Smith Moore Leatherwood LLP is pleased to announce that Terri Harris has been selected by Triad Business Journal as a 2018 Outstanding Women in Business award winner.

Harris is the partner-in-charge of Smith Moore Leatherwood’s Greensboro office and is a member of the firm’s management committee. With more than 27 years of experience, Harris has worked with all types of health care providers in navigating the risks and challenges of the rapidly changing industry. She regularly advises clients on various aspects of health care operations, including Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement, certificate of need and facility licensure, HIPAA, medical staff and peer review, risk management, operational policies, and contracting.

Harris is also active in her community and currently serves as chair of the Friends Homes, Inc. board of trustees. She also volunteers on the attorney hotline for the Women’s Resource Center providing pro bono legal advice to women on health care related legal issues.

For 19 years, Triad Business Journal has recognized extraordinary women through these awards, and recent years have continued to reveal how women are leading across a diverse array of industries and sectors. The judges selected these honorees from an extraordinarily strong pool of nominees based upon their accomplishments in their industries and communities, including philanthropic leadership.

Winners will be recognized in a special publication and at an awards luncheon on Friday, April 27, 2018 at the Greensboro/High Point Airport Marriott.

Continental Tire recently resolved 151 workers’ compensation cases involving asbestosis claims. The cases have spanned nearly a decade and were spurred on by the North Carolina Industrial Commission Deputy Commissioner James C. Gillen’s 2016 opinion citing the lack of exposure to any employee of asbestos or talc at the Continental Tire plant. The matter was appealed to the full North Carolina Industrial Commission, which recently came to the same conclusion as Deputy Commissioner Gillen. These opinions will be applied to each of the 151 matters.

Continental Tire was represented by Smith Moore Leatherwood attorneys Jeri L. Whitfield and Lisa Kaminski Shortt.

Continental Tire was facing a plethora of workers’ compensation cases, all claiming asbestosis from working in a tire plant with insulated steam pipes. The company offered to submit to a full trial using the five Bellwether plaintiffs selected by Plaintiff’s counsel, allowing the opinion in the Bellwether cases to apply to the remaining claims. The trial began in February 2011 and involved a mini trial involving Vermont talc allegations. The trial focused on scientific and medical evidence to prove that employees at Continental Tire were not exposed to levels of asbestos capable of causing disease.  In 2015, the original Deputy Commissioner overseeing the case retired prior to issuing an opinion, and once in front of the newly appointed Deputy Commissioner Gillen, Smith Moore Leatherwood distilled 37 days of trial and more than 70 depositions into a two day closing argument on behalf of Continental.

“Defending an asbestosis workers’ compensation matter is not an easy task in North Carolina,” said Whitfield. “We were initially contacted by Continental Tire in 2009. After a long road and facing a few challenges along the way, we are pleased to receive these opinions from the Commission.”

Whitfield has extensive experience in litigating complex occupational disease claims before the North Carolina Industrial Commission and appellate courts. Her civil practice includes handling toxic tort and asbestos-related litigation and premises liability claims before the trial and appellate courts.

In addition to her workers’ compensation practice, Shortt handles a variety of cases before the trial and appellate courts.  Shortt is a partner in the Smith Moore Leatherwood Health Care and Litigation Practice Groups. She formerly practiced as a registered nurse and has five years of experience in cardiac surgery intensive care nursing. She works with hospitals and other health care providers to identify, respond to, and resolve compliance issues and keep their businesses running.

Each result depends on a variety of factors unique to each case.  Past success does not indicate the likelihood of success in any future legal representation.

Volunteers are needed to serve food to the less fortunate at the Urban Ministry’s Potter’s House.

Shifts are from 9:00 AM to 12:30 PM.
This is a great opportunity to give back to the community in the company of fellow members of the bar. We need help on the following Sundays:

April 15 & May 20

Please email Melissa Duncan at mduncan6@elon.edu if you are able to help. Write POTTER’S HOUSE in the subject line.

Download printable flyer (PDF)

GREENSBORO BAR ASSOCIATION

Memorial Resolution
for
Allen Holt Gwyn

BE IT HEREBY RESOLVED, by the Greensboro Bar Association at its regularly scheduled meeting on January 18, 2018 that:

WHEREAS, Allen Holt Gwyn died on September 18, 2017, in Greensboro, North Carolina; and

WHEREAS, this Association desires to reflect upon and recognize his outstanding legal career and service to the Bar and the community in general, and the minutes should therefore reflect that:

Allen Holt Gwyn was born on September 11, 1949 and grew up in Winston-Salem in a family proud of its long legacy as native North Carolinians for many generations.

Holt was a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the Wake Forest University School of Law. Upon graduating from law school Holt moved to Greensboro and joined the office of the United States Attorney, Middle District of North Carolina as an Assistant U.S. Attorney. After leaving the U.S. Attorney’s office, Holt joined the law firm of Falk, Carruthers & Roth, PA in Greensboro as a civil litigation partner. It was there that he began developing his expertise in construction law.  Some years later, he became a partner in the law firm of Patton Boggs, working in its Greensboro office. In 1999, Holt and his long time law partners Richard Conner and Jim Schenck founded the construction law firm of Conner Gwyn Schenck PLLC, with offices in Raleigh and Greensboro.  Holt was generally considered one of the finest construction lawyers in the state and was often called upon to serve as a mediator and arbitrator in commercial disputes.

