Nexsen Pruet Elects Four New Members

Columbia, SC — Nexsen Pruet announced that Melissa L. Azallion, Brian C. Bonner, Nikole Setzler Mergo, and Suzanne Guitar Odom have been elected Members (partners) of the firm.

“We are pleased to add these four attorneys to our Membership,” said Leighton Lord, board chairman of Nexsen Pruet.  “They have worked hard to serve our clients and contribute to their communities.  We are proud to hold them out as the future of Nexsen Pruet.”

Melissa Azallion, of the Hilton Head office, focuses her practice on employment and immigration law.  She represents individuals and corporate clients in higher education, manufacturing, health care, hospitality, government, and technology. She is a member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association, the Latin American Council of South Carolina, and the National Association of College and University Attorneys. Earlier this year, she was named to Savannah Business Journal’s “40 under 40” list in recognition of her professional and community achievements. She earned her undergraduate degree from Bowling Green State and her law degree from Capital University in Columbus, Ohio.  She is licensed to practice law in SC, GA and OH.

Brian Bonner, of the Columbia office, concentrates his practice in the areas of real estate, corporate, and securities law. He earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Michigan, his Master of Business Administration from the University of South Carolina, and his law degree from the University of South Carolina School of Law. While a law student, he was managing editor of the South Carolina Law Review and a member of the Order of the Coif, Order of the Wig and Robe, and the John Belton O'Neall Inn of Court.  He is licensed to practice law in SC.

Nikole Setzler Mergo, of the Columbia office, focuses her practice on employment law advice and counsel, employment litigation defense, complex civil litigation, antitrust, unfair business practices, and professional malpractice defense.  She earned her undergraduate degree from the University of Virginia and her law degree from the University of Virginia School of Law, where she was a semifinalist in the Lile Moot Court Competition and senior editorial board member of the Virginia Journal of International Law. She is also a graduate of the International Association of Defense Counsel Trial Academy. She is licensed to practice law in SC and NC.

Sue Odom, of the Columbia office, is a tax attorney concentrating her practice on the implementation and administration of employee and executive benefit plans, the formation and operation of public charities and other tax-exempt organizations, and the structuring of tax-efficient corporate transactions and ownership succession plans. She earned her undergraduate degree from Michigan State University and her law degree from the University of South Carolina School of Law, where she received the Arthur B. Custy Award for outstanding tax student.  While in law school, she also was an associate articles editor for the South Carolina Law Review, a member of the Order of the Coif, and a member of Wig and Robe.  Following law school, she received her LL.M. in taxation from the University of Florida.  She is licensed to practice law in SC.

Nexsen Pruet, LLC is one of the largest law firms in the Carolinas, with more than 180 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.