Author Archive
Jack Miller, a member of RCD’s Bankruptcy practice group, is scheduled to speak on May 15, 2015, at the Mecklenburg County Bar’s Western North Carolina Bankruptcy Seminar, an annual continuing legal education program. Jack and his co-presenter, Lance Martin of Ward & Smith, P.A., will deliver the topic “Obtaining or Preventing Third Party Releases and Injunctions,” exploring recent developments in bankruptcy law regarding expansion of the automatic stay to non-debtors and issues relating to obtaining permanent releases or injunctions for non-debtors. Shelley Abel serves on the planning committee for this seminar. Get more information and register to attend at http://www.meckbar.org/continueed/ce_programdetails.cfm?prog_id=972.
Posted 04/15/15
Shelley Koon Abel and John R. (“Jack”) Miller, Jr., were recently certified by the American Board of Certification as specialists in Business Bankruptcy Law. Jack and Shelley are both shareholders of the firm, concentrating their respective practices in representing both small and large businesses who are debtors or creditors in corporate workouts, financial reorganizations, and in business bankruptcies under Chapter 7 and 11 of the Bankruptcy Code. This certification complements their existing certification from the North Carolina State Bar in the same area of specialization. They join Al Durham, also a business bankruptcy specialist, who has been certified by the North Carolina State Bar since 1987 and by the American Board of Certification since 1993.
To become certified, Jack and Shelley satisfied the following requirements:
- Full time practice of law for at least five years;
- Good standing in the bars of all states in which a license to practice law is held;
- Devoted at least 30% of practice time and at least 400 hours to bankruptcy related matters in the last three years;
- Documented involvement in business bankruptcy by providing information on cases practiced;
- Demonstrated commitment to continuing legal education by earning at least 60 hours of bankruptcy education in the past three years; and
- Passed an extensive, day-long written examination covering business bankruptcy issues.
The American Board of Certification (ABC) is a non-profit organization dedicated to serving the public and improving the quality of the bankruptcy bar. The rigorous ABC certification standards are designed to encourage bankruptcy practitioners to strive toward excellence and to recognize those attorneys who are experts in the bankruptcy field. The ABC offers separate certification programs in business and consumer bankruptcy and creditors’ rights. All three ABC certification programs are accredited by the American Bar Association. The ABC is co-sponsored by The American Bankruptcy Institute and the Commercial Law League of America.
Posted 04/09/15
Rayburn Cooper & Durham is pleased to announce that five of our attorneys were selected to North Carolina Super Lawyers® 2015. Al Durham and Rick Rayburn also were selected to the Charlotte Top 25 Attorneys and the North Carolina Top 100 Attorneys. Super Lawyers is a rating service of outstanding lawyers from more than 70 practice areas who have attained a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement. Lawyers are selected through independent research, peer nominations and peer evaluations. RCD attorneys selected as 2015 North Carolina Super Lawyers and the area for which each is recognized are:
2015 North Carolina Super Lawyers:
Paul Baynard – Bankruptcy: Business
Al Durham – Bankruptcy: Business
Brad Gatehouse – Business Litigation
Kirk Hardymon – Business Litigation
Rick Rayburn – Business/Corporate
The following RCD attorneys were named North Carolina Rising Stars for 2015, which recognizes top up-and-coming lawyers who are 40 years old or younger, or who have been practicing 10 or fewer years. No more than 2.5 percent of the lawyers in the state are recognized.
Shelley Abel – Bankruptcy: Business
Ross Fulton – Business Litigation
Dave Melin – Business Litigation
Jack Miller – Bankruptcy: Business
Will Smoak – Business/Corporate
Posted 01/21/15
In the Western District of North Carolina, a jury has awarded a $500,580 verdict in favor of RCD client RDLG, LLC, in litigation against a defendant that defrauded plaintiff RDLG, LLC in connection with mountain real estate sales. Ross Fulton served as lead counsel for plaintiff with Ben Shook.
Posted 01/15/15
Four Rayburn Cooper & Durham attorneys have been selected by their peers for inclusion in Business North Carolina’s annual list of Legal Elite in North Carolina. They are:
Shelley Koon Abel – Bankruptcy
Paul Baynard – Bankruptcy
Brad Gatehouse – Business
Jack Miller – Bankruptcy
Rick Rayburn is a member of the Business North Carolina’s Legal Elite “Hall of Fame” after receiving the top number of votes for the Bankruptcy practice area in 2006.
About Business North Carolina’s Legal Elite
Since 2002, Business North Carolina magazine has honored Tar Heel lawyers by publishing Business North Carolina’s Legal Elite, a listing of the state’s top lawyers in business-related categories. Winners are chosen not by BNC editors but by the state’s lawyers. Business North Carolina’s Legal Elite gives every active lawyer in the state the opportunity to participate. Business North Carolina’s Legal Elite includes the top lawyers chosen using this statewide ballot. Voters are not allowed to vote for themselves. They may select members of their firms only if they pick out-of-firm lawyers in the same categories, with the latter votes weighted more heavily.
Posted 01/08/15
Shelley Abel, a member of RCD’s Bankruptcy practice group, is scheduled to speak on February 7, 2015, at the Mecklenburg County Bar’s 2015 Annual Review, an annual continuing legal education program. Shelley and her co-presenter, Diane Furr of Poyner Spruill, will deliver the topic “Bankruptcy Basics and More,” providing an introduction to bankruptcy law for non-bankruptcy attorneys and updates on recent developments in bankruptcy law. Get more information and register to attend at http://www.meckbar.org/continueed/ce_programdetails.cfm?prog_id=913.
Posted 01/07/15
In the 2015 edition of the U.S. News — Best Lawyers® rankings of the “Best Law Firms,” Rayburn Cooper & Durham was selected for inclusion in multiple practice areas in North Carolina:
- Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law
- Commercial Litigation
- Corporate Law
These rankings complement the recognition of two RCD attorneys selected for inclusion in the 2015 edition of The Best Lawyers in America® which was released in August 2014.
About “Best Law Firms”
The U.S. News — Best Lawyers® “Best Law Firms” rankings are based on a rigorous evaluation process that includes the collection of client and lawyer evaluations, peer review from leading attorneys in their field, and review of additional information provided by law firms as part of the formal submission process. To be eligible for a ranking, a law firm must have at least one lawyer listed in 20th Edition of The Best Lawyers in America list for that particular location and practice area.
Posted 11/06/14
Rick Rayburn, a member of RCD’s Bankruptcy practice group, is scheduled to speak on November 7, 2014, at the North Carolina Bar Association’s 37th Annual Bankruptcy Institute, an annual continuing legal education program. Rick and his co-presenters, Lee Hogewood of K&L Gates, LLP and Joe Calloway of Battle Winslow Scott & Wiley, P.A., will deliver the topic “Negotiating a Section 363 Asset Sale and Financing a Sale Process Before and During a Bankruptcy Proceeding,” discussing the out-of-court negotiations that may result in a proposed Section 363 sale, financing a case from petition to a 363 sale closing, and developing sales procedures that enhance the prospect of generating the most value for the estate from the often differing, but sometimes aligned, perspectives of the debtor/trustee, the purchaser/stalking horse, and the unsecured creditors’ committee. Get more information and register to attend at https://www.ncbar.org/media/274563/312abi.pdf.
Posted 10/07/14
