign Foundation's Corporate Equality Index is the national benchmarking tool on corporate policies and practices pertinent to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer employees. 

Moore & Van Allen (MVA) Financial Regulatory Advice & Response Senior Counsel Sarah Byrne examines the recently enacted Debt Bondage Repair Act and other financial sector measures to support trafficking survivors in her co-authored article titled, “Can New US Law Help Increase Financial Recovery and Reintegration of Survivors of Human Trafficking?” which was published by The United Nations University Centre for Policy Research (UNUCPR) on January 27.  Please click here to view the article.

Moore & Van Allen (MVA) Co-head of Commercial & Technology Transactions and Data Security & Privacy Todd Taylor served as a panelist for the ABA Consumer Financial Services Committee virtual Winter Meeting: Privacy and Data Security Considerations in Vendor Relationships which was held January 20. 

The Moore & Van Allen website has been awarded a 2021 Best In Class award for the 2021 Interactive Media Awards. Designed and built by Firmseek, the new website was launched in early 2021. The Interactive Media Awards recognize the highest standards of excellence in website design and development and honor individuals and organizations for their outstanding achievement.

Moore & Van Allen PLLC (MVA) is pleased to announce that 15 of its attorneys have been named to the 2022 North Carolina Super Lawyers list and 13 of its attorneys were named to the 2022 North Carolina Rising Stars list. Additionally, member Valecia M. McDowell was named to the “Top 25” list of Charlotte Super Lawyers, “Top 50” list of Women North Carolina Super Lawyers and “Top 100” list of North Carolina Super Lawyers. Member Karin M. McGinnis was named to the “Top 50” list of Women North Carolina Super Lawyers and member James (Jim) P. McLoughlin, Jr. was named to the “Top 100” list of North Carolina Super Lawyers.  The North Carolina Super Lawyers digital magazine can be found here.

Starting this year (2022), most private, domestic U.S. entities formed from and after January 1, 2021 will be required to self-report to the U.S. Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (“FinCEN”) certain basic information about themselves, their beneficial owners and those individuals authorized to act on their behalf. These new requirements were enacted on January 1, 2021 as part of the Corporate Transparency Act (the “CTA”).[1] They represent a major departure from the United States’ historic approach to business entity operation, as most private companies have not previously been subject to any beneficial ownership reporting requirements outside the context of a business relationship with a regulated financial institution. The stated purpose of the CTA is to “discourage the use of shell corporations as a tool to disguise and move illicit funds,” part of a broader federal initiative to prevent and combat money laundering, terrorist financing and tax fraud.

Moore & Van Allen (MVA) Co-head of Environmental Mary Katherine Stukes was profiled for the Business North Carolina Legal Elite 2022: Environmental category which was published on December 29. Mary Katherine shares insight on her first job as a lifeguard, and career choices among other topics.

Moore & Van Allen PLLC (MVA) is pleased to announce that 14 attorneys have been elected as members, the largest class of new members in firm history. The new class of members includes: Benjamin “Ben” J.C. Baucom, Courtenay C. Clark, Sangwan “Sonny” Ha, Kerry O. Irwin, Edward “Ed” H. Ivey, Aaron A. Marshall, Matthew “Matt” S. Morgan, Sarah H. Negus, Benjamin “Ben” A. Owens, Neil “Trey” C. Robinson III, Richard I. Simons, Jessica J. Simpson, and Kathryn “Kate” G. Wellman.

Moore & Van Allen (MVA) is pleased to announce that 22 attorneys were included in Business North Carolina magazine’s Legal Elite. 

Moore & Van Allen (MVA) Financial Services Counsel Ed Ivey has been quoted in the Practice Insights from IFLR article, “USD Libor survey, part IV:ARRC and Fed’s Libor transition management deemed ‘disruptive’ by market” which was published on December 22.

Moore & Van Allen Employment and Labor Associate Rachael Coe and Corporate Associate Samuel Gilleran have been appointed to serve on the North Carolina Bar Association’s (NCBA) Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Committee (SOGI), which was established in 2021 by NCBA President Jon Heyl to secure full equality for members of the LGBTQ+ community in the NCBA, the legal profession, and society.

Moore & Van Allen (MVA) Financial Services Counsel Ed Ivey was quoted in the recent IFLR Article, “US market stands ready for no new Libor”, noting issues facing the market on the implications of “no new LIBOR contracts” after December 31, 2021.

MVA Financial Services Counsel Matthew Morgan and Financial Restructuring Member Gabe Mathless have produced the Special Situations Client Bulletin: Quick Guide for Assessing the Potential for Disparate Lender Treatment in a Credit Agreement: The “Tyranny of the Majority”.