Checking In: May 18, 2021
Compiled by Jessica Junqueira
Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough LLP Announces New Partner
William S. Smoak Jr. has joined Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough LLP as a partner in the firm’s Charlotte office. Smoak is a corporate attorney who represents clients in a variety of mergers and acquisitions and general corporate activities. He graduated with a J.D. from Duke University School of Law, where he was a member of the Order of the Coif. Smoak received a B.A., magna cum laude, in history from Davidson College.
Williams Mullen Welcomes Alexander Gormley
Alexander M. Gormley has joined Williams Mullen. Gormley, an attorney in the firm’s Litigation Section, will practice in the Raleigh office. Gormley has more than 10 years of experience as a litigator. He has experience in complex commercial litigation, professional liability, ERISA and employment law. Gormley obtained a J.D., summa cum laude, from the University of Maryland School of Law and a bachelor’s degree, summa cum laude, from the University of Pennsylvania.
Rylee Dillard Returns to Willson Jones Carter & Baxley
Willson Jones Carter & Baxley announced that Rylee Dillard has returned to the firm’s Charlotte office. Dillard’s practice areas include workers’ compensation defense and liability litigation defense. She graduated with a J.D. from the University of South Carolina School of Law and a B.A. in political science from the College of Charleston.
The Fresh Market, Inc., based in Greensboro, announced earlier this month that Gerald L. Walden Jr. has been appointed to serve as its first Vice President, Deputy General Counsel and Head of Diversity. He joined The Fresh Market in 2004 and was serving as Vice President, Head of Legal at the time of the announcement. Walden graduated summa cum laude from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University in 1996 with a Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering. He received the Juris Doctor in 2001 from North Carolina Central University School of Law, where he served as Director of Externships (Adjunct Clinical Professor) from 2011-19. Walden earned an MBA from the Elon University Martha and Spencer Love School of Business in 2014. He served on the NCBA Board of Governors and NCBF Board of Directors from 2016-19, is a former co-chair of the Minorities in the Profession Committee, and in 2013 received the NCBA’s Citizen Lawyer Award.
Kent Jones focuses his practice in commercial real estate development, finance, commercial leasing, loan workouts and general corporate law. He assists developers, public/private partnerships, investors, and lenders in managing and closing commercial real estate transactions. Jones graduated from Sewanee: The University of the South with a Bachelor of Arts and from the Cumberland School of Law at Samford University with a J.D.
Josh Stone focuses his practice in commercial real estate transactions. He has assisted clients in many transactional matters, such as real estate acquisitions and development and real estate based financing, as well as other corporate matters. Stone also has prior experience as a financial advisor. He graduated from West Virginia University with a Bachelor of Science in economics and from West Virginia University College of Law with a J.D.
Samantha Hovaniec is now an associate at Brooks, Pierce, McLendon, Humphrey & Leonard, LLP, and she will work in the Raleigh office. Hovaniec practices transactional law and represents businesses in corporate matters: mergers and acquisitions, corporate governance, and equity and debt financing. She graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a B.A. in political science and economics and from UNC School of Law with a J.D.
Cranfill Sumner LLP (CSH Law) welcomes Joan Welborn, who is now a paralegal in the Raleigh office. She will work with the firm’s Workers’ Compensation Practice Group. Welborn has previous experience in employment and family law, as well as workers’ compensation defense. She received her paralegal certificate from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Welborn earned a B.S. in business administration, management and organizational development from Mount Olive College and an MBA in human resource management from Strayer University.
Ragsdale Liggett recently welcomed Paula Murray as the newest partner in the firm. Murray joined the firm in 2016 and practices in the Residential Real Estate Group. Her skills have been recognized in peer-reviewed publications including Best Lawyers in America “Ones to Watch,” Super Lawyers Rising Stars, and Business North Carolina magazine Legal Elite editions. Murray is a 2007 graduate of Meredith College, where she earned a B.A. in political science with a concentration in law and justice. She is a 2011 graduate of Campbell Law School. Murray resides in Raleigh with her husband and daughter.
Molly Brewer has joined the Law Offices of James Scott Farrin. A personal injury attorney, she received a J.D. from North Carolina Central University School of Law and a B.A. in Political Science from Moravian College in Bethlehem, Pa. Brewer worked as a litigation paralegal prior to completing law school, and is a published scholar with previous experience at North Carolina State University, the District Attorney’s Office and the N.C. Department of Justice. 
Jack L. Harper will serve as Vice President, Treasurer, and CFO of the Kettering Foundation. Harper has more than 27 years of public and private experience in tax law and corporate governance. In this position, Harper will oversee the foundation’s finances as well as play a role in the foundation’s work on democracy-related research. As a former Senior Director with Walmart, he was responsible for tax planning and led federal and state tax audit teams. Harper established Walmart’s Global Tax Controversy Center of Excellence. A Certified Public Accountant, Harper served as Chair of the North Carolina Bar Association’s Tax Section. He received a Bachelor of Science in accounting from North Carolina Central University, a Master of Science in taxation from Colorado State University, and a Juris Doctorate, with honors, from North Carolina Central University School of Law.
Dayton Cole has been named interim general counsel for Campbell University. Bob Coswell, who was general counsel at Campbell for nearly 20 years, will assume the role of associate general counsel. For more than 30 years, Cole was the general counsel and chief legal officer for Appalachian State University. There, he served under five chancellors and a number of trustees. Throughout his legal career, his general practice encompassed a wide range of legal matters, with emphasis on client counseling, research, writing, policy development, and coordination of litigation efforts with North Carolina Department of Justice attorneys. Before joining Appalachian State, he served as assistant university attorney at Texas State University and as university attorney at Texas A&M – Commerce. He is the author of the Legal Handbook for North Carolina Teachers and has served as a member of the Board of Governors of the North Carolina Bar Association. Cole is a graduate of the South Texas College of Law in Houston and Texas State University.
Patti Ramseur and Alex Maultsby launched Ramseur Maultsby LLP in September 2020, focusing on employment law, after each practiced for over seventeen years with Smith Moore Leatherwood and, more recently, Fox Rothschild. In their new firm, they will continue to engage in employment litigation, counseling, and training. Patti and Alex are longtime North Carolinians. Ramseur graduated from North Carolina State University and Wake Forest University School of Law; Maultsby graduated from Davidson College and the University of North Carolina School of Law.