Four Smith Moore Leatherwood Attorneys Honored with “Leadership in Law” Awards
February 3, 2012
GREENVILLE, SC – February 2, 2012 – Four Smith Moore Leatherwoodattorneys have been recognized by South Carolina Lawyers Weekly as“Leadership in Law” Award winners. Steven E. Farrar, Natalma M. McKnew,Robert W. Pearce, Jr. and Kurt M. Rozelsky will be honored at an awardsceremony on March 15 at the Francis Marion Hotel in Charleston.
“We congratulate Steve, Tami, Bobby and Kurt on their recognition bySouth Carolina Lawyers Weekly,” said Rob Marcus, chairman of the firm’smanagement committee. “This honor confirms what we know to be true ofso many of our attorneys – that they continually go above and beyondtheir duties, and that their contributions to their profession andcommunities makes them true leaders in South Carolina.”
Steve Farrar (Greenville, S.C.)
Farrar is an experienced trial lawyer whose practice focuses on complexcases. He routinely works on cases involving complicated businesslitigation, professional liability defense and major products liabilityissues. He has tried numerous cases including, among others, fightingcharges of securities fraud and improper corporate activity, defendingaccountants and lawyers in malpractice actions and defending automobilemanufacturers from product liability exposure. In addition, Farrar hasserved as counsel for a federally appointed Receiver in a criminalaction, and in that role he helped recover millions of dollars fordefrauded investors. He is a civil mediator certified by the SouthCarolina Bar Association. Farrar serves on the Executive Committee andas a Director of the Federation of Defense & Corporate Counsel. Hehas served locally on the Boards of Project Host Soup Kitchen andLeadership Greenville, and is a past President of the South CarolinaSpecial Olympics.
Tami McKnew (Greenville, S.C.)
McKnew’s practice focuses in the areas of antitrust, franchising anddealerships, and intellectual property. She received her bachelor’sdegree from the University of California, Santa Barbara; her master’sdegree from the University of California, Los Angeles; and her lawdegree from the Northeastern University School of Law. McKnew isactively involved in numerous community organizations, currently servingon the Boards of The Nature Conservancy’s Board of Trustees, SouthCarolina Chapter; United Way of Greenville County; Clement’s KindnessFund for the Children; the Priester Foundation; the South CarolinaInstitute for Child Success; and the Attorneys Liability ProtectionSociety.
Bobby Pearce (Charleston, S.C.)
With a B.A. in economics from Washington and Lee University and anM.B.A. and J.D. from the University of South Carolina, Pearce has built apractice including corporate law, private securities offerings, venturecapital, mergers and acquisitions, real estate finance, lenderrepresentation and trademark law. A member of the SMART STATE Centersof Excellence Review Board for the State of South Carolina, he was firstappointed by Governor Mark Sanford and then later by Speaker of theHouse Bobby Harrell to help oversee over $210 million of funding forresearch-related projects and endowed chairs focused on creating newhigh-growth businesses centered around South Carolina’s three researchuniversities. Pearce is the immediate past Chairman of the CharlestonMetro Chamber of Commerce and serves on numerous boards of directorsacross the region, including the Charleston Regional DevelopmentAlliance, New Carolina (the South Carolina Council on Competitiveness),the Trident Technical College Foundation, the World Trade CenterCharleston, the Charleston Chamber Foundation and AAA Carolinas.
Kurt Rozelsky (Greenville, S.C.)
Rozelsky’s practice focuses on the defense of complex litigation,including transportation matters, product liability claims, andother technical and expert driven litigation. A member of the DRITrucking Committee since 2004, Rozelsky currently serves as the900-member Committee’s Chairman. He is also involved with several otherlegal defense organizations, including the Federation of Defense andCorporate Counsel’s Commercial Transportation Committee, the AmericanBar Association’s Commercial Transportation Litigation Committee, theTrucking Industry Defense Association, the Transportation LawyersAssociation and the South Carolina Defense Trial Attorneys Association.Locally, Rozelsky is on the Board of Public Education Partners and haspreviously served on the Boards of Leadership Greenville, the United Wayof Greenville Palmetto Society, United Way Young PhilanthropistsCouncil (as Chairman), the Greenville Literacy Association and Compassof Carolina (as Chairman).
About Smith Moore Leatherwood LLP
Smith Moore Leatherwood LLP manages complex legal issues forregional, national and international clients. With seven offices andmore than 180 attorneys across North Carolina, South Carolina andGeorgia, the firm’s practices are centered around litigation, healthcare, labor & employment, real estate and corporate law. For moreinformation about the firm and its attorneys, visit www.smithmoorelaw.com.
