Archive for the ‘News’ Category
Rayburn Cooper & Durham, P.A. is pleased to announce that the following attorneys in the firm have been selected for inclusion in 2025 North Carolina Super Lawyers®:
2025 North Carolina Super Lawyers
Al Durham – Bankruptcy Business
Ross Fulton – Business Litigation
Kirk Hardymon – Business Litigation
Jack Miller – Bankruptcy Business
Rick Rayburn –Business/Corporate
Matthew Tomsic – Bankruptcy Rising Star
2025 North Carolina Top 100
Ross Fulton
Jack Miller
Rick Rayburn
2025 Top 25 Charlotte
Ross Fulton
Jack Miller
Super Lawyers® is an annual listing of outstanding lawyers from more than 70 practice areas who have attained a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement.
The selections for this esteemed list are made by the research team at Super Lawyers®, a Thomson Reuters business. Each year, the research team at Super Lawyers® undertakes a rigorous multi-phased process that includes a statewide survey of lawyers, independent research evaluation of candidates, and peer reviews by practice area. Only 5% of North Carolina attorneys have been selected for inclusion in Super Lawyers®.
Learn more about the selection process.
Posted 02/20/25
Seven attorneys from Rayburn Cooper & Durham, P.A. have been recognized by their peers as 2025 “Legal Elite” in Business North Carolina Magazine’s annual list.
Scott Cooper – Corporate
Ross Fulton – Litigation (Hall of Fame); Appellate
Kirk Hardymon – Litigation
Jack Miller – Bankruptcy
Ashley Oldfield – Young Guns
Rick Rayburn – Bankruptcy (Hall of Fame)
Matt Tomsic – Bankruptcy (Hall of Fame)
Legal Elite Methodology
Each year, Business North Carolina sends ballot notices to every member of the N.C. State Bar living in North Carolina — asking each a simple question: Of the Tar Heel lawyers whose work you have observed firsthand, whom would you rate among the current best in these categories? 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.
About Rayburn Cooper & Durham, P.A. (RCD)
For more than 35 years, Rayburn Cooper & Durham has served both businesses and individuals with bankruptcy and financial restructuring, business litigation and general corporate matters. The attorneys within the firm have extensive experience and provide creative solutions to help clients establish their enterprises, grow and prosper and also protect their rights, assets, and interests. Recognizing the unique needs of their clients, RCD does not represent large banks or financial institutions. RCD – The way forward. www.rcdlaw.net
Posted 01/16/25
Al Durham recently presented on “Professional Wisdom” at the NCBA’s 47th Annual Bankruptcy Institute held in Wrightsville Beach, NC. Al was joined by Keith Johnson of R. Keith Johnson, PA and Dirk Siegmund of Ivey McClellan Siegmund Brumbaugh & McDonough LLP. They shared insights into enduring principles of professionalism and civility as they relate to bankruptcy law. The program also included a judges panel regarding the state of the districts and presentations regarding recent bankruptcy cases of note, sovereign citizens, and tax issues, among other topics.
Posted 11/19/24
Rayburn Cooper & Durham associate Ashley Oldfield recently presented “Eyeing the Competition: Non-Competes, Trade Secrets, and the FTC’s Proposed Non-Compete Rule” at the Mecklenburg Bar Association’s 12th Annual North Carolina Business Court CLE held in Charlotte, NC. Ashley was joined by Katie Burchette of Johnston Allison Hord to discuss the state of the law for non-competition agreements and trade secrets. The presentation included an overview of the life of a trade secret lawsuit, from Business Court designation to damages and everything in between, an update on recent cases involving non-competition agreements, and an analysis of the continued relevance of the FTC’s now-set-aside non-compete ban. The CLE also included a judge’s panel discussion and presentations regarding artificial intelligence, the law on Section 75-1.1 claims, and recent Business Court cases of note.
Posted 11/13/24
The Best Lawyers in America® recognized two Rayburn Cooper & Durham attorneys in its 2025 edition.
Rick Rayburn is a “Lawyer of the Year” recipient in the 2025 edition of The Best Lawyers in America®! “Lawyer of the Year” is awarded to only one lawyer per region and practice area, making it Best Lawyers’ most outstanding recognition. Rick received this award in the area of Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights/Insolvency and Reorganization Law.
