News

Attorneys Joseph P. McGuire And Douglas O. Thigpen Selected As 2012 Super Lawyers For North Carolina

The Asheville law firm of McGuire, Wood & Bissette, P.A. is pleased to announce that attorneys Joseph P. McGuire and Douglas O. Thigpen have been selected as 2012 Super Lawyers by Super Lawyers magazine. McGuire is honored in the area of Business Litigation, and Thigpen in the area of Real Estate.

Super Lawyers magazine is a listing of outstanding lawyers from more than 70 practice areas who have attained a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement. Published in all 50 states, Super Lawyers magazine, featuring articles about attorneys named to the Super Lawyers list, is distributed to all attorneys in the state and region, the lead corporate counsel of Russell 3000 companies, and the ABA-approved law school libraries. The magazine also serves as a special supplement in leading newspapers and city and regional magazines across the country.

McGuire, Wood & Bissette, P.A. is pleased to announce that attorney Nicola J. Melby of the firm’s Brevard office was recently elected to Chair the North Carolina chapter of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA) for the year 2012. NAELA is a professional association of over 4,200 attorneys who are dedicated to improving the quality of legal services provided to seniors and people with special needs. NAELA members assist their clients with public benefits, probate and estate planning, guardianship/conservatorship, and health and long-term care planning, among other important issues. The focus of the Academy is to provide members continuing legal education programs on a broad range of Elder Law topics.

Melby began her practice in North Carolina after receiving her license in April of 2008. In 2011 she completed examination by The National Elder Law Foundation (NELF) and achieved its national designation of Certified Elder Law Attorney. She is board certified in the field of Elder Law by the Florida Bar, having been licensed to practice in Florida since 1992 . She has practiced Elder Law exclusively for 16 years and her practice areas include Elder and Special Needs Law, Estate Planning and Administration, and Guardianship and Counseling for Disabilities. Nicola holds an AV peer review rating from the prestigious attorney listing service of Martindale-Hubbell, which is the highest rating an attorney can earn from peer evaluations.

McGuire, Wood & Bissette, P.A. is pleased to announce that attorney Susan Strayhorn Barbour was recently appointed as 2012 Chair of the Education Committee for the North Carolina Association of Women Attorneys (NCAWA). As chair of the Education Committee Susan will be responsible for organizing the Annual Conference for the NCAWA. Held each year in different locations throughout North Carolina, the 2012 Annual Conference will take place in Asheville. Each year the Conference provides an opportunity for NCAWA members to gather and share experiences and training as well as to conduct the NCAWA annual business meeting and determine legislative resolutions for the upcoming year. An attorney with McGuire, Wood & Bissette since 2000, Susan chairs the firm’s Real Estate Practice Group and is a member of the Real Property Section of the North Carolina Bar Association.

W. Louis Bissette, Jr. Named To U.S. News & World Report's 2012 "Best Lawyers"

McGuire, Wood & Bissette, P.A., is pleased to announce that firm president W. Louis Bissette, Jr. was recently selected by his peers for inclusion in U.S. NEWS & WORLD REPORT’S Best Lawyers in America® 2012 (Copyright 2011 by Woodward/White, Inc., of Aiken, S.C.), in the fields of Administrative/Regulatory Law, Commercial Litigation, and Land Use and Zoning Law. Best Lawyers compiles lists of outstanding attorneys by conducting exhaustive peer-review surveys in which thousands of leading lawyers confidentially evaluate their professional peers. In the U.S., Best Lawyers publishes an annual referral guide, The Best Lawyers in America, which includes attorneys in 126 practice areas, covering all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

President of McGuire, Wood & Bissette, P.A. since 1999, Bissette has practiced law with the firm since 1976. His extensive civic and community service include two terms as Mayor of the City of Asheville, from 1985 to 1989. He currently serves on the University of North Carolina Board of Governors, is the vice chairman of the Wake Forest University Board of Trustees and is a past trustee of Western Carolina University. He has served as chairman of the Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce, the I-26 Corridor Association, the North Carolina Arboretum Society, and the Grove Arcade Public Market Foundation, and as vice chairman of the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation and the Buncombe County Economic Development Commission, as well as on numerous other boards and foundations. He has helped the YMCA, Red Cross, Helpmate, Pisgah Legal Services, United Way, Habitat for Humanity, Industries for the Blind and other non-profit organizations raise funds for much needed services.

