News Archive

The American Bar Association has named Charlotte Estate ＆ Wealth Planning Associate Caitlin Horne to its 2019-2021 class of Trust and Estate Fellows. Caitlin is one of just five attorneys nationally selected as a member of the new Trust and Estate Fellows class.

Charlotte Litigation Members Tom Myrick and Neil Bloomfield argued and won at every level of the North Carolina judicial system over the last eight years establishing that North Carolina’s taxation of the Kimberley Rice Kaestner 1992 Family Trust, a New York based trust, violated the Due Process Clause of the U.S. Constitution.

Moore & Van Allen’s client Off Campus Partners, LLC was acquired by CoStar Realty Finance, Inc. on June 12. The primary corporate attorneys representing Off Campus Partners on this matter was Member Carolyn Meade. The specialists representing Off Campus Partners on this matter were Taxation Member Rachel Coyne and Counsel Randy Clark; Intellectual Property Associate Tucker McKinley; Employee Benefits and Compensation Counsel Janet Higley; Employment and Labor Member Paul Peralta and Associate Jared Nobles. CoStar was represented by Weil, Gotshal and Manges, LLP.

Moore & Van Allen’s client Marquee Brands LLC completed the acquisition of the Martha Stewart and Emeril Lagasse brands from Sequential Brands Group, Inc. on June 10, 2019. The Martha Stewart and Emeril Lagasse brands and will be added to the portfolio of consumer brands under the stewardship of Marquee Brands, including BCBG, Dakine and Bruno Magli, among others.

Moore & Van Allen served as counsel to senior management of Rotating Machinery Services, Inc. ("RMS"), a portfolio company of Incline Equity Partners ("Incline"), during the recent acquisition by Cortec Group, Inc. ("Cortec") which was finalized on June 10.

Moore & Van Allen PLLC is pleased to announce that its Banking and M&A practices have been ranked as Tier 1 North Carolina practices in the IFLR1000 United States. Additionally, Chairman Thomas (Tom) L. Mitchell was rated as “highly regarded” banking lawyer in North Carolina, and members Stephen (Steve) D. Hope and James R. Wyche were rated as “highly regarded” M&A lawyers in North Carolina. Members Joseph (Joe) A. Fernandez, C. Wayne McKinzie, Daniel (Tripp) H. Monroe III, and Ryan M. Smith were also listed on the firm’s IFLR profile.

Moore & Van Allen hosted the 18th annual Sally & Bill Van Allen Public Service Award Luncheon on June 6. This event serves as an opportunity to celebrate the achievements of our employees and community partners who are making significant service contributions.

Moore & Van Allen PLLC is pleased to announce that its Intellectual Property and Commercial & Technology Transactions practices have been recognized in the eighth edition of IAM Patent 1000: The World’s Leading Patent Professionals, which published on June 6. Additionally, Charlotte members Christopher (Chris) J. Knors, Dickson M. Lupo, W. Kevin Ransom, Todd C. Taylor, and J. Mark Wilson were listed as recommended attorneys in their respective practice areas.

Charlotte Litigation Member Ed O’Keefe was quoted in the Agenda article entitled, “Cyber Lawsuits Increasingly Target Boards” that was published on May 6. The article discusses how directors and officers are increasingly being targeted in derivative cases over cyber-related missteps.

As the North Carolina Bar Association prepared to celebrate and explore wellness at its Annual Meeting in June, the editors of North Carolina Lawyer magazine offered a few examples of NCBA members who are excelling at living healthy lives. Charlotte Privacy & Data Security Member Karin McGinnis was one of the few NCBA members to be featured.

Moore & Van Allen PLLC is pleased to announce that its client, Frontier Capital, a Charlotte-based growth equity firm focused exclusively on B2B software, has finalized a strategic growth investment in Phone2Action, a digital advocacy platform that connects citizens to lawmakers. Moore & Van Allen Corporate member Bill Zimmern was one attorney that led Frontier through the successful deal.

Moore & Van Allen 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 Firm’s Intellectual Property practice received a “Recommended” ranking. Additionally, Charlotte Intellectual Property Members Arlene Hanks, and Dickson Lupo were recognized as “IP Stars.”