Rick is also listed by Best Lawyers® in the areas of:
- Bet-the-Company Litigation
- Commercial Litigation
- Corporate Law
Rick has served as the managing shareholder of Rayburn Cooper & Durham for over 30 years. He represents business enterprises and individuals in a wide variety of financial transactions and commercial disputes including corporate and commercial litigation, financial restructurings, business reorganizations, workouts, executive employment contracts and disputes, shareholder disputes, business formations, venture capital infusions, private and public securities offerings, mergers, acquisitions, joint ventures, divestitures, refinancings, and recapitalizations.
Jack Miller is listed by Best Lawyers® in the area of Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights/Insolvency and Reorganization Law.
Jack represents debtors in business workouts and financial reorganizations and trustees, debtors, creditors, and creditors’ committees in business bankruptcies under Chapter 7 or 11 of the Bankruptcy Code. He also works with restructuring financing and/or operations outside a formal court proceeding for financially distressed business entities.
Since it was first published in 1983, Best Lawyers® has become universally regarded as the definitive guide to legal excellence. Best Lawyers lists are compiled based on an exhaustive peer-review evaluation. Over 83,000 leading attorneys globally are eligible to vote, and Best Lawyers has received more than 13 million votes to date on the legal abilities of other lawyers based on their specific practice areas around the world. For the 2017 Edition of The Best Lawyers in America©, 7.3 million votes were analyzed, which resulted in almost 55,000 leading lawyers being included in the new edition. Lawyers are not required or allowed to pay a fee to be listed; therefore inclusion in Best Lawyers is considered a singular honor. Corporate Counsel magazine has called Best Lawyers “the most respected referral list of attorneys in practice.”
About Rayburn Cooper & Durham, P.A. (RCD)
For more than 35 years, Rayburn Cooper & Durham has served both businesses and individuals with bankruptcy and financial restructuring, business litigation and general corporate matters. The attorneys within the firm have extensive experience and provide creative solutions to help clients establish their enterprises, grow and prosper and also protect their rights, assets, and interests. Recognizing the unique needs of their clients, RCD does not represent large banks or financial institutions. RCD – The way forward. www.rcdlaw.net
Posted 08/21/24
Associate Ashley Oldfield recently received the Young Lawyer of the Year Award from the Mecklenburg County Bar’s Young Lawyers Division (YLD). The award recognizes the outstanding impact young lawyers are making in the practice of law in Mecklenburg County.
Ashley graduated magna cum laude from Wake Forest University School of Law in 2020 and has been an active member of the YLD since joining Rayburn Cooper and Durham, P.A. that year. She served on the YLD’s Community Service Committee for the past three years and is currently serving as the Secretary/Treasurer of the YLD for 2024-2025. Ashley is also beginning a second three-year term on the Mecklenburg Bar Foundation’s Board of Directors where she has been actively involved in the Development Committee.
In addition, Ashley volunteers with the North Carolina Bar Association Young Lawyers Division, serving on its Nominating Committee for the past two years and co-chairing the McIntyre Youth Leadership Challenge since 2022. The McIntyre Youth Leadership Challenge strives to inspire middle and high school students to demonstrate good citizenship by addressing challenges in their local communities.
Ashley focuses her practice at Rayburn Cooper and Durham on business litigation and commercial bankruptcy and oversees the firm’s Business Court Blast publication. She also maintains a pro bono practice, working with Legal Aid and the Charlotte Center for Legal Advocacy on criminal expunctions and housing issues.
Posted 07/09/24
Chambers USA has once again ranked Rayburn Cooper & Durham’s Bankruptcy/Restructuring practice area among the best in North Carolina. In addition, three of RCD’s bankruptcy attorneys—Rick Rayburn, Al Durham, and Jack Miller—were recognized as leaders in their field. RCD is one of the few small law firms in North Carolina to be recognized for its Bankruptcy/Restructuring practice area by Chambers and Partners, considered to be among the most prestigious of law firm rating organizations.
The Chambers USA directory is published annually by UK-based Chambers and Partners. The independent guide is compiled by a team of more than 140 researchers based on confidential interviews with lawyers and clients throughout the United States.
