Legal Elite – Bankruptcy 2014

Benjamin A. Kahn
Nexsen Pruet LLC, Greensboro

My first job was selling shoes for Gordon’s Shoe Store in Lawrence, Kan., when I was 15. My mom took me downtown, and I walked into every shoe store to see if they were hiring. Everyone said no except Mr. Gordon, who really didn’t need anyone but wanted to help young people who were willing to work. He took me in on an hourly basis at minimum wage and taught me the basics of sales. It was a great experience and taught me early on how to interact with strangers and listen carefully to what people told me, along with observing nonverbal cues.

Vita: Born May 2, 1967, in Durham; bachelor’s and law degrees from UNC Chapel Hill; wife and two children.

Why he chose to specialize in this field: Professor Elizabeth Gibson, who still teaches debtor/creditor law at Carolina, was the best professor I ever had. After law school, I wanted to work for a federal trial-court judge. I ended up clerking for two years for Jerry Tart, chief bankruptcy judge for the Middle District of North Carolina. By the time 
I finished, I had a head start in bankruptcy and really enjoyed it.

Memorable case: All those I was fortunate enough to work with Dan Fouts, a partner at our firm who died in 2003.

Passions: My family and UNC athletics.

What he’d be if not a lawyer: An architect like my father.

Favorite book: I don’t have a favorite. A couple I have enjoyed recently are This is Where I Leave You by Jonathan Tropper and The Coffee Trader by David Liss.

Don’t ask me to: Pick a useless and wasteful fight.

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BANKRUPTCY

WINNER – Benjamin A. Kahn, Nexsen Pruet LLC, Greensboro

Shelley K. Abel, Rayburn Cooper & Durham PA, Charlotte
Lou M. Agosto, Wells Fargo & Co., Charlotte
James B. Angell, Howard, Stallings, From & Hutson PA, Raleigh
David R. Badger, David R. Badger PA, Charlotte
June L. Basden, Carruthers & Roth PA, Greensboro
Paul R. Baynard, Rayburn Cooper & Durham PA, Charlotte
John Charles Bircher III, White & Allen PA, New Bern
William E. Brewer Jr., The Brewer Law Firm, Raleigh
Nicholas C. Brown, Howard, Stallings, From & Hutson PA, Raleigh
Daniel C. Bruton, Bell, Davis & Pitt PA, Winston-Salem
John D. Burns, Williams Mullen, Raleigh
William E. Burton III, Smith Moore Leatherwood LLP, Greensboro
Algernon L. Butler III, Butler & Butler LLP, Wilmington
Joseph Newton Callaway, Battle, Winslow, Scott & Wiley PA, Rocky Mount
James Oliver Carter, Carter & Carter PA, Wilmington
Stacy C. Cordes, Burt & Cordes PLLC, Charlotte
Heather W. Culp, Rawls, Scheer, Foster, Mingo & Culp PLLC, Charlotte
Brian D. Darer, Parker Poe Adams & Bernstein LLP, Raleigh
Damon Duncan, Duncan Law PLLC, Greensboro
Albert F. Durham, Rayburn Cooper & Durham PA, Charlotte
David L. Eades, Moore & Van Allen PLLC, Charlotte
Paul A. Fanning, Ward and Smith PA, Greenville
Michael P. Flanagan, Ward and Smith PA, Greenville
Robert E. Futrell Jr., Wyrick Robbins Yates & Ponton LLP, Raleigh
David G. Gray Jr., Westall, Gray, Connolly & Davis PA, Asheville
Joseph W. Grier III, Grier Furr & Crisp PA, Charlotte
James H. Henderson, The Henderson Law Firm, Charlotte
Jason L. Hendren, Hendren & Malone PLLC, Raleigh
David R. Hillier, Gum, Hillier & McCroskey PA, Asheville
Ashley Lee Hogewood III, K&L Gates LLP, Raleigh
Robert K. Imperial, Williams Mullen, Raleigh
Charles M. Ivey III, Ivey, McClellan, Gatton & Talcott LLP, Greensboro
William P. Janvier, Janvier Law Firm PLLC, Raleigh
Robert Keith Johnson, R. Keith Johnson PA, Stanley
Joseph B.C. Kluttz, K&L Gates LLP, Charlotte
James Lanik, Roberson, Haworth & Reese PLLC, High Point
Julia Wicker Lee, Parker Poe Adams & Bernstein LLP, Raleigh
R. Bradford Leggett, Allman Spry Leggett & Crumpler PA, Winston-Salem
James S. Livermon III, Poyner Spruill LLP, Rocky Mount
Travis W. Moon, Moon Wright and Houston PLLC, Charlotte
Jeffrey E. Oleynik, Brooks, Pierce, McLendon, Humphrey & Leonard LLP, Greensboro
George Mason Oliver, Oliver Friesen Cheek PLLC, New Bern
John T. Orcutt, Law Offices of John T. Orcutt PC, Raleigh
Walter W. Pitt Jr., Bell, Davis & Pitt PA, Winston-Salem
Alan W. Pope, Moore & Van Allen PLLC, Charlotte
J. William Porter, Parker Poe Adams & Bernstein LLP, Charlotte
Rebecca F. Redwine, Hendren & Malone PLLC, Raleigh
Ashley S. Rusher, Blanco, Tackabery & Matamoros PA, Winston-Salem
George F. Sanderson III, Ellis & Winters LLP, Raleigh
Travis Sasser, Sasser Law Firm, Cary
David M. Schilli, Robinson, Bradshaw & Hinson PA, Charlotte
Wes Schollander, Schollander Law Offices, Winston-Salem
John H. Small, Brooks, Pierce, McLendon, Humphrey & Leonard LLP, Greensboro

Richard D. Sparkman, Richard D. Sparkman & Associates PA, Angier
Lisa Patterson Sumner, Poyner Spruill LLP, Raleigh
Glenn Thompson, Hamilton, Stephens, Steele & Martin PLLC, Charlotte
David M. Warren, Poyner Spruill LLP, Rocky Mount
Margaret R. Westbrook, K&L Gates LLP, Raleigh
A. Cotten Wright, Grier, Furr & Crisp PA, Charlotte
Richard S. Wright, Moon, Wright and Houston PLLC, Charlotte
Constance L. Young, Johnston, Allison & Hord PA, Charlotte