On April 2, Moore & Van Allen client Watsco, Inc. (“Watsco”; NYSE: WSO) acquired the operating business of Dunphey & Associates Supply Co., Inc. (“DASCO Supply”). The primary MVA attorneys representing Watsco on this matter were Corporate Member Mike Miller and Corporate Associates Stacy Grant and Charise Patterson.

As of April 30, Men’s Shelter of Charlotte and Urban Ministry Center are legally one organization. Led by Charlotte Corporate Member James Wyche and Associate Wade Sample along with Charlotte Tax Member Rob Fisher, Corporate Member Steve Hope, Benefits Member Danny Johnson and Employment Member Paul Peralta.

Charlotte-based LendingTree Inc. (NASDAQ: TREE) in the coming years will relocate its headquarters to a mixed-use development in South End. Led by Charlotte Real Estate Member Evan Bass, Associate Richard Simons and Litigation Member Scott Tyler advised LendingTree during this relocation process.

Charlotte Privacy & Data Security Member Karin McGinnis was quoted in the TechTarget article, “Data breach legislation proposes jail time for CIO, HR execs” which was published April 8. The article discusses how data breaches caused by negligence may lead to jail time for corporate executives under legislation introduced last week by U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren.

On April 25, Moore & Van Allen’s client, Mosaic Capital Partners, LLC announced the ESOP acquisition of Custom Profile Holdings, Inc. The transaction was led by Global Services Member Michael E. Zeller. Additional members of the team included Employee Benefits Member Danny Johnson, Counsel Ann West and Beth Yount Grimes, Global Services Associate Michael Tarwater, Jr., Intellectual Property Member Henry Ward, Intellectual Property Associate Sam Skains-Menchaca, Corporate Member Rob Fisher and Counsel Randy Clark, Financial Services Member Kimberly Zirkle, Environmental Member Peter McGrath and Paralegal Sally Hentz.

Moore & Van Allen PLLC is pleased to announce that Chambers & Partners has ranked seven firm practice groups and 26 firm attorneys in the 2019 edition of its legal directory Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business.

On April 18, Moore & Van Allen’s client, Jensen Hughes, Inc. (“Jensen Hughes”) acquired 100% of Hillard Heintze, LLC (“Hillard Heintze”). The primary attorneys representing Jensen Hughes on this matter was Corporate Member Bill Zimmern. The specialists advising Jensen Hughes on this transaction were Intellectual Property Associate Tucker McKinley, Benefits Counsel Beth Yount Grimes, and Real Estate Staff Attorney Charlie Harmon.

Congratulations to the following 26 Moore & Van Allen attorneys who have completed 50 or more hours of pro bono legal services in 2018 and are members of the 2018 NC Pro Bono Honor Society.

Charlotte Bankruptcy & Financial Restructuring Members David Eades, Luis Lluberas, Trey Rayburn and Zach Smith, Associate Gabe Mathless and Financial Services Member Lauren Biek are among this year's Turnaround Atlas Awards winners chosen by Global M&A Network.

Moore & Van Allen PLLC is pleased to announce that three attorneys have been named to Super Lawyers’ 2019 list of top attorneys in South Carolina, and one attorney was named to Super Lawyer’s 2019 Rising Stars list. These attorneys are located in the firm’s Charleston office.

MVA Public Affairs - Director of Public Relations, Ashley Simmons, is among the 2019 class of 40 under 40 winners announced by the Charlotte Business Journal March 29. Now in its 26th year, CBJ's 40 Under 40 program honors local professionals who are making major strides in their career while leaving a positive impact on their communities. These individuals are helping shape Charlotte's development as a major business center.

Moore & Van Allen was pleased to have been a Gold sponsor at the 2019 SIFMA C&L Annual Seminar that took place March 24-27 in Phoenix, AZ. SIFMA’s C&L Annual Seminar is the premier event for compliance and legal professionals working in the financial services industry. Close to 2,000 industry leaders and regulators gathered for three days of information sharing, networking and collaboration.

MVA Firm Chairman Tom Mitchell was quoted in the Charlotte Business Journal’s article, “Execs in Charlotte’s legal industry talk importance of diversity, inclusion in the workplace” which was published March 22. Charlotte’s changing corporate landscape has presented challenges and opportunities for the city’s largest law practices, as CBJ writes about in a new special report. But corporate trends have had another impact in the legal profession, pushing strongly for more diversity in the workplace.

