Smith Moore Leatherwood Attorneys Selected for Inclusion in North Carolina Super Lawyers Magazine

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (February 7, 2012) - Twenty-seven Smith Moore Leatherwood attorneys have been named top attorneys in 2012 by North Carolina Super Lawyers magazine. Fourteen other attorneys have been selected as North Carolina Rising Stars of 2012. Less than five percent of attorneys in the state are selected to this exclusive list.

In addition, several attorneys from the firm received high honors. Maureen Demarest Murray, Allison Van Laningham and Julianna Cochran Theall were recognized in the top 50 women finalists. Jonathan Berkelhammer and Alan Duncan were also recognized in the top 100 attorneys recognized.

“We are proud to have so many attorneys in our firm honored for their continued successes,” said Rob Marcus, chairman of the firm’s management committee. “It is great to see everyone’s hard work being recognized by our peers year after year.”

Super Lawyers is an independent lawyer rating service that selects attorneys using a rigorous, multiphase rating process. Through peer nominations, evaluations and third party research, outstanding attorneys are selected within each state. Rising Stars are selected by peer nominations of attorneys age 40 and younger with 10 years or less of legal experience.

Smith Moore Leatherwood attorneys honored as Super Lawyers are:
• Erik Albright (General Litigation)
• Bruce Ashley (Construction Litigation)
• Kent Auberry (Business/Corporate)
• Jonathan Berkelhammer (Business Litigation)
• Brian Byrd (Real Estate)
• Richard Coughlin (Intellectual Property Litigation)
• Alan Duncan (Business Litigation)
• Stephen Earp (Environmental)
• Terrill Harris (Health Care)
• Alexander Maultsby (Labor & Employment)
• Charles Melvin, Jr. (Real Estate)
• Maureen Demarest Murray (Health Care)
• Clark Smith, Jr. (Personal Injury Defense)
• Tom Terrell, Jr. (Environmental)
• Allison Van Laningham (General Litigation)
• Garrett Walker (Real Estate)
• Jeri Whitfield (Workers' Compensation)
• Mark Finkelstein (Business Litigation)
• Jerry Oliver (Labor & Employment)
• Stephen Petersen (Criminal Defense: White Collar)
• Samuel Southern (Health Care)
• Robert Wilson, Jr. (Health Care)
• Michael Lee (Real Estate)
• Lynn Chandler (Estate & Trust Litigation)
• Rob Marcus (Business Litigation)
• Larry Sitton (Business Litigation)
• Julianna Cochran Theall (Labor & Employment)

Smith Moore Leatherwood attorneys honored as Rising Stars of 2011 in North Carolina are:
• Cooper Harrell (Business Litigation)
• Frankie Jones, Jr. (Real Estate)
• Patrick Kane (Civil Litigation Defense)
• Robert Kidwell (Business/Corporate)
• Allyson Jones Labban (Health Care)
• Bill Forstner (Health Care)
• Matthew Leerberg (Business Litigation)
• Erin Jochum Roberts (Health Care)
• Elizabeth Trahos (Land Use/Zoning)
• Jay Holland (Business Litigation)
• Jill Raspet (Estate Planning & Probate)
• Bailey King, Jr. (Business Litigation)
• Jeffrey MacHarg (Business Litigation)
• Clinton Wimbish (Intellectual Property)