Eight McGuireWoods lawyers from the firm’s Charlotte, Raleigh and Wilmington offices have been selected by their peers to be included on Business North Carolina magazine’s 2015 Legal Elite list. The annual listing appears in the magazine’s January 2015 issue.
Since 2002, Business North Carolina has published a listing of the state’s top lawyers in business-related categories. The Legal Elite lawyers are selected by members of the North Carolina State Bar.
Two McGuireWoods lawyers made the Legal Elite list in the bankruptcy category, underscoring the strength of the firm’s nationally recognized restructuring and insolvency practice. McGuireWoods received a national Tier 1 ranking in Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law in the 2015 edition of U.S. News-Best Lawyers’ “Best Law Firms.”
The Legal Elite list also includes two McGuireWoods litigators who focus on product liability matters. The firm was nationally ranked in the Products Liability & Mass Torts category by Chambers USA in its 2014 guide.
The McGuireWoods lawyers on the 2015 Legal Elite roster are:
- Jason Evans, Charlotte – Antitrust. Evans’ practice focuses on financial services matters, antitrust litigation and compliance, software implementation and technology matters, and other commercial disputes. He frequently advises manufacturing, chemical, food and beverage, and other business clients on antitrust compliance issues related to product distribution and marketing programs, pricing decisions, joint ventures, mergers and acquisitions, and group purchasing arrangements.
- Justin Howard, Raleigh – Litigation . Howard defends manufacturers and distributors in product liability claims. He also represents businesses in a wide range of other litigation matters, including labor and employment disputes and actions involving alleged breach of contract, business torts, professional malpractice, financial services fraud, and toxic torts. Howard was selected for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America in 2014 and 2015.
- J. Trevor Johnston, Charlotte – Bankruptcy . Johnston focuses his practice on financial restructuring and insolvency matters, including bankruptcy, creditors’ rights, and commercial workouts. He regularly works as lead counsel on large loan workout transactions, and appears in state and federal courts, including bankruptcy court, on behalf of national banks and other creditors. Johnston was selected for inclusion in Chambers USA’s 2014 guide, “America’s Leading Lawyers for Business,” and in The Best Lawyers in America for 2015.
- Henry L. Kitchin Jr. , Wilmington – Litigation . Kitchin concentrates his practice on business litigation and creditor’s rights matters. He represents plaintiffs and defendants in antitrust, business tort, and breach of contract cases. He represents creditors in creditor’s rights and bankruptcy cases, and defends lenders in predatory lending and lender liability suits. He has experience in complex commercial, product liability, construction and real estate litigation. He has been named to The Best Lawyers in America each year since 2009.
- Lynwood Mallard, Charlotte – Business . Mallard has served as lead counsel for buyers and sellers of businesses, both private and public companies, in domestic and cross-border transactions. He provides tactical and strategic transactional advice to corporate and financial sponsors principals. Mallard has been selected for inclusion in Chambers USA’s annual guide each year since 2006. He has been named to The Best Lawyers in America each year since 2001.
- Patrick Meacham, Raleigh – Litigation . Meacham’s practice focuses on products and premises liability, healthcare, occupational safety and health, and complex business matters. He has represented corporations and individuals in trials involving alleged tortious conduct and professional negligence. He has tried numerous catastrophic injury cases, and in the process, has conducted and defended hundreds of party, fact witness and expert witness depositions, including preparing corporate representatives to give sworn testimony.
- Brian Troutman, Charlotte – Young Guns (honoring lawyers younger than 40) . Troutman is a commercial litigator whose clients come from a broad range of industries, including financial institutions, franchisors, construction material suppliers, manufacturers, telecommunications companies and media outlets. He routinely represents lenders in disputes with commercial developers, as well as disputes related to mortgage servicing and origination practices.
- Scott Vaughn, Charlotte – Bankruptcy . Vaughn is managing partner of McGuireWoods’ Charlotte office. He primarily represents financial institutions in corporate restructuring, refinancing and all phases of bankruptcy proceedings. Vaughn has been selected for inclusion in Chambers USA’s annual guide each year since 2008. He has been named to The Best Lawyers in America each year since 2009.