McGuireWoods has been named a North Carolina “Powerhouse” by the legal news service Law360, which honored the firm for significant litigation victories and corporate transactions and its commitment to impactful pro bono service. Law360 profiled the firm in a Sept. 17, 2024, story.
Law360 spotlighted matters led by lawyers in the firm’s Charlotte and Raleigh offices. Elizabeth Zwickert Timmermans, managing partner of the Raleigh office, said the law firm and public affairs professionals at McGuireWoods Consulting have the capabilities to help clients adapt to a changing legal landscape and achieve their business objectives.
“Our core goal is client service,” Timmermans said. “As the clients change and their concerns change, we’ll develop with them. But we will always be a powerhouse, full-service firm, from working with our clients on PR and lobbying through handling matters through trial, through full transactions and helping them have a global picture of their business and their industry.”
Timmermans played a key role in one of the significant litigation matters featured in Law360’s story. She led a team that prevailed on multiple rounds of appeals brought by a landowner who challenged a development permit awarded to firm client WBRP, LLC, for a project along North Carolina’s coast. After the plaintiff again tried to block construction by filing a complaint that was ultimately dismissed, the McGuireWoods team filed a lawsuit on WBRP’s behalf, asserting claims for malicious prosecution, slander of title and abuse of process. That lawsuit resulted in a confidential settlement that was favorable to the firm’s client, Timmermans said.
Law360 also highlighted McGuireWoods’ nationally recognized banking and finance capabilities, calling the firm “a market leader in debt financing.” McGuireWoods represents the top 10 U.S. banks ranked by assets and routinely ranks among the leading law firms for debt finance transactions, according to authoritative league tables.
Charlotte partner Kevin McGinnis, chair of the Debt Finance Department, told Law360 that the firm excels at helping financial institutions seek out new sectors and industries with significant lending potential, citing healthcare as an example.
Law360 also noted the impact of the firm’s pro bono initiatives, including the groundbreaking Charlotte Triage pro bono partnership led by McGuireWoods, Bank of America, Duke Energy, Moore & Van Allen and Wells Fargo. Charlotte Triage, which celebrates its sixth anniversary in 2024, expands pro bono services for low-income Charlotte residents by enabling local legal aid organizations to outsource work to private practice lawyers and in-house counsel.
McGuireWoods Pro Bono Director Angie Zimmern, who is based in Charlotte, said the firm’s lawyers take pride in giving back to their communities through pro bono service. They participate in pro bono “because they really want to, and because people believe in it,” she said.