Checking In: September 23, 2025

Compiled by Jessica Junqueira

Chester Opens Child’s Voice Law

Suzanne, a white woman with curly brown hair, wears a white sleeveless blouse with black flowers. She is wearing brown glasses.After practicing law in the nonprofit arena for almost 30 years, Suzanne Chester has opened her own small practice where she focuses on child-centered family law services. She spent most of her career at Legal Aid of North Carolina where she provided legal services for low-income clients in child custody, domestic violence, landlord tenant, and fair housing litigation. She spent the last eleven years directing The Child’s Advocate at LANC and promoting legal representation for children at the national level. Chester earned a Ph.D. in the humanities from Louisiana State University and a J.D. from UNC School of Law.

Smith Anderson Welcomes Of Counsel

Ralph, a white man with grey hair, wears a white shirt, blue tie and black suit.Ralph Strayhorn is now of counsel with the firm. Strayhorn has more than 40 years of experience in executive leadership in banking and other industries. He is executive chairman of New Republic Partners, Inc. and New Republic Bank in Charlotte, where he formerly served as president and CEO. Strayhorn was appointed by the governor and reappointed by the speaker of the House to serve as chair of the Golden LEAF Foundation. Strayhorn graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he received his undergraduate degree, and from UNC School of Law.

Moore & Van Allen Announce Future Relocation

An image of the new two buildings and a city skyline is shown. They are silver and there is sunlight behind them.

Moore & Van Allen announced it will relocate its Charlotte office from the Bank of America Corporate Center to Tower Two at Queensbridge Collective in 2028.

The firm’s new office building will be constructed at 1111 South Tryon Street, a location connecting Charlotte’s South End and Uptown districts. The firm’s offices will span nine contiguous floors of the 43-story building. This new space will increase the firm’s current square footage from 165,000 square feet to 206,000 square feet. Some of the features of this new location include one full acre of outdoor green space, a 10,000 square foot fitness and wellness facility and meeting and event space within the building and outdoors, including a rooftop terrace.

Once completed, the construction will be the eighth-tallest building in Charlotte. The building will be constructed by Riverside Investment & Development and is expected to be completed in 2028.

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