Checking In: Feb. 16, 2021
Former Chief Justice Joins McGuireWoods
Cheri Beasley, the first African American woman to serve as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of North Carolina, has joined McGuireWoods’ litigation practice in Raleigh as a partner and member of the firm’s appellate team. She served on the Supreme Court from 2012 through 2020 and was appointed chief justice in March 2019, and previously served on the N.C. Court of Appeals and as a District Court judge. Beasley is a graduate of the University of Tennessee College of Law and Douglass College of Rutgers University. She earned a Master of Laws in Judicial Studies from Duke University School of Law.
Ward and Smith Announces Managing Director-Elect
Devon Williams was elected Co-Managing Director-Elect at Ward and Smith. In this role, Williams will serve alongside Brad Evans, who also is a Managing Director with the firm. Williams has practiced with the firm since 2012. She has led the Labor and Employment Section and co-chaired the Raleigh Geographic Team. Upon assuming this position, she will continue to practice labor and employment law. Williams advises employers on a wide range of labor and employment issues and defends employers in employment litigation matters. Williams received a B.S. from the University of Maryland and a J.D., cum laude, from Campbell Law School.
Molly Brewer Joins James Scott Farrin
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. Read more
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.
Cranfill Sumner & Hartzog LLP (CSH Law) announced that Brandy Cox is now a paralegal in the firm’s Wilmington office. Cox is a North Carolina Bar Certified Paralegal with more than six years of experience in elder law and estates. She graduated from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington with a Bachelor of Arts in communication studies and a minor in psychology and from Cape Fear Community College with an associate’s degree in paralegal technology.
Cranfill Sumner & Hartzog LLP (CSH Law) also announced that Laura Dean, a civil litigator, has been promoted to of counsel. Dean, who is based in the firm’s Raleigh office, focuses on professional liability defense, general business disputes, premise and products liability cases, and admiralty and maritime matters. She practices in federal and State courts across North Carolina. She obtained a Juris Doctorate at the University of North Carolina School of Law and a Bachelor of Science in business administration from UNC.
Rylee Dillard has joined Hall Booth Smith, P.C. (HBS) as an associate attorney in the firm’s Charlotte office. Her practice is focused on medical malpractice, general liability and workers’ compensation. Prior to joining HBS, she practiced at an insurance defense firm located in Charlotte and represented clients in workers’ compensation disputes. Dillard earned a Juris Doctorate degree from the University of South Carolina School of Law and a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science with a concentration in politics, philosophy and law from the College of Charleston.
