Eight K&L Gates South Carolina lawyers recognized in 2018 Best Lawyers in America

Eight partners from the Charleston office of global law firm K&L Gates LLP have been recognized in the 2018 edition of Best Lawyers in America.

The lawyers and the categories in which Best Lawyers recognized them were:

 

James S. Bruce (Corporate Law)

Mr. Bruce is one of the founding partners of the firm’s Charleston office and represents clients in mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, and other business transactions. He advises Fortune 500 companies, as well as middle-market and emerging-growth companies, in a broad range of industries, including aerospace, paper and packaging, technology, distribution, renewable energy, resort development, hospitality and leisure, retail, transportation and logistics, health care and media. Mr. Bruce also represents private equity and venture capital firms, strategic investors and distressed company investors.

Ernie L. Cochran II (Corporate Law)

Mr. Cochran focuses his practice in the areas of mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, and general corporate matters. He advises Fortune 500 companies as well as middle-market and emerging growth companies in a wide variety of corporate matters. Mr. Cochran regularly represents private equity firms, venture capital firms and corporate investors. His experience also includes loan transactions and real estate development and transactions. He has worked on transactions involving companies in many industries, including technology, paper and packaging, aerospace, distribution, energy, healthcare and real estate.

J. Walker Coleman IV (Employment Law – Management, Litigation – Labor and Employment)

Mr. Coleman is one of the founding partners of the firm’s Charleston office. He also manages the Charleston office and serves on the firm’s Advisory Counsel.  He is an experienced labor and employment litigator who handles discrimination, harassment, wage and hour, wrongful termination, and retaliation cases for regional, national, and international companies in virtually every industry. He also prosecutes and defends restrictive covenant and trade secret claims, represents employers before state and federal employment and labor boards and departments, counsels employers on a myriad of labor and employment issues, and counsels companies on the sale and acquisition of domestic and foreign businesses.

Julius H. Hines (Admiralty and Maritime Law)

Mr. Hines focuses his practice on admiralty and maritime law, in addition to international trade and customs law. Having worked as an admiralty lawyer in the Port of Charleston for nearly two decades, he is well positioned to assist shipping clients with all manner of maritime emergencies. In the course of his career, Mr. Hines has boarded hundreds of ships, tugs, barges and other craft to investigate marine incidents. Additionally, Mr. Hines has experience handling marine-related litigation matters, recreational boating cases and maritime transactions, including vessel sales, mortgages and charters, domestic and international trade sales and appellate litigation matters.

Matthew J. Norton (Real Estate Law)

Mr. Norton is one of the founding partners of the firm’s Charleston office and serves on the firm’s Advisory Counsel in his capacity as a leader of the firmwide Real Estate practice area. He also spearheads the firm’s global Resort, Hospitality and Leisure practice, in addition to serving as a co-chair for the firm’s Caribbean Practice Affinity Group and Cuban Opportunities Task Force. He has worked extensively throughout Latin America and the Caribbean basin and has significant experience in handling transactions that involve the sale, acquisition, financing and development of hotels, resorts and golf courses.

Mark S. Sharpe (Banking and Finance Law, Corporate Law, Litigation – Banking and Finance, Real Estate Law)

Mr. Sharpe focuses his practice on commercial real estate, banking and commercial transactions, creditor rights and litigation related to those areas. Mr. Sharpe frequently serves as a speaker for continuing education programs sponsored by the South Carolina Bar, and is the author of several ABA publications, such as The Law of Guaranties, a Jurisdiction Guide to U.S. and Canadian Law and Commercial Lending Law, a State-by-State Guide. He also authored the chapter on multi-state practice of law and ethics for the Practical Guide to Commercial Real Estate in South Carolina, published by the South Carolina Bar.

Jennifer H. Thiem (Insurance Law)

Ms. Thiem focuses her practice on commercial disputes and insurance coverage matters and has represented a diverse group of entities and individuals as plaintiffs and defendants in both state and federal courts. With respect to her commercial litigation practice, Ms. Thiem has counseled and represented clients with a variety of cases, including claims for fraud, negligent misrepresentation, trademark infringement, breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty, tortuous interference with contract, deceptive trade practices and trade secret misappropriation. Ms. Thiem also advises and provides insurance and risk management counseling for commercial policyholders.

Bryan L. Walpole III (Banking and Finance Law, Litigation – Banking and Finance)

A founding partner in the firm’s Charleston office, Mr. Walpole focuses his practice on banking and asset finance. He represents mortgage portfolio lenders and servicers in connection with the servicing of securitized loans, including defeasances, assumptions, consents and other servicing matters. Mr. Walpole also represents private and institutional lenders as well as borrowers in connection with the origination of secured loans as well as the purchase and sale of distressed debt. Additionally, Mr. Walpole practices in the areas of general corporate, commercial lending and real estate transactions.

 

K&L Gates 

K&L Gates has been recognized by general counsel as one of the top law firms for superior client service for a fifth consecutive year in the 2017 BTI “Client Service 30.” K&L Gates has made 16 straight appearances on the Client Service A-Team, and 2017 is the third consecutive year the firm has ranked in the upper-half of the “Client Service 30.” For more information about K&L Gates or its locations, practices and registrations, visit klgates.com.