Business North Carolina magazine has named 11 Womble Bond Dickinson attorneys to the 2021 North Carolina Legal Elite—the magazine’s annual listing of the state's top lawyers. 

The 2021 NC Legal Elite honorees are:

  • Liz Arias, Litigation
  • Alison Bost, Appellate Law
  • Susan Cooper, Environmental Law
  • Elie Foy, Tax & Estate Planning
  • Edward Griggs, Tax & Estate Planning
  • Evan Fultz, Intellectual Property 
  • Bill Matthews, Real Estate
  • Larry Moye, Tax & Estate Planning
  • Susan Ramos, Immigration Law
  • Randy Springer, Intellectual Property 
  • Jill Walters, Bankruptcy Law

As the top vote-getter in Environmental Law, Cooper was profiled in the Jan. 2021 edition of Business North Carolina. She tells the publication, “Out of law school, I was offered an opportunity to work with some very talented environmental lawyers that made practicing environmental law fun and challenging. I stayed with it because I like the hybrid practice it offers—it’s a mix of regulatory, transactional and litigation work. I particularly like helping clients solve regulatory issues and redevelop impacted property.” Click here to read the full interview.

The following Womble Bond Dickinson lawyers and alumni are members of the North Carolina Legal Elite Hall of Fame, meaning they received the most votes in the state in their particular practice area. Cooper will join the Hall of Fame next year. Hall of Fame members are no longer eligible for the annual rankings:

  • Alfred Adams, Real Estate
  • Liz Arias, Tax & Estate Planning
  • Jim Cooney, Criminal Law
  • Andy Copenhaver, Antitrust
  • Press Millen, Antitrust
  • Toni Peck, Young Guns
  • Betty Quick, Tax & Estate Planning

Each year, Business North Carolina sends ballot notices to every member of the N.C. State Bar living in North Carolina — asking each a simple question: Of the Tar Heel lawyers whose work you have observed firsthand, whom would you rate among the current best in these categories? Voters are not allowed to vote for themselves. They may select members of their firms only if they pick out-of-firm lawyers in the same categories, with the latter votes weighted more heavily.