Moore & Van Allen elevates 15 attorneys to member, including Charleston attorney Daniel Layfield

Moore & Van Allen PLLC (MVA) announced that the following 15 attorneys have been elected as the firm’s newest members: Holly S. Bannerman, William “Bill” M. Butler, Sarah Dohoney Byrne, Natalie S. Hilmandolar, Fielding E. Huseth, S. Alan Lanier, Jr., Daniel J. Layfield, Micah S. Lewis, Katie A. McConnell, Ray Wallace “McCord” Rayburn, Sarah A. Sheridan, Samantha “Sam” N. Skains-Menchaca, Matthew “Matt” A. Van Hoy, Sara Page H. Waugh, and Christine Carr York.

All member promotions are effective as of Jan. 1, 2024.

“I am pleased to congratulate our new members for their accomplishments and well-deserved promotion to membership,” said MVA Managing Partner and Chair Thomas L. Mitchell. “They each uphold and exemplify the firm’s commitment to client service and teamwork, and we are proud to celebrate them as they enter this new chapter in their careers.”

Below is a brief description of each new member’s core practice concentration and key accomplishments:

Holly Bannerman concentrates her practice in commercial real estate. She represents developers, owners, landlords, tenants, and limited partners in a variety of real estate transactions, including land acquisitions, dispositions, financing, development, and leasing. She also focuses in joint venture and limited partnership agreements and the related structuring of real estate transactions. Holly has experience representing developers and sponsors in all aspects of a new development, from raising equity and negotiating joint venture agreements (at the individual investor and preferred equity levels) to land acquisition and financing to development agreements to leasing and/or disposition.

Bill Butler represents business owners, directors, officers, and shareholders in corporate governance disputes, including derivative suits relating to misconduct and self-dealing; claims by business entities against their officers and directors for breaches of fiduciary duties; and defending companies, officers, and directors against similar claims. He also regularly handles complex commercial disputes involving unfair competition and business torts, mergers and acquisitions, commercial equipment leases and sales, trade secret misappropriation, and construction and real estate development.

Sarah Byrne leads MVA’s Human Trafficking Prevention and Compliance practice, representing survivors of sex trafficking, forced labor and child sexual abuse, and assisting organizations with human trafficking prevention and compliance programs. Sarah is a nationally recognized speaker and advocate for legislative change in support of victims of human exploitation. Focusing on the intersection of human trafficking and the financial sector, Sarah provides institutional training and advice on developing anti-trafficking and financial inclusion programs with an eye towards legal and regulatory compliance.

Natalie Hilmandolar focuses her practice in a broad range of finance-related areas, focusing on the representation of institutional investors, business development companies (BDCs), small business investment companies (SBICs), private equity groups, and other private capital investors in in connection with leveraged transactions, acquisition financing, buy-outs and other finance and equity related transactions. She also has experience in a wide variety of debt structures, including: unitranche, first lien, split lien, second lien, mezzanine (secured or unsecured), and asset-based credit facilities.

Fielding Huseth represents clients in complex business litigation and white-collar criminal prosecution. He also has notable experience in internal investigations, regulatory compliance, and other regulatory matters. His clients span insurance, banking, energy, and health care companies, among others. As a former enforcement attorney for the New York State Department of Financial Services, Fielding assisted in running investigations of wide-ranging insurance and banking practices.

Alan Lanier handles commercial real estate matters, advising owners, investors, developers, and tenants in the acquisition, disposition, development, management, operation, leasing, and financing of office, industrial, retail, hospitality, multifamily, and mixed-use properties. He also regularly represents clients in the formation of joint ventures, limited liability companies and partnerships, and preparation and negotiation of real estate service agreements.

Daniel Layfield represents financial sponsors and public and private companies in mergers and acquisitions, private equity investments, leveraged acquisitions, stock and asset purchases, divestitures, and joint ventures.

Micah Lewis practices in the area of financial services. He has experience representing banks, financial institutions, corporate clients and private equity sponsors in a wide variety of secured and unsecured lending transactions, including single-lender and syndicated credit facilities. His practice focuses on representing lead arrangers, underwriters and agent banks in syndicated facilities used to finance acquisitions, with an emphasis on private equity sponsor acquisitions, as well as recapitalizations and general corporate working capital needs.

Katie McConnell practices in a broad range of finance-related areas, focusing on representation of private debt funds, business development companies, small business investment companies, private equity firms, and sponsors in their investment, buy-out, and finance transactions. She advises clients across all layers of the capital stack, including senior, second lien, and mezzanine lenders in single-lender, club, and unitranche credit facilities.

McCord Rayburn assists corporate attorneys to identify, protect, and manage intellectual property assets to achieve business objectives and stay within budgets. He collaborates with business leaders, counsel, and engineers to discover, define, and protect innovative ideas that drive market growth and strategically corner market segments. McCord also performs intellectual property due diligence related to investments and transactions.

Sarah Sheridan helps clients navigate complex legal issues in a wide variety of high-stakes litigation and regulatory matters. She has successfully represented financial institutions, Fortune 500 companies, small businesses, and individuals in a variety of commercial disputes and investigations. Sarah litigates disputes in state and federal courts, arbitrations, and mediations across the country.

Sam Skains-Menchaca assists defending, enforcing, investigating, licensing, and protecting intellectual property (IP) rights in a broad array of contexts in the United States and abroad. Her practice focuses on domestic and international trademark and copyright prosecution and enforcement and IP-heavy transactions.

Matt Van Hoy practices in the area of financial services. He represents banks, other financial institutions, private equity sponsors, and corporate clients in the structuring and documentation of secured and unsecured lending transactions, including syndicated and bilateral credit facilities. His practice covers across a wide variety of industries, including professional sports, asset management, technology and telecom, power and utility, and restaurants and franchises.

Sara Page Waugh focuses on estate planning, trust and estate administration, charitable planning, business succession planning, and tax planning for high-net-worth individuals. Her practice includes preparation and implementation of wills, revocable trusts, and financial and health care powers of attorney. She also employs sophisticated tax planning techniques to support her clients’ tax planning.

Christine Carr York represents financial institutions — including commercial banks and Farm Credit System banks and associations — in structuring and documenting secured and unsecured lending transactions. She has experience in acquisition financing, real estate financing, asset-based lending, and financing for government contractors. She has successfully negotiated and documented credit facilities with borrowers with industry-specific considerations, including alcohol distributors, transportation and distribution companies, merchandisers, defense contractors, and various agricultural businesses.

About Moore & Van Allen

Moore & Van Allen PLLC (www.mvalaw.com), founded in 1945, has over 400 attorneys and professionals serving clients in over 90 areas of focus. The attorneys at Moore & Van Allen provide sophisticated legal services within nationally recognized Corporate, Financial Services, Litigation, Intellectual Property, Bankruptcy, and Commercial Real Estate law practices for international banks and financial services companies, domestic and global manufacturers, retailers, individuals, and healthcare and technology organizations. The firm has been ranked consecutively over the past 24 years on the prestigious “Am Law 200” list, and has been consistently ranked in the Best Law Firms® list, both regionally and nationally.