News Archive

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

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.

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) 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) 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) 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.