About Us
When Rick Rayburn, already a partner in a well-regarded Charlotte law firm, opened his own practice in 1982, he envisioned a purposefully small firm — one with entrepreneurial spirit.
He wanted to take on clients he could not represent with his former firm, whose work focused on representing banks and other financial institutions. In addition to serving entrepreneurs, Rayburn’s new firm further developed its practice in business law and complex litigation. In 1988, the firm added Scott Cooper, whose career with the Securities and Exchange Commission added expertise in corporate governance and securities law. Al Durham, a successful practitioner of bankruptcy law and a former Chapter 7 panel trustee, joined in 1994. The firm became Rayburn Cooper & Durham in 2001 and over the years grew in the number of attorneys and the scope of its services, all while adhering to the entrepreneurial spirit and drive to tackle clients’ problems that formed Rayburn’s founding vision more than 30 years ago.
Business Law Professionals Dedicated to Our Clients
Using our extensive experience and insight to provide creative solutions, the lawyers at Rayburn Cooper & Durham help clients establish their enterprises and then help those businesses grow and prosper while we tenaciously protect their rights, assets, and interests. In service of that mission, RCD does not represent large banks or financial institutions. We, therefore, welcome and assist clients who have disputes with large banking firms.
Efficient, Fast-Moving, Sophisticated
RCD represents every type and size of business client, as well as individuals, in business-related matters in North Carolina and across the region. Our advice covers each stage in the life of a business — from startup to exit. Yet RCD matches large firm capabilities with a small firm’s responsiveness. Our clients receive results of the highest quality, quickly and cost-effectively.
Sound Counsel in Crisis Situations
RCD often takes cases that have grown beyond the capabilities of the law firms handling them. Time is of the essence in critical commercial litigation and bankruptcy matters. Our attorneys and staff have deep skill sets, honed by experience, and they swiftly identify key legal issues and work to solve complex legal matters. Our clients benefit from our ability to quickly mobilize a formidable legal team to confront any crisis.
An Interdisciplinary Approach to the Law
Whether the matter is simple or complex, RCD adapts and, when necessary, works across various areas of the law to achieve unique solutions. Frequently asked by other law firms to lead in complex cases, our lawyers can call on RCD’s expertise in many areas of the law as well as their practical knowledge of commercial and financial affairs to serve clients’ needs.