Attorney Thomas Grella Selected For Three American Bar Association Leadership Positions

McGuire, Wood & Bissette, P.A. is pleased to announce that attorney Thomas C. Grella has been selected to serve in three national legal leadership positions. Grella has been appointed Chair of the Technology and Communications Committee of the American Bar Association’s (ABA) House of Delegates. This standing committee of the ABA House of Delegates examines how to improve communications among delegates, between delegates and their constituencies, and between the House of Delegates and other entities within the ABA and outside of the ABA.

Grella was also named as the Columns Editor of the ABA Law Practice Management Section’s Law Practice Magazine. The general membership of the ABA Law Practice Management Section, at its annual meeting, also elected Grella to a second three-year term as Section Delegate to represent and serve the Section in the ABA House of Delegates.

Attorney Douglas J. Tate Elected President Of The 28th Judicial District Bar

McGuire, Wood & Bissette, P.A. is pleased to announce that attorney Douglas J. Tate is the new President of the 28th Judicial District Bar, serving a one year term from July 2011 through June 2012. Tate specializes in the areas of civil litigation, debt collection, landlord tenant, foreclosure and bankruptcy, and animal law. He serves as a board member for Pisgah Legal Services, OnTrack Financial Services, and Hope for Horses, and as a member of the board of trustees for the Haw Creek Volunteer Fire Department.

W. Louis Bissette, Jr. Receives Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce Award

Attorney Lou Bissette, Jr. received the Excellence in Public Service Award presented by Asheville Savings Bank at the Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce 2011 Chamber Awards on June 30th. Bissette is awarded this distinction for his leadership skills and extensive public service, including serving as mayor from 1985-89; serving as chairman of the Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce; as trustee of Wake Forest and Western Carolina universities; as chairman of the N.C. Arboretum Society; and as chairman of the Grove Arcade Public Market.

Attorney Nicola J. Melby of McGuire, Wood & Bissette, P.A. has successfully completed examination by The National Elder Law Foundation (NELF) and achieved its national designation of Certified Elder Law Attorney. Available to clients through the firm’s Asheville and Brevard offices, Melby has practiced Elder Law exclusively for 16 years. Her practice areas include Elder and Special Needs Law, Estate Planning and Administration, and Guardianship and Counseling for Disabilities.

The NELF is the only organization approved by the American Bar Association to offer certification in the area of elder law, one of the fastest growing fields in the legal profession. The NELF Certification provides a measure of assurance to the public that certified attorneys have an in-depth working knowledge of the legal issues that impact the elderly.

Melby began her practice in North Carolina after receiving her license in April of 2008. She is board certified in the field of Elder Law by the Florida Bar, having been licensed to practice in Florida since 1992. Melby holds an AV peer review rating from the prestigious attorney listing service of Martindale-Hubbell, which is the highest rating an attorney can earn from peer evaluations. She is a member of the North Carolina Bar sections on Elder Law and Estate Planning and Fiduciary Law, and is also a member of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys, the Florida Bar Elder Law Section and the Florida and North Carolina Chapters of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys. In both 2001 and 2004, Melby was Member of the Year by the Florida Bar Elder Law Section. She graduated Summa Cum Laude from the University of New Haven and received her JD Magna Cum Laude from Stetson College of Law. Melby is a frequent guest speaker at support groups, community organizations, and charitable and continuing education events.

Attorney Doug Tate Speaks at Financial Health Clinic 2011

Attorney Douglas J. Tate of McGuire, Wood & Bissette, P.A., speaks at the Financial Health Clinic 2011, Saturday April 30 from 9am-4pm at United Way of Asheville and Buncombe County, 50 South French Broad Ave. The clinic offers free financial information and an opportunity to have one-on-one conversations with experienced professionals from the community who volunteer their time and expertise to share practical information in order to help attendees deal with financial problems.