The following 12 attorneys have been elected as the newest members of Moore & Van Allen PLLC (MVA): Elizabeth (Beth) A. Buckner, Thomas A. Cooper, Joshua (Josh) John DeBottis, Lesley A. Firestone, Christopher (Chris) T. Fowler, Emerich F. Gutter, Caitlin N. Horne, Gabriel L. Mathless, Lauren D. Nelson, Joseph (Joey) W. Norman, Cole B. Richins, and Wade B. Sample, Jr.
“On behalf of the firm, I offer congratulations to our deserving new members,” said MVA Chairman Thomas L. Mitchell. “These attorneys have dedicated their talents and leadership abilities to the firm and our clients. We are proud of their successes and pleased to promote them to membership.”
Beth Buckner focuses on federal, state, and local tax matters and economic development projects. Buckner negotiates economic development tax incentive packages at the state and local levels for relocating or expanding businesses throughout the country and primarily in the Southeast. Buckner’s practice also includes assisting economic development package recipients with the ongoing monitoring, compliance, and reporting associated with such packages.
Thomas Cooper focuses on tax planning, trust and estate planning and administration, business succession, and transactional and business matters that arise in connection with the acquisition, ownership, and operation of closely held businesses. He regularly works with business owners and investors and their related family members, C-level executives and other business operators, accountants, wealth managers, corporate fiduciaries, life insurance providers, and family office advisors in arriving at comprehensive, creative, and practical solutions.
Josh DeBottis has a broad base of experience in finance and corporate related areas, focusing on the energy industry, with a particular emphasis on renewable energy project finance. He represents financial institutions in the financing, construction, acquisition, and sale of energy and infrastructure assets, including solar, wind, coal, and natural gas facilities.
Lesley Firestone focuses on a wide array of environmental legal matters including assisting clients in the purchase or sale of contaminated properties, permitting, compliance counseling, and the resolution or avoidance of environmental enforcement issues. Firestone’s litigation practice includes bringing and defending challenges to permitting decisions in front of government agencies and the S.C. Administrative Law Court. She has also handled appeals before the S.C. Court of Appeals.
Chris Fowler practices in a broad range of finance-related areas, focusing on the representation of institutional investors, hedge funds, business development companies, small business investment companies (SBICs), private equity groups, and sponsors in their investment, buy-out, and finance transactions. He also practices in the areas of senior bank debt and syndicated loan finance, with considerable experience in representing banks and financial institutions in connection with the structuring and documenting of syndicated credit facilities.
Emerich Gutter focuses his practice on domestic and international mergers and acquisitions, private equity, venture capital investments, and corporate governance. Gutter has substantial experience in representing strategic and financial buyers and sellers in a variety of complex business transactions and advises clients on general corporate matters such as commercial contracts and executive employment agreements. His experience spans transactions with valuations ranging from less than $5 million to more than $10 billion and in a broad range of industries, such as food, cosmetic and other consumer products, software, packaging, industrial equipment, insurance, healthcare, and technology.
Caitlin Horne focuses on providing individuals and families with sophisticated estate and tax planning. A member of both the North Carolina and South Carolina bars, Horne represents clients in both states and works to implement planning that achieves the client’s personal and financial objectives. Her practice includes the preparation of wills, trusts, and other documents necessary to accomplish efficient transfer tax planning. When planning is in place, Horne advises clients on the proper way to administer trusts and estates.
Gabriel Mathless advises both creditor- and company-side clients in corporate bankruptcies, out-of-court restructurings, mergers and acquisitions transactions involving troubled companies, and other distressed situations. He also routinely represents financial institutions, as lenders and agents, in connection with secured lending transactions, intercreditor issues and in restructuring troubled credits, both in and out of court. Mathless has represented clients in a broad array of industries, including retail, healthcare, restaurant, manufacturing, technology, agriculture, and transportation.
Lauren Nelson practices in the area of financial services. She represents financial institutions, banks, and private equity sponsors in the structuring and documentation of secured and unsecured syndicated, club and bilateral credit facilities, including acquisition-related financings, leveraged recapitalizations, and working capital facilities.
Joey Norman has a diverse corporate, commercial, and transactional law practice. He represents buy- and sell-side clients in mergers and acquisitions, advises clients on transportation and logistics issues, and counsels on general corporate, operational and commercial legal matters. He represents private equity, venture capital, family office, private closely held companies and publicly traded companies. Norman has assisted in completing transactions ranging from $1.5 million to $5 billion in a variety of industries, including energy, industrial, manufacturing, banking, aerospace, healthcare, business services, consumer goods and services, oil and gas, industrial, telecommunications, professional sports, hospitality, and entertainment.
Cole Richins advises banks, other financial institutions, equipment lessors, and corporate entities in restructuring matters, corporate bankruptcies, foreclosures, and collections. Richins also routinely represents administrative agents in connection with the negotiation and documentation of secured and unsecured senior syndicated financing transactions, and banks and other financial institutions in front-end secured and unsecured middle market financings. He has considerable experience in representing financial institutions in connection with the negotiation and preparation of intercreditor and subordination agreements, and creditors in defense of causes of action arising from claims of preferential transfers.
Wade Sample focuses on mergers and acquisitions, corporate governance, capital markets transactions, U.S. securities laws, and general business matters. Sample has represented companies in public and private mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, and a variety of financing transactions. He regularly counsels clients on general corporate, operational, and commercial contract needs, including drafting and negotiating large national and international equipment purchases and critical vendor agreements. He also advises boards of directors and senior management on corporate governance matters, such as fiduciary duties, anti-takeover strategies, and activist stockholder demands.
About Moore & Van Allen
Moore & Van Allen PLLC (www.mvalaw.com), founded in 1950, has more than 300 attorneys in offices in Charlotte, North Carolina, and Charleston, South Carolina. The attorneys at Moore & Van Allen provide sophisticated legal services within their nationally recognized Litigation, Corporate, Finance, Intellectual Property, and Real EstateIntellectual Property, and Real Estate law practices for international banks and manufacturers, energy leaders, and growing healthcare and technology companies. The firm is ranked in the prestigious “Am Law 200” list and U.S. News & World Report and Best Lawyers have recognized Moore & Van Allen in their 2021 “Best Law Firms” rankings, both regionally and nationally.
