News

Doug Tate Nominated for William L. Thorp Pro Bono Service Award

(Apr. 11th, 2012)

At the 28th Judicial District Bar’s April 11th luncheon, Attorney Douglas J. Tate was nominated for the William L. Thorp Pro Bono Service Award for his outstanding service to the Mountain Area Volunteer Lawyer Program (MAVLP). Doug has been an active member of the MAVLP since November of 2005. During that time he has closed eight cases for the landlord/tenant team, including a 2011 case in which he volunteered 69 hours for a Pisgah Legal Services client with a housing matter. He has also served on the 28th Judicial District Pro Bono Committee.

Pisgah Legal Services operates the MAVLP as a referral panel of pro bono attorneys to assist low-income residents of Buncombe, Henderson, Madison, Polk, Rutherford, and Transylvania Counties in the areas of housing, health care, safety/domestic violence, consumer protection, and public benefits.

Doug currently serves as the President of the 28th Judicial District Bar and as the at-large member of the executive committee of Pisgah Legal Services. He is a former member of OnTrack Financial, Education and Counseling’s executive committee. He currently serves on the board of Hope for Horses and the N.C. Horse Counsel. He has served on the United Way Campaign Cabinet for the legal division. He is also a volunteer judge for Buncombe County Teen Court, a diversion program for first time offenders.

Doug is a shareholder at McGuire, Wood & Bissette, P.A. where he concentrates in the area of Creditor’s Rights. Specifically, he handles matters in the fields of general business litigation and negotiation, landlord-tenant law, including evictions, debt collection, foreclosure and creditor-side bankruptcy. Doug also practices in the area of Animal Law, representing dog and horse owners in various disputes involving their companion animals.