Since it was first published in 1983, Best Lawyers® has become universally regarded as the definitive guide to legal excellence. Best Lawyers is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey. Over 52,000 leading attorneys cast more than 5.5 million votes on the legal abilities of other lawyers in their practice areas. Lawyers are not required or allowed to pay a fee to be listed; therefore inclusion in Best Lawyers is considered a singular honor.
Susan J. Ryan and Rebecca L. Smitherman have both been named among North Carolina’s Rising Stars for 2014. The Rising Star selection process is a comprehensive, good-faith and detailed attempt to produce a list of lawyers that have attained high peer recognition, meet ethical standards, and have demonstrated some degree of achievement in their field but includes criteria that a candidate must be either 40 years old or younger or in practice for ten years for less. No more than 2.5 percent of the lawyers in the State are selected for inclusion in Rising Stars.
In May 2014, Julian Robb was elected to a 3-year term on the North Carolina Bar Association’s Real Property Section Council. The Real Property Section oversees copyrighted real estate forms, sponsors CLE programs and services, and provides members with substantive updates. The Section is also active in the area of consumer protection, and helps mold the association’s legislative agenda for presentation to the North Carolina General Assembly.
As chair, Nichole will attend the Board of Governors meetings and Division Council meetings, speak at several continuing education events and paralegal schools, and promote the agenda of the paralegal division council.
