5 Lawyers Named Among "Legal Elite" in Business North Carolina Survey

The five lawyers honored are M. Jay DeVaney, who practices in the areas of commercial real estate transactions and litigation in Greensboro; R. Harper Heckman, who practices in the areas of construction law and civil litigation in Greensboro; D. Beth Langley, who practices in the area of labor and employment law in Greensboro and Charlotte; Christine L. Myatt, who practices in the area of bankruptcy and creditor rights in Greensboro; and David A. Senter, who practices in the area of construction law and civil litigation in Greensboro.

They were selected by their peers in ballots the magazine distributed to more than 16,000 attorneys licensed by the North Carolina Bar and living in the state. Only 3 percent of the state's attorneys are recognized.

"This not only demonstrates the high professional regard in which these attorneys are held, but also reflects the depth and scope of their respective skills," said Al Pollard, managing partner of Nexsen Pruet. "The law firm and its clients take pride in the accomplishments of these attorneys."

DeVaney is a member of the American College of Real Estate Lawyers and a fellow of the American College of Mortgage Attorneys. He is also a former chair of the North Carolina Bar Association's Real Property Section and a former member of the Board of Governors. He is listed in Best Lawyers in America.

Heckman is a former chair of the North Carolina Bar's Construction Law Section and is a member of the Contract Documents Steering Committee of the American Bar Association's Forum on the Construction Industry. Additionally, he has been included in the Triad Business Journal's "40 Leaders Under Forty."

Langley concentrates her practice in matters involving employment discrimination, employment law litigation, civil rights litigation, ERISA litigation, employment dispute prevention, covenants against competition, trade secrets, and business litigation. She chaired the Labor and Employment Law Section of the North Carolina Bar from 2001-2002.

Myatt is certified as a Specialist in Bankruptcy Law by the Board of Legal Specialization of the North Carolina Bar and in Business Bankruptcy Law by the American Bankruptcy Board of Certification. She chairs the North Carolina Bar's Bankruptcy Section and is a former chair of the Bar's Board of Legal Specialization and Business Law Curriculum Committee.

Senter is on the Governing Committee of the American Bar Association's Construction Forum and is a past member of the council of the North Carolina Bar's Construction Law Section. He is also a member of the Tort and Insurance Practice Section and the Litigation Section of the ABA, and is listed in Best Lawyers in America.

Nexsen Pruet, LLC is one of the leading 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. For further information, see www.nexsenpruet.com

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