Category Archives: Post

The International Women’s Insolvency and Restructuring Confederation (IWIRC), the premier international, networking, and professional growth organization for women in the restructuring and insolvency industry, recently announced its 2024 Board of Directors. Waldrep Wall Babcock & Bailey PLLC Partner Jennifer B. Lyday was selected to the IWIRC 2024 Board of Directors as the Vice Director of Member Services.

About International Women’s Insolvency & Restructuring Confederation (IWIRC)

IWIRC is committed to the connection, promotion, and growth of women in insolvency and restructuring professions worldwide. Since 1994, IWIRC has been connecting women worldwide through a global membership of more than 2,400 attorneys, bankers, corporate-turnaround professionals, financial advisors, and other restructuring practitioners. The organization provides its members with relationship-building, educational, career enhancement, and promotional opportunities. Be