Ten McGuireWoods lawyers from the firm’s Charlotte, Raleigh and Wilmington offices have been selected by their peers to be included on Business North Carolina magazine’s 2016 Legal Elite list. The annual listing appears in the magazine’s January 2016 issue.
Since 2002, Business North Carolina has published a listing of the state’s top lawyers in business-related categories. The Legal Elite lawyers are selected by members of the North Carolina State Bar.
Three McGuireWoods lawyers are recognized in the litigation category, two each are recognized for antitrust, business and employment, and one for bankruptcy, underscoring the depth and breadth of legal talent across the firm’s three offices in North Carolina.
This recognition bolsters McGuireWoods’ position as a leading firm in North Carolina. Last year, the Charlotte Business Journal ranked McGuireWoods’ litigation practice as being the largest in the city, and North Carolina Lawyers Weekly recognized McGuireWoods among the three largest law firms in the state. The firm also received 35 Tier 1 practice group rankings in North Carolina in the 2016 edition of U.S. News-Best Lawyers’ “Best Law Firms.”
The McGuireWoods lawyers on the 2016 Legal Elite roster are:
- Peter Covington, Charlotte – Litigation. Covington is the firm’s Deputy Managing Partner for Growth and Strategic Initiatives and a partner in the Business and Securities Litigation Department. He focuses his practice on complex commercial litigation with an emphasis on securities and financial services litigation. He has represented parties in complex litigation of all types, including securities, lender liability, antitrust, business torts, shareholder litigation, insurance coverage disputes and both domestic and international arbitrations.
- Jason Evans, Charlotte – Antitrust. Evans’ practice focuses on financial services matters, antitrust litigation and compliance, software implementation and technology matters, and other commercial disputes. He frequently advises manufacturing, chemical, food and beverage, and other business clients on antitrust compliance issues related to product distribution and marketing programs, pricing decisions, joint ventures, mergers and acquisitions, and group purchasing arrangements.
- Justin Howard, Raleigh – Litigation. Howard defends manufacturers and distributors in product liability claims. He also represents businesses in a wide range of other litigation matters, including labor and employment disputes and actions involving alleged breach of contract, business torts, professional malpractice, financial services fraud, and toxic torts.
- J. Trevor Johnston, Charlotte – Bankruptcy. Johnston focuses his practice on financial restructuring and insolvency matters, including bankruptcy, creditors’ rights, and commercial workouts. He regularly works as lead counsel on large loan workout transactions, and appears in state and federal courts, including bankruptcy court, on behalf of national banks and other creditors.
- Henry L. Kitchin Jr., Wilmington – Antitrust. Kitchin concentrates his practice on business litigation and creditor’s rights matters. He represents plaintiffs and defendants in antitrust, business tort, and breach of contract cases. He represents creditors in creditor’s rights and bankruptcy cases, and defends lenders in predatory lending and lender liability suits. He has experience in complex commercial, product liability, construction and real estate litigation.
- Andrew Kristianson, Raleigh – Litigation. Kristianson practices in the firm’s financial services group and has brought and defended business disputes on behalf of numerous national financial institutions. He regularly represents physicians and medical centers in medical malpractice and product liability actions. He also works on complex commercial disputes, where he frequently manages the discovery process, including electronic discovery issues.
- Lynwood Mallard, Charlotte – Business. Mallard has served as lead counsel for buyers and sellers of businesses, both private and public companies, in domestic and cross-border transactions. He provides tactical and strategic transactional advice to corporate and financial sponsors principals.
- John McDonald, Charlotte – Employment. McDonald has practiced exclusively on the management side of labor and employment matters for more than 20 years. He regularly represents clients in employee mobility matters including counseling and litigating over non-compete, non-solicit and trade secret issues.
- Paul Navarro, Charlotte – Employment. Navarro regularly represents large and small employers throughout the country, from multinational companies to local start-ups. He helps employers implement best practices to comply with employment laws, respond to personnel situations, and reduce litigation costs. He also has extensive experience in all phases of employment and business litigation in both state and federal courts, as well as an active practice advising and representing government contractors throughout the country.
- Marvin Rogers, Charlotte – Business. Rogers’ practice includes energy, infrastructure and project finance, banking and corporate finance, private equity, and real estate. He represents financial institutions, equity providers, borrowers and issuers in connection with a variety of financing transactions including project financings, investment grade credits, cash flow credits and leveraged acquisitions.