John Skvarla joins Nexsen Pruet from N.C. Department of Commerce

January 18, 2017

North Carolina’s outgoing Commerce Secretary has joined the Nexsen Pruet law firm in Raleigh. John Skvarla comes to the full-service business firm along with attorney Neal Robbins.

Skvarla and Robbins are veteran public servants who know how to get things done at the Capitol complex.  Both worked previously for the Department of Environmental Quality, as well as in private practice. Skvarla brings a depth of experience in state leadership, having led two state agencies – Departments of Environmental Quality and Commerce.

“Today there is unprecedented competition for economic development projects between states and local governments. And, the agreements are more complex than ever,” said Ernie Pearson, the Chair of Nexsen Pruet’s Economic Development Group in N.C. “John and Neal know how it fits together better than almost everyone, so they will be valuable assets to clients looking to move  operations into North Carolina or to expand here.”

Nexsen Pruet’s expansion in Raleigh follows similar growth recently in the firm's headquarters in Columbia.  In December, Morgan Crapps joined the firm’s Economic Development Group from the South Carolina Department of Commerce.

John Skvarla earned his law degree from UNC School of Law, and his undergraduate degree in Economics from Manhattan College in New York. Neal Robbins is a graduate of NC State University and earned his Master of Business Administration and law degree from Wake Forest.

Nexsen Pruet, LLC is one of the largest law firms in the Carolinas, with more than 190 attorneys and offices in Columbia, Charleston, Greenville, Hilton Head, and Myrtle Beach, S.C. as well as Charlotte, Greensboro, and Raleigh, 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.