Leighton Lord Chosen For Liberty Fellowship's Class Of 2008

COLUMBIA, SC - W. Leighton Lord III, chairman of the board of Nexsen Pruet, has been chosen for the 2008 class of the Liberty Fellowship, a statewide leadership initiative.

Sponsored by Hayne Hipp, Wofford College, and the Aspen Institute, the Fellowship selected 20 emerging South Carolina leaders for its third class. They were chosen from more than 100 nominees from the business, government, and non-profit sectors.

In making the announcement, Hipp said the program now has 60 Fellows, “and each one is testimony to the superlative caliber of young people throughout South Carolina.” He added, “It’s not just that they’re talented and accomplished beyond their years. What’s astonishing is the heart and soul they bring to every challenge, relationship, or cause they pursue.”

Brad Waring, a partner at Nexsen Pruet and the current South Carolina Bar president, echoed Hipp’s comments and added that Leighton exemplifies the kind of servant leadership encouraged at the firm.

“Since we were founded, we have embraced a philosophy of service,” said Waring, who also serves on Nexsen Pruet’s board of directors. “As part of that, our lawyers have assumed positions of real responsibility in business, government, the community, and our profession. It’s something we do gladly and proudly, and it’s a pretty good indicator of the character and commitment of our people and our firm.”

At Nexsen Pruet, Lord practices in the areas of corporate, partnership, and real estate law, with a special emphasis on real estate finance, real estate development, commercial leasing, and state land sale registrations.

Before joining Nexsen Pruet, he clerked for the Delaware Chancery Court and served for three years as staff counsel to the U. S. Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations. He earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Delaware and his J.D., from Vanderbilt.

Lord is also chairman of the board of Heathwood Hall Episcopal School; is a member of the Midlands Committee of the Urban Land Institute; served on the Site Selection Committee for the City of Columbia homeless facility; and served on the South Carolina Venture Capital Authority.

Lord is the second Nexsen Pruet attorney to be chosen for the Liberty Fellowship.  Columbia attorney Regina Hollins Lewis is currently participating in the program.  Lewis practices in the firm’s employment group.

The mission of the Liberty Fellowship is “to offer South Carolina’s next generation of leaders the opportunity to explore the values that sustain them; cultivate respect for both the ideas and beliefs of others; and become significant contributors to our state, and to society at large.”

Nexsen Pruet, LLC is one of the largest law firms in the Carolinas, with more than 170 attorneys and offices in Columbia, Charleston, Greenville, Hilton Head, and Myrtle Beach, S.C., and Charlotte and Greensboro, N.C.  Founded in 1945, Nexsen Pruet provides a broad range of legal services to the business community and represents companies and other entities in local, state, national, and international venues.