Individual lawyers are ranked on the basis of their legal knowledge and experience, ability, effectiveness, and client-service. Practice areas are ranked based on these qualities, as well as the effectiveness and capability of the department as a whole – its strength and depth. Visit https://chambers.com/
Posted 06/20/24
Rayburn Cooper & Durham, P.A. is pleased to announce that the following attorneys in the firm have been selected for inclusion in 2024 North Carolina Super Lawyers®:
2024 North Carolina Super Lawyers
Al Durham – Bankruptcy Business
Ross Fulton – Business Litigation
Kirk Hardymon – Business Litigation
Jack Miller – Bankruptcy Business
Rick Rayburn –Business/Corporate
Matthew Tomsic – Bankruptcy Rising Star
2024 North Carolina Top 100
Ross Fulton
Jack Miller
Rick Rayburn
2024 Top 25 Charlotte
Jack Miller
Rick Rayburn
Super Lawyers is an annual listing of outstanding lawyers from more than 70 practice areas who have attained a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement.
The selections for this esteemed list are made by the research team at Super Lawyers, a Thomson Reuters business. Each year, the research team at Super Lawyers undertakes a rigorous multi-phased process that includes a statewide survey of lawyers, independent research evaluation of candidates, and peer reviews by practice area. Only 5% of North Carolina attorneys have been selected for inclusion in Super Lawyers.
Learn more about the selection process.
Posted 01/11/24
The Mecklenburg County Bar has selected Rayburn Cooper & Durham associate Ashley Oldfield for the 2024 Bar Leadership Institute (BLI). In its 22nd year, BLI identifies and develops leaders for the Mecklenburg County Bar and Foundation by providing participants opportunities to develop their personal leadership potential and skills; become aware of leadership opportunities with the Bar and the greater Charlotte community; consider pressing Bar and community issues; and develop a spirit of lasting collegiality with their fellow participants.
Selection for BLI is competitive. The Bar chooses leaders based on their commitment and motivation to serve in leadership positions, their history of public service and involvement in charitable organizations, and their willingness to engage in meaningful work with the Bar or the Foundation, among other criteria. In the program, Ashley and her BLI classmates will participate in 15 hours of continuing legal education, receive individual coaching by a leadership consultant, and attend the Bar’s annual Bar Leadership Dinner and a two-day retreat at the Whitewater Center.
Ashley graduated with high honors from the Wake Forest University School of Law in 2020 with her husband and son by her side. Prior to law school, she taught high school English and worked in the accounting department of a law firm. Ashley focuses her practice at RCD on business litigation and commercial bankruptcy. She also regularly contributes to the firm’s Business Court Blast publication, serves on the Mecklenburg Bar Foundation Board of Directors, the Mecklenburg County Bar YLD Community Service Committee, and the North Carolina Bar Foundation’s Law Week/Liberty Bell Committee, and volunteers with Legal Aid and the Charlotte Center for Legal Advocacy.
Posted 01/11/24
Seven attorneys from Rayburn Cooper & Durham, P.A. have been recognized by their peers as 2024 “Legal Elite” in Business North Carolina Magazine’s annual list.
Scott Cooper – Business
Ross Fulton – Appellate
Kirk Hardymon – Litigation
Jack Miller – Bankruptcy
Ashley Oldfield – Bankruptcy
Matt Tomsic – Bankruptcy
Ross Fulton received the distinction of being named to the “Hall of Fame” for Litigation and both Rick Rayburn and Matt Tomsic received the same distinction for Bankruptcy.
Legal Elite Methodology
Each year, Business North Carolina sends ballot notices to every member of the N.C. State Bar living in North Carolina — asking each a simple question: Of the Tar Heel lawyers whose work you have observed firsthand, whom would you rate among the current best in these categories? 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.
About Rayburn Cooper & Durham, P.A. (RCD)
For more than 35 years, Rayburn Cooper & Durham has served both businesses and individuals with bankruptcy and financial restructuring, business litigation and general corporate matters. The attorneys within the firm have extensive experience and provide creative solutions to help clients establish their enterprises, grow and prosper and also protect their rights, assets, and interests. Recognizing the unique needs of their clients, RCD does not represent large banks or financial institutions. RCD – The way forward. www.rcdlaw.net
Posted 01/03/24
Shareholder Matt Tomsic was recently appointed to the board of directors for Larry King’s Clubhouse.