Holt dedicated his time and effort to numerous civic and professional organizations.  In 1999, Holt was elected as Chair of the American Bar Association Forum on Construction Law, the nation’s premiere construction law group, with over 6,000 members.  He was the first North Carolina lawyer to Chair that organization.  In 2014, he was selected as Chair of the North Carolina Bar Association’s Construction Law Section.  Holt also was selected as a Fellow in the American College of Construction Lawyers where he served on its board and as its president.

Holt was also an accomplished writer and teacher.  Holt was co-editor of the treatise entitled North Carolina Construction Law, Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of the American College of Construction Lawyers, and co-editor of the College of Commercial Arbitrators Guide to Best Practices in Commercial Arbitrations.

Holt was a member of the American Bar Association, the North Carolina Bar Association and the Greensboro Bar Association.

He gave generously of his time and talents.  Holt’s pro bono efforts were recognized by his membership in the Herb Falk Society.   Holt also served on numerous local boards including the Greensboro Symphony Orchestra, the Eastern Music Festival, Green Hill Center for North Carolina Art and the Cultural Arts Council of Greensboro.  He also served as a member of the Guilford County Volunteers to the Court First Offender Program.

Holt had many abilities and experiences beyond his civic and professional life.  Holt was well travelled and well read.  He was a fine golfer and boat skipper.  He also was a gifted musician and singer frequently performing at local venues and events with his fellow attorney musician, David Niblock of Winston-Salem.

Holt’s life was marked by his keen intellect, integrity, and boundless energy.  Always willing to help others, he was a remarkable mentor for all.  He was a model attorney, citizen and friend.  Those who knew Holt continue to be inspired by his memory to strive for excellence and to better themselves and their communities.

Holt is survived by his wife Beth Boulton of Greensboro, and by a large family.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Greensboro Bar Association, in this duly assembled meeting of its members, does hereby adopt this Resolution to honor and memorialize the life and works of our colleague Allen Holt Gwyn, and directs that this Resolution be made a part of the official records of the Association and that a true copy hereof shall be delivered to Holt’s family in token of the esteem, high regard and enduring affection in which he was held by his friends and colleagues of the Bar.

DONE BY ACCLAMATION at the regularly scheduled meeting of the membership of the Greensboro Bar Association, this the 18^th day of January, 2018.

Sarah H. Roane, President

Higgins Benjamin, PLLC, is pleased to announce that three of the firm’s attorneys were recognized in the 2018 North Carolina Super Lawyers magazine for their professional achievement recognized by their peers.  Super Lawyers is an independent lawyer-ranking service that selects attorneys using a rigorous, multi-phase rating process.  Through peer nominations, evaluations, and third-party research, exceptional attorneys are selected within each state.

Gilbert J. Andia Jr. was selected in the area of Civil Litigation: Defense; Kenneth J. Gumbiner was selected for Business Litigation; and Jonathan Wall was selected for Employment Litigation: Plaintiff.  Higgins Benjamin, PLLC is a general practice law firm located in downtown Greensboro.

Smith Moore Leatherwood LLP is pleased to announce that The Honorable Robert H. Edmunds Jr. recently has been certified to conduct settlement conferences in Superior Court civil actions by the North Carolina Dispute Resolution Commission (DRC). As a Superior Court mediator, Edmunds will draw on his extensive experience in the public and private sectors to assist disputing parties in reaching a mutually-satisfactory resolution of the issues that divide them.

With 16 years of experience as an elected North Carolina Supreme Court Justice and two years as an elected judge on the North Carolina Court of Appeals, Edmunds will offer a unique perspective as a mediator. He was also appointed by the President of the United States to U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of North Carolina. Throughout his career, Edmunds has litigated more than 100 jury trials to verdict.

Edmunds now practices with Smith Moore Leatherwood’s Appellate Group, where he applies his extensive knowledge to serve the firm’s clients with the same dedication that he demonstrated over many years as a public servant. He is board certified by the North Carolina State Bar as a specialist in state and federal criminal law and in appellate practice.

Blood Drive

Greensboro Bar Association &

Carolina Theatre

310 S. Greene Street / Greensboro, NC 27401

Thursday, March 29, 2018
10:00am – 2:30pm

Give the gift from the heart! Save lives by donating blood!
To schedule an appointment, visit redcrossblood.org
and key sponsor code: GBA.

Questions? Contact Diane Lowe at jd18gba@greensborobar.org.

Appointments are encouraged.

Walk-ins welcome. Bring a photo ID.

The 2017 Centennial Award for outstanding and exemplary community service was presented to Martha T. Peddrick at the GBA member meeting on February 15, 2018. Martha is a Board Certified Specialist in Estate Planning with Johnson Peddrick & McDonald, PLLC. Her community service in North Carolina began with the founding of The Rape Crisis Center and Clara’s House. Her extensive work with non-profit organizations includes Board of Directors service to the Carolina Theater, Friends You Can Count On (now known as Friends for an Earlier Breast Cancer Test), Greensboro Day School, the Women’s Professional Forum, and the Community Foundation of Greater Greensboro, working diligently on its Tanger Performing Arts Center project. She has been active at Elon Law School where she has served as a preceptor for first year law students.  And of course, Martha has been an active board member of our own Greensboro Bar Association, serving as Treasurer from 2009 to 2012 and as a member of the Board through 2016.  Since 2015 she has chaired the Health and Wellness Committee of the Greensboro Bar Association so she has had the task of planning and implementing our annual Blood Drive. We are pleased to recognize Martha for her service to our community.