We are excited to announce the launch of Moore & Van Allen’s new alumni network now across all practice areas! The people are what have made this such a great place to be over the years and that includes so many talented people that have gone on to different adventures outside the firm. We started our reach out process with our former colleagues from litigation, and we are looking forward to reconnecting with our alumni across all practice groups.
 
Our goal with this newsletter is to keep you informed of what is happening at MVA, alert you to opportunities that may be of interest, and provide resources for individuals to connect with the firm and other alumni. This is your alumni network, and we want to make it something that provides real value. Please let us know your thoughts, and if you would like us to share any recent news or life updates relating to you in the next newsletter! 
 
Finally, if you would like to receive the newsletter through a different e-mail address or update the contact and employment information we have on file, please send an email to alumni@mvalaw.com or use the option at the bottom of the email to subscribe or unsubscribe. 
Awards and Accolades

MVA Awarded “City Builders Award” at the 2022 Vision Awards
MVA was presented with the “City Builders Award” from Charlotte Center City Partners at the 2022 Vision Awards on May 26. The firm was selected based on our work on the Center City Small Business Innovation Fund in which Tom Mitchell is a funding committee member. 

MVA Celebrates 21st Annual Sally & Bill Van Allen Public Service Award Luncheon
MVA celebrated its longstanding commitment to public service by hosting the 21st Annual Sally & Bill Van Allen Public Service Award luncheon presentation on June 8. This annual event serves as an opportunity to celebrate the achievements of our employees and community partners who are making significant service contributions.

Award recipients include:
  • Sally & Bill Van Allen Public Service Award: Martha Efird
  • Outstanding Pro Bono Team Project Award: Stephanie Ward
  • Outstanding Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Champion Award: Jules Carter
  • Outstanding Pro Bono Team Project Award: Evan Bass, Peter McGrath, and Matt Mollozzi for their collective pro bono contributions to the Salvation Army Transitional Family Housing Investment

MVA Highly Ranked in 2022 Chambers USA Guide
MVA is pleased to announce that in addition to the national recognition for the Financial Services Regulation: Banking (Compliance) practice, Chambers USA ranked the following MVA attorneys as national leaders in Financial Services Regulation: Banking (Compliance):
  • Edward O’Keefe 
  • Neil Bloomfield
This year’s Chambers USA legal industry referral guide also highly ranked 10 MVA practice areas and 32 firm attorneys in the Carolinas.

2022 Legal 500 U.S. Guide Recommends Two MVA Practices and Six Firm Attorneys
Two firm practice areas and six MVA attorneys are recommended in the 2022 edition of the Legal 500 United States legal industry referral guide. The Legal 500 guide recommends MVA in the practice areas of Finance – Commercial Lending and Energy Transactions: Conventional Power.

In the area of Finance – Commercial Lending, the following five MVA attorneys are recommended in the Legal 500 guide:
  • Meredith French Reedy 
  • Sandra Lazorcheck 
  • Thomas Mitchell 
  • Tripp Monroe 
  • Wayne McKinzie 
In the area of Energy Transactions: Conventional Power, the following MVA attorney is recommended in the Legal 500 guide:
  • Joe Fernandez 

Frank Schall Recognized as Law360’s 2022 White Collar Rising Star
MVA is pleased to announce that Member Frank Schall has been selected as one of Law360's 2022 “Rising Stars” in the White Collar category. Law360’s Rising Stars profiles the top legal talent under age 40, recognizing attorneys practicing at a level usually seen from veteran attorneys.

MVA Attorneys Ranked in Managing IP 2022 IP Stars
MVA was named one of North Carolina’s leading intellectual property firms in Managing Intellectual Property’s edition of IP Stars, a legal directory that provides state-by-state analysis of the nation’s IP market. The following Intellectual Property Members were recognized as “IP Stars":
  • Arlene Hanks, Trademark Star 2022
  • Dick Lupo, Patent Star 2022
  • Henry Ward, Transactions Star 2022

MVA Receives Mecklenburg County Bar 2022 Collaborative Pro Bono Award for Human Trafficking Project
MVA is pleased to announce that the firm is a recipient of a 2022 Mecklenburg County Bar (MCB) Pro Bono Award for Outstanding Collaborative Project for its Human Trafficking Pro Bono Project.

Led by MVA attorneys Sarah Byrne and Chris Thompson and involving more than 200 volunteer attorneys and legal professionals, the Human Trafficking Pro Bono Project assists survivors with the legal services they would need to get their lives back, including criminal record expungement, name changes, and victim-witness advocacy.

Tom Mitchell and Valecia McDowell Named to Business North Carolina’s Power List 2022
MVA Managing Partner Tom Mitchell and Co-head of White Collar, Regulatory Defense & Investigations Valecia McDowell were named to Business North Carolina’s Power List 2022. This annual report highlights the state’s most influential leaders from several area industries. Business North Carolina created the list after seeking nominations, talking with dozens of sources, undertaking significant research and spending years covering North Carolina’s business community from their unique statewide perspective.

