Checking In: October 20, 2020
Compiled by Jessica Junqueira
Campbell University Names Interim General Counsel
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.
Allyson K. Duncan Will Serve on JAMS Panel
JAMS, the largest private provider of alternative dispute resolution (ADR) services worldwide, has announced that the Hon. Allyson K. Duncan will now serve on its panel. Before joining JAMS, Judge Duncan served on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit for more than 15 years and on the North Carolina Court of Appeals for one year. Prior to her judicial appointment, Judge Duncan was a partner at Kilpatrick Stockton and served with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission as appellate attorney and the agency’s legal counsel. Judge Duncan became the first African American woman to serve as a judge on the North Carolina Court of Appeals. She also was the first African American president of the North Carolina Bar Association and the first African American woman to sit on the Fourth Circuit bench. Judge Duncan received a Juris Doctorate from Duke Law School and a Bachelor of Arts, summa cum laude, from Hampton University.
New Hires
McAngus Goudelock & Courie (MGC) announced that Jared Becker has joined the firm’s Charlotte office. Becker focuses his practice on bad faith, commercial litigation, construction, coverage, general litigation, premises liability, products liability, transportation and trucking. Before he joined MGC, Becker was a senior associate at a litigation firm in Missouri. Becker obtained a Juris Doctorate from the Creighton University School of Law and Bachelor of Science from the University of Nebraska.
John F. Cutchin has joined the Pendleton Law Firm in Lincolnton. Before joining the firm, Cutchin practiced for 45 years, primarily as a solo practitioner. His areas of practice at the Pendleton Law Firm will include family law and estate work. He has been a Certified Family Financial Mediator since 2001. Cutchin earned a Juris Doctorate from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a Bachelor of Arts in English from Davidson College.
The City of Shelby has announced that Andrea Leslie-Fite will serve as the staff attorney as well as city attorney advising City Council. She will also legally advise the city council, city administration and staff, as well as various boards and commissions. Leslie-Fite is the City of Shelby’s first full-time attorney. She began her career in law at Yelton, Farfour, et al, P.A., where she was named partner in 2011. She worked as assistant county attorney with Cleveland County government. Before accepting the position in Shelby, Leslie-Fite was the senior assistant city attorney in the Charlotte city attorney’s office. Leslie-Fite earned a Juris Doctorate from North Carolina Central University School of Law and a Bachelor of Arts in political science and communications studies from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
The North Carolina Alliance of Public Health Agencies (NCAPHA), the North Carolina Association of Local Health Directors (NCALHD), and the North Carolina Public Health Association (NCPHA) announced that Katye Jobe Griffin is now Executive Director of the Associations. Before this role, Griffin managed the statewide judicial campaign for Judge Jefferson Griffin, her husband. Prior to joining the Associations, she practiced law at Fox Rothschild and Smith Moore Leatherwood. Griffin is especially interested health law and policy. Griffin earned her Juris Doctorate from Wake Forest University School of Law and her Bachelor of Arts in history, political science, and religious studies from the University of Miami. She is a graduate of the NCBA Leadership Academy.
Cranfill Sumner & Hartzog LLP (CSH Law) welcomes Georgia Malik as an associate attorney in the firm’s Raleigh office. Malik’s practice is focused on civil litigation. While she was a law student at North Carolina Central University, Malik interned with Chief Justice Cheri Beasley at the North Carolina Supreme Court and was executive editor of the North Carolina Central Law Review. Malik received her Juris Doctorate from North Carolina Central University School of Law and a Bachelor of Science in business administration and a concentration in marketing from North Carolina State University.
Nicholas Tessener is now an attorney with the Law Offices of James Scott Farrin. Tessener, a personal injury attorney, focuses his practice on litigation. He is a member of North Carolina’s House Select Committee on Community Relations, Law Enforcement, and Justice. Before graduating law school, Tessener worked as a summer associate for the Law Offices of James Scott Farrin and attended the Academy of the Advocate, a study abroad program at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland. He also traveled to Ghana, where he participated in an interactive study of the history, race relations, and human rights throughout the region. Tessener obtained a Juris Doctorate from Campbell University School of Law and a Bachelor of Arts in business administration from Lycoming College.
Brooks Pierce Announces New Associate Attorneys and Partners
Brooks Pierce has announced that Noah Hock and Will Walker have joined the firm as associate attorneys.
Noah Hock focuses his practice on commercial litigation, entertainment law and employee benefits law. Hock was a summer associate at Brooks Pierce in 2019. He graduated from the University of Puget Sound with a bachelor’s degree in instrumental performance and the University of North Carolina at Greensboro with a master’s degree in music performance. Hock received his Juris Doctorate from Wake Forest University School of Law. He is the associate principal viola of the Winston-Salem Symphony.