Larry King’s Clubhouse provides a free, drop-in childcare center for children between the ages of 6 weeks and 12 years of age whose family members are conducting business at the courthouse or serving as jurors. Additionally, the center cares for children who are at the courthouse because they are witnesses or are the subject of child neglect or custody proceedings. The center provides a safe, secure, and enriching environment for children. You can learn more about Larry King’s Clubhouse’s mission and services here.
Matt practices with the firm’s business, civil litigation, and bankruptcy groups. He also maintains a pro bono practice focusing on housing stability and serves on the Mecklenburg County Bar’s Grievance Committee and the North Carolina Bar Association’s Bankruptcy Council.
Posted 11/06/23
U.S. News has recognized Rayburn Cooper & Durham, P.A., in its annual Best Law Firm Awards, ranking RCD regionally in the following practice areas:
RCD ranked in Tier 1 for Bankruptcy and Creditor-Debtor Rights/Insolvency and Reorganization Law; in Tier 1 for Corporate Law; in Tier 2 for Commercial Litigation and Litigation – Mergers & Acquisitions; and in Tier 3 for Bet-the-Company Litigation.
Firms included in the 2024 Edition of U.S. News – Best Lawyers “Best Law Firms®” are recognized for professional excellence and receive consistently impressive ratings from clients and peers. To be considered, a law firm must have at least one lawyer recognized in The Best Lawyers in America, which recognizes the top 5 percent of practicing lawyers in the country.
In its 2024 edition, Best Lawyers in America recognized two RCD attorneys, Rick Rayburn in the categories of Bet-the-Company Litigation, Commercial Litigation, Corporate Law, and Bankruptcy and Creditor-Debtor Rights/Insolvency and Reorganization law, and Jack Miller in the category of Bankruptcy and Creditor-Debtor Rights/Insolvency and Reorganization.
Posted 11/02/23
The Best Lawyers in America® recognized two Rayburn Cooper & Durham attorneys in its 2024 edition.
Rick Rayburn is listed by Best Lawyers® in the areas of:
- Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law
- Bet-the-Company Litigation
- Commercial Litigation
- Corporate Law
Rayburn has served as the managing shareholder of Rayburn Cooper & Durham for over 30 years. He represents business enterprises and individuals in a wide variety of financial transactions and commercial disputes including corporate and commercial litigation, financial restructurings, business reorganizations, workouts, executive employment contracts and disputes, shareholder disputes, business formations, venture capital infusions, private and public securities offerings, mergers, acquisitions, joint ventures, divestitures, refinancings, and recapitalizations.
Jack Miller is listed by Best Lawyers® in the area of Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights/Insolvency and Reorganization Law.
Miller represents debtors in business workouts and financial reorganizations and trustees, debtors, creditors, and creditors’ committees in business bankruptcies under Chapter 7 or 11 of the Bankruptcy Code. He also works with restructuring financing and/or operations outside a formal court proceeding for financially distressed business entities.
Since it was first published in 1983, Best Lawyers® has become universally regarded as the definitive guide to legal excellence. Best Lawyers lists are compiled based on an exhaustive peer-review evaluation. Over 83,000 leading attorneys globally are eligible to vote, and Best Lawyers has received more than 13 million votes to date on the legal abilities of other lawyers based on their specific practice areas around the world. For the 2017 Edition of The Best Lawyers in America©, 7.3 million votes were analyzed, which resulted in almost 55,000 leading lawyers being included in the new edition. Lawyers are not required or allowed to pay a fee to be listed; therefore inclusion in Best Lawyers is considered a singular honor. Corporate Counsel magazine has called Best Lawyers “the most respected referral list of attorneys in practice.”