MVA named the Winner of the Legal Feeding Frenzy’s Large Law Firm Division for the Second Year in a Row
Throughout the month of March, the MVA Charlotte office raised over 165,900 pounds of food in support of Feeding the Carolinas and the Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina by way of the 2022 NC Legal Feeding Frenzy. Overall, the Frenzy raised an astounding $226,646.42 which will be allocated to food banks across the state of North Carolina.

MVA Attorneys Recognized by 2022 South Carolina Super Lawyers List
Two Charleston office members have been selected to the 2022 South Carolina Super Lawyers list. Financial Restructuring Member David Wheeler has been selected a South Carolina Super Lawyer in the Bankruptcy: Business category. Health Care Member Jessica Simpson has been selected to the 2022 South Carolina Rising Stars list in the Health Care category. 

Valecia McDowell Appointed Member of Law360 2022 Compliance Editorial Advisory Board
MVA Co-head of White Collar, Regulatory Defense & Investigations Member Valecia McDowell has been appointed one of 11 members to the Law360 2022 Compliance Editorial Advisory Board. The editorial advisory board provides feedback on Law360's coverage and insight on how best to shape future coverage.

Kimberly Zirkle Named North Carolina Lawyers Weekly’s 2022 ‘Lawyer of the Year’
MVA is pleased to announce that North Carolina Lawyers Weekly (NCLW) has named MVA Member Kimberly Easter Zirkle its 2022 “Lawyer of the Year.” According to NCLW, the state’s weekly legal industry trade publication, “Minority and underserved populations in Charlotte have a straighter path to justice and prosperity thanks to the efforts of Kimberly Zirkle,” who serves as co-chair of MVA’s Pro Bono and Public Service Committee in addition to her work as a financial services attorney.
Publications and Media

Valecia McDowell and Elena Mitchell Featured in an Episode of The Financial Executive Podcast Entitled “Auditing a Company’s Civil Rights Record”

Zach Smith Elected to Arts+ Board of Directors

Neil Bloomfield and John Stoker served as panelists for the Strafford live webinar “Attorney-Client Privilege and Bank Examination Privilege for Financial Institutions”

MVA’s Financial Restructuring and Financial Services Teams Author Special Situations Client Bulletin: Legal Review Guide for Stressed/Distressed Credits

Drew Newman and Jonathan Prytherch’s Article Published by Westlaw Today: Riding the Regulatory Enforcement Train: FINRA Issues Reminder on Supervisory Liability for Chief Compliance Officers

Sarah Byrne and Jules Carter Co-Author Boston University Law School Public Interest Law Journal Article: A Penumbra of Rights at Risk: Human Trafficking Victims’ Rights in Federal Criminal Cases 

Joey Norman shares “How I Made Partner: For Me, It’s All About Client Service” with Law.com

Valecia McDowell Serves as Hearing Officer in Removal Proceeding for Monroe City Councilmember
 
For more information on firm news, accolades, and recognitions, please click here. 
Firm CLE offerings are updated weekly. Please contact us for the latest information.
Artificial Intelligence Tools in Employment: The EEOC is Watching Too

Connecticut Joins the State Comprehensive Data Privacy Law Bandwagon

Riding the Regulatory Enforcement Train: FINRA Issues Reminder on Supervisory Liability for Chief Compliance Officers

Check out the latest MVA Blog posts and subscribe to receive all updates.
Alumni Updates

If you have received a promotion, changed positions, or have any other life or employment updates you’d like to share, please let us know so that we can share the great news with the network.
MVA Job Opportunities

Click below to view current opportunities:
Lateral Attorney Opportunities
Law Student Opportunities
Staff Opportunities

To reach a MVA recruitment contact, please click here.
Jared Nobles
FBI Special Agent
Please tell us about your current role and how you got to where you are today.
After a fulfilling three years with the Litigation/Labor and Employment team at MVA, I joined the Federal Bureau of Investigation as a Special Agent. After Quantico, the FBI assigned me to the Miami Field Office, where I currently work and where my wife and I purchased our first home. South Florida has a unique culture, but we love it and all it has to offer.
What are three keys to your professional success? 
There are many keys to professional success and I don't profess to know or practice all of them, but here are three that I have witnessed other successful people-both at MVA and at the FBI-apply to great effect: (1) invest in the people around you, particularly those who report to you; (2) work hard to relate to and level with people. By developing rapport, you may gain/keep a client, extract information you need, or win a case; and (3) make time for yourself everyday-workout, blow off steam, or do something that brings you and those you love joy. 

Are you, or is your organization, hiring?
The FBI is always hiring (shameless plug). And yes, even attorneys (as attorneys or as Agents too). We have offices in every state and most countries and hire for just about every conceivable position. Feel free to reach out to me, or call up your local Field Office for more information. In my short time, I have found the FBI to be a rewarding and satisfying career and one of those rare places that allows me to exercise many different talents/disciplines towards accomplishing a common goal. 
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