Five Greenville Smith Moore Leatherwood Attorneys Earn Top Rankings in 2010 Chambers USA Guide
June 15, 2010
GREENVILLE, SC – June 15, 2010 – Five attorneys in Smith MooreLeatherwood’s Greenville office were recognized as top attorneys in thestate in the 2010 Chambers USA Guide, an annual publication that ranksthe leading U.S. lawyers and law firms. The attorneys recognized fortheir respective practice areas are Michael J. Giese, General CommercialLitigation; Steven E. Farrar, General Commercial Litigation; Richard L.Few, Jr., Corporate/Mergers & Acquisitions; Mark E. Holmes, RealEstate; and A. Marvin Quattlebaum, Real Estate.
In total, Chambers USA recognized 21 Smith Moore Leatherwoodattorneys as leading practitioners in the nation, which is a 31 percentincrease from 2009. The firm also earned recognition in nine differentpractice areas in the states of South Carolina, North Carolina andGeorgia.
“We are proud of the continued achievements of our attorneys as wellas the recognition given to a number of our core practice areas. Thisnot only reflects the talent of our lawyers, but also ourresults-oriented commitment to client service,” said Tod Hyche, managingpartner of Smith Moore Leatherwood’s South Carolina office.
In its eleventh year of publication, the Chambers USA results aregathered through thousands of confidential interviews conducted withclients and lawyers, with greater weight given to the views of theclients. The publication ranks both law firms and individual lawyers bypractice areas. The qualities on which rankings are assessed includetechnical legal ability, professional conduct, client service,commercial astuteness, diligence, commitment and other qualities mostvalued by the client.
The Greenville attorneys identified as top practitioners are:
Michael J. Giese, Litigation: General Commercial
Mike Giese has served as a member of the Board of Commissioners onGrievances and Discipline, South Carolina Supreme Court (1990-93),served as a Member of its Executive Committee (1993-97), and ispresently a Member of the South Carolina Commission on Lawyer Conduct.He is a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, an Advocate ofthe American Board of Trial Advocates, a permanent Member of the FourthCircuit Judicial Conference, and a Fellow of the American BarFoundation. This is his second consecutive year being recognized as atop attorney by the Chambers USA Guide.
Steven E. Farrar, Litigation: General Commercial
Steve Farrar is an experienced trial lawyer and his practice focuseson complex cases. He routinely works on cases involving complicatedbusiness litigation, professional liability defense and major productsliability issues. He has tried numerous cases including, among others,fighting charges of securities fraud and improper corporate activity,defending accountants and lawyers in malpractice actions and defendingautomobile manufacturers from product liability exposure. In addition,he has served as counsel for a federally appointed Receiver in acriminal action, and in that role he helped recover millions of dollarsfor defrauded investors. Mr. Farrar is a certified civil mediator by theSouth Carolina Bar Association.
Richard L. Few, Jr., Corporate/Mergers & Acquisitions
Richard Few is a member of the firm’s Corporate group and hispractice includes mergers and acquisitions, strategic and tax planningin structuring business ventures, and commercial and public/privatefinancings. In addition, he represents businesses seeking economicdevelopment and tax incentives for relocations or expansions in SouthCarolina and serves on the South Carolina Chamber of Commerce TaxCommittee which promotes pro-business laws in the state. This is hissecond consecutive year being recognized as a top attorney by theChambers USA Guide.
A. Marvin Quattlebaum, Real Estate
Marvin Quattlebaum, a member of the firm’s Commercial Real Estategroup, represents purchasers, sellers and developers of residential,commercial and industrial real estate, as well as local and nationallending institutions financing real estate transactions. He also hasexperience in representation of landlords, tenants and lenders inleading transactions involving real property for commercial andindustrial development and use. Mr. Quattlebaum is an approved attorneyand agent for the Chicago Title Insurance Company, Lawyers TitleInsurance Corporation, and First American Title Insurance Company. Thisis his second consecutive year being recognized as a top attorney by theChambers USA Guide.
Mark E. Holmes, RealEstate
Mark Holmes, a member of the firm’s Commercial Real Estate group,represents both developers and lenders in all types of real estatetransactions, with a particular emphasis on zoning and land use issues. He is an approved attorney and agent for Lawyers Title InsuranceCorporation, Chicago Title Insurance Company and First American TitleInsurance Company.
For more information about Chambers and Partners research andranking methodology, visit www.smithmoorelaw.com/rankings.
About Smith Moore Leatherwood LLP
Smith Moore Leatherwood LLP serves clients in the Southeast andacross the nation through attorneys who are personally invested insolving clients’ complex legal issues. With more than 180 attorneys whoconcentrate in a wide range of substantive areas, Smith MooreLeatherwood has offices in Atlanta, Georgia; Greenville, South Carolina;and in Charlotte, Greensboro, Raleigh and Wilmington, North Carolina.For more information, visit www.smithmoorelaw.com.