Will Walker will focus his practice on commercial litigation and white-collar criminal defense practice. He completed a clerkship with Judge William Osteen Jr. in the United States District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina. He also was an extern in the federal public defender’s office for the Eastern District of North Carolina and for Judge James Wynn in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. From 2009 to 2016, he served in the U.S. Army. He holds a bachelor’s degree in philosophy and political science from Furman University and a Juris Doctorate from the University of North Carolina School of Law.
Brooks Pierce also named four individuals as partners: Eric Fletcher, Shana Fulton, Kim Marston and Andy Rodenbough.
Eric Fletcher assists clients with a wide range of litigation and regulatory issues. His experience includes high-profile cases focused on issues of commercial, patent, constitutional and criminal law at all levels of state and federal court, including the U.S. Supreme Court. He also has significant experience in politics and elections. Prior to his position with Brooks Pierce, Fletcher was a law clerk to Judge Michael Boudin of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit. He obtained his bachelor’s degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and his Juris Doctorate from Harvard Law School.
Shana Fulton represents businesses and individuals in criminal and civil litigation, under government investigation or in conducting internal investigations. Before she joined Brooks Pierce, she was Deputy Chief for both the Felony Major Crimes Section and the General Crimes Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia as well as Senior Litigation Counsel for the Homicide Section. Fulton was inducted into the North Carolina Pro Bono Honor Society in 2019 for providing at least 50 hours of pro bono legal service during the year. Fulton earned her Juris Doctorate at Columbia University School of Law and her bachelor’s degree at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Kim Marston litigates contract and commercial disputes, including unfair trade practices, trade secrets, insurance coverage and breach of fiduciary duty claims on behalf of businesses and professionals in all levels of state and federal courts, including the North Carolina Business Court. She has significant experience in all stages of litigation. Marston received her Juris Doctorate from Washington and Lee University School of Law and her bachelor’s degree from Duke University.
Andy Rodenbough has a wide-ranging litigation practice that includes business litigation, railroad litigation and employment litigation. He regularly represents clients in state and federal court, the North Carolina Business Court, and appellate courts. Rodenbough graduated from the University of North Carolina School of Law, where he received his Juris Doctorate, and from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he earned his bachelor’s degree.
Robinson Bradshaw Hires Eight Associate Attorneys
Mary Wills Bode is a corporate attorney with experience in capital markets, leveraged finance, and mergers and acquisitions. Before joining Robinson Bradshaw, Bode practiced law at Proskauer Rose LLP in New York City. She has served as executive director of North Carolinians for Redistricting Reform. Bode graduated from the University of North Carolina School of Law with a Juris Doctorate and was a member of the North Carolina Law Review. She obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree, cum laude, from Wake Forest University.
Ryan C Dibilio earned his Juris Doctorate, magna cum laude, from the Wake Forest University School of Law, where he was an articles editor of the Wake Forest Law Review. While in law school, he worked as a summer associate with Robinson Bradshaw. He also was a judicial extern for the Court of Federal Claims in Washington, D.C. He received a Bachelor of Science degree, summa cum laude, and with honors from Moravian College.
Miranda E. Goot obtained her Juris Doctorate with high honors from the University of North Carolina School of Law. There, she was an executive comments editor of the North Carolina Law Review. She was a judicial extern / intern with the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. She received her Bachelor of Science degree, summa cum laude, from the University of Miami as an Isaac Bashevis Singer Scholar.
Brandon LaRose earned his law degree from the Wake Forest University School of Law. He was an overall winner of the Wake Forest Transactional Law Competition, a competition in which students showcase contract analysis, drafting and negotiation skills. He also was a summer associate with McGuireWoods LLP. LaRose obtained his Bachelor of Arts, magna cum laude, in business administration and marketing from Muhlenberg College.
Timothy P. Misner received his Juris Doctorate, magna cum laude, from the Wake Forest University School of Law, where he was a member of Order of the Coif and served as senior notes and comments editor of the Wake Forest Journal of Business and Intellectual Property Law. He received his Bachelor of Arts, cum laude, from Elmhurst College.
Jazzmin M. Romero earned her Juris Doctorate, cum laude, from the University of Florida Levin College of Law. There, she was a member of the Florida Law Review. She obtained her Bachelor of Arts, summa cum laude, from Alabama State University.
Fara Soubouti received her law degree with honors from the University of North Carolina School of Law. During law school, she was a staff member of the North Carolina Banking Institute Journal. She earned her Bachelor of Arts with honors and distinction from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Soubouti is fluent in Farsi and Spanish.
Garrett A. Steadman obtained his law degree with high honors from the University of North Carolina School of Law. There, he was a staff member of the North Carolina Law Review and a member of Order of the Coif. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree, cum laude, from Clemson University. Before he joined Robinson Bradshaw, Steadman clerked for Judge Catherine C. Eagles of the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina.