Smith Moore Leatherwood Promotes Six Attorneys to Partner

January 12, 2012

Attorneys in Charlotte, Greensboro, Raleigh and Greenville offered partnerships
       
GREENVILLE, SC – January 12, 2012 – Six Smith Moore Leatherwood attorneys have been extended partnership invitations in the Charlotte, N.C., Greensboro, N.C.,  Greenville, S.C., and Raleigh, N.C., offices effective Jan. 1, 2012.
   
Attorney John Walker has been offered partnership in the firm’s Greenville office. Walker’s practice covers a broad range of corporate transactions, with a focus on mergers and acquisitions, commercial real estate development and corporate finance. Walker also has extensive experience representing financial institutions and borrowers in a variety of financing transactions.

The five other new partners are:

•    Bill Forstner: An attorney in the firm’s Raleigh office who focuses his practice on health care. Forstner has been involved with the representation of hospitals, nursing homes, physicians, medical practices, and other health care providers in litigation matters, including professional malpractice litigation, contract disputes, non-competition agreements, employment matters, certificate of need and licensure issues, EMTALA hearings, medical staff conflicts, and other areas.

•    Allyson Jones Labban: An attorney in the firm’s Greensboro office who focuses her practice on health care, Labban advises and litigates on a variety of health care matters, including Medicare and Medicaid fraud and compliance issues, HIPAA compliance, certificate of need, and other matters.

•    Steve Petersen: A trial attorney in the firm’s Raleigh office with experience in a wide variety of cases. Petersen has litigated many criminal cases at the trial level and civil cases at the trial and appellate level. Petersen also appears regularly before North Carolina Governmental Agencies and Professional Licensing Boards.

•    Evan Sauda: A trial attorney in the Charlotte office who is a member of the firm’s litigation group. Sauda focuses his practice on complex commercial litigation with an emphasis on contract disputes and business torts. He litigates a broad range of commercial contract issues in state and federal courts.

•    Heather White: An attorney in the Charlotte office and a member of the firm’s litigation practice group. White focuses her practice primarily on commercial disputes and business litigation. White has experience litigating in state and federal courts throughout North Carolina.

“We congratulate Bill, Allyson, Steve, Evan, John and Heather on this great achievement. We are delighted to have these six individuals join us as partners,” said Rob Marcus, chairman of the firm’s management committee. “All have demonstrated a strong commitment to their clients and the firm, and we are proud of their successes.”

About Smith Moore Leatherwood LLP

Smith Moore Leatherwood LLP manages complex legal issues for regional, national and international clients.  With seven offices and more than 180 attorneys across North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia, the firm’s practices are centered around litigation, health care, labor & employment, real estate and corporate law.  For more information about the firm and its attorneys, visit www.smithmoorelaw.com.