Moore & Van Allen PLLC is pleased to announce that its client, Frontier Capital, a Charlotte-based growth equity firm focused on software and tech-enabled business services companies, has finalized a significant growth equity investment in Clearwave Corporation, a leading provider of digital check-in, insurance eligibility, and patient payments solutions to health systems and physician practices.

Charlotte Real Estate Member Jeff Brown was quoted in the Charlotte Business Journal’s article, “Childress Klein proposes mixed-use development on massive Steele Creek Site.” Childress Klein has filed a rezoning petition for 250 acres of land off West Arrowood Road in the Steele Creek area to build a proposed mixture of development uses, including a distribution center.

Moore & Van Allen is pleased to be a Gold sponsor at the 2019 SIFMA C&L Annual Seminar. Charlotte Litigation Members Ed O’Keefe and Valecia McDowell have been invited to serve as panelists for this year’s seminar. O’Keefe will contribute to the Tuesday, March 26 afternoon panel entitled “Intersection of Banking and Wealth Management” and McDowell will join the discussion for the Wednesday, March 27 morning panel entitled “What is Conduct Risk Data and How do you use it?”

MVA Intellectual Property Members Arlene Hanks and Mark Wilson received World Trademark Review 1000 (WTR 1000) recognition. Now in its ninth year, the WTR 1000 shines a spotlight on the firms and individuals that are deemed outstanding in the intellectual property practice. The WTR 1000 remains the only standalone publication to recommend individual practitioners and their firms exclusively in the trademark field, and identifies the leading players in 70 key jurisdictions globally

Moore & Van Allen is pleased to announce that Charlotte Member and former Chairman Ernie Reigel has been named to the Business North Carolina Power 100 list for the second year in a row.

Moore & Van Allen PLLC is pleased to announce that 24 attorneys have been named to Super Lawyers’ 2019 list of top attorneys in North Carolina, and 9 attorneys were named to Super Lawyer’s 2019 Rising Stars list. These attorneys represent the firm’s Charlotte office. The lawyer rating service will publish this year’s survey findings in its Super Lawyers Magazine.

Moore & Van Allen is pleased to announce that 13 attorneys were included in Business North Carolina magazine’s Legal Elite.

Charlotte Litigation Member George Hanna was honored during the North Carolina State Bar’s Annual Meeting at the 50-Year Lawyers Luncheon

Marquee Brands LLC announced December 5 that it has acquired the Dakine brand and all related intellectual property. In conjunction with the acquisition, Marquee Brands has entered into a long-term license agreement with JR286, which has acquired the operating assets of Dakine and will become Marquee Brands’ long-term operating partner for the brand.

On Monday, December 3, 2014, Charlotte Finance Member Rick Hazlett was sworn into the Supreme Court Bar in Washington, D.C., alongside fellow Carolina Law Alumni.

MVA Public Affairs member Canaan Huie has been voted #5 in the top 10 most powerful lobbyists in North Carolina by Longleaf Politics readers.

Charlotte Litigation Member Karin McGinnis has been designated as a North Carolina State Bar Certified Specialist in Privacy and Data Security Law.

Moore & Van Allen PLLC (MVA) is pleased to announce its role as sole legal counsel to Midwest Equipment Company, a leading commercial foodservice equipment distributor, on its successful sale to The Midwest Equipment Employee Stock Ownership Plan Trust (ESOP). MVA members Michael (Mike) E. Zeller and Daniel (Danny) L. Johnson, Jr., and associate Michael C. Tarwater, Jr. led Midwest in the transaction, which officially closed in October 2018.

Moore & Van Allen PLLC (MVA) is pleased to announce that it has been ranked as a “recommended” firm for both litigation and employment in North Carolina in the 2019 edition of Benchmark Litigation. The 2019 edition of the guide marks the 10th consecutive year in which MVA has earned Benchmark Litigation recognitions.

U.S. News & World Report and Best Lawyers have recognized Moore & Van Allen PLLC in their 2019 “Best Law Firms” rankings, both nationally and within the Charlotte and Raleigh, North Carolina, and Charleston, South Carolina metropolitan regions.