About Rayburn Cooper & Durham, P.A. (RCD)
For more than 35 years, Rayburn Cooper & Durham has served both businesses and individuals with bankruptcy and financial restructuring, business litigation and general corporate matters. The attorneys within the firm have extensive experience and provide creative solutions to help clients establish their enterprises, grow and prosper and also protect their rights, assets, and interests. Recognizing the unique needs of their clients, RCD does not represent large banks or financial institutions. RCD – The way forward. www.rcdlaw.net
Posted 08/22/23
Rayburn Cooper & Durham, P.A. is pleased to announce that the following attorneys in the firm have been selected for inclusion in 2023 North Carolina Super Lawyers®:
2023 North Carolina Super Lawyers
Al Durham – Bankruptcy Business
Ross Fulton – Business Litigation
Kirk Hardymon – Business Litigation
Jack Miller – Bankruptcy
Rick Rayburn – Bankruptcy; Business/Corporate
Matthew Tomsic – Bankruptcy Rising Star
2023 North Carolina Top 100
Jack Miller
Rick Rayburn
2023 Top 25 Charlotte
Jack Miller
Rick Rayburn
Super Lawyers is an annual listing of outstanding lawyers from more than 70 practice areas who have attained a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement.
The selections for this esteemed list are made by the research team at Super Lawyers, a Thomson Reuters business. Each year, the research team at Super Lawyers undertakes a rigorous multi-phased process that includes a statewide survey of lawyers, independent research evaluation of candidates, and peer reviews by practice area. Only 5% of North Carolina attorneys have been selected for inclusion in Super Lawyers.
Learn more about the selection process.
Posted 01/26/23
The Mecklenburg County Bar has selected Rayburn Cooper & Durham associate Natalie Kutcher for the 2023 Bar Leadership Institute (BLI). In its 21st year, BLI identifies and develops leaders for the Mecklenburg County Bar and Foundation by providing participants opportunities to develop their personal leadership potential and skills; become aware of leadership opportunities with the Bar and the greater Charlotte community; consider pressing Bar and community issues with peers and presenters of the highest caliber; and develop a spirit of lasting collegiality with their fellow participants.
Selection for BLI is competitive. The Bar chooses leaders based on their commitment and motivation to serve in leadership positions, their history of public service and involvement in charitable organizations, and their willingness to engage in meaningful work with the Bar or the Foundation, among other criteria.
In the program, Natalie and others will participate in 15 hours of continuing legal education, receive individual coaching by a leadership consultant, and attend the Bar’s annual Bar Leadership Dinner and a two-day retreat at the Whitewater Center. Topics covered in the CLEs include: leading through listening, storytelling, and relationships; the history and future of practicing law in Mecklenburg County; the role of race and poverty on Mecklenburg’s past and future; and diversity and inclusion in the county’s legal community and justice system.
Natalie graduated with honors from the University of North Carolina School of Law in 2019. Prior to law school, she taught high school World History with the Charlotte-Mecklenburg school system. Natalie focuses her practice at RCD on business litigation and commercial transactions. She also regularly contributes to the firm’s Business Court Blast publication and serves on the Mecklenburg County Bar Communications Committee.
Posted 01/10/23
Six attorneys from Rayburn Cooper & Durham, P.A. have been recognized by their peers as 2023 “Legal Elite” in Business North Carolina Magazine’s annual list.
Each year, Business North Carolina sends ballot notices to every member of the N.C. State Bar living in North Carolina — asking each a simple question: Of the Tar Heel lawyers whose work you have observed firsthand, whom would you rate among the current best in these categories? 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. Attorneys who receive the most votes in their respective categories become permanent members of the “Legal Elite Hall of Fame.”
The RCD attorneys named to Business North Carolina’s 2023 “Legal Elite” are
Scott Cooper – Corporate
Al Durham – Bankruptcy
Ross Fulton – Litigation
Jack Miller – Bankruptcy
Matt Tomsic – Bankruptcy
Ross Fulton and Matt Tomsic were both ranked first in their respective fields and have joined the “Legal Elite Hall of Fame.”
In addition, Rick Rayburn was previously named to the “Legal Elite Hall of Fame” for Bankruptcy.
About Rayburn Cooper & Durham, P.A. (RCD)
For more than 35 years, Rayburn Cooper & Durham has served both businesses and individuals with bankruptcy and financial restructuring, business litigation and general corporate matters. The attorneys within the firm have extensive experience and provide creative solutions to help clients establish their enterprises, grow and prosper and also protect their rights, assets, and interests. Recognizing the unique needs of their clients, RCD does not represent large banks or financial institutions. RCD – The way forward. www.rcdlaw.net
Posted 01/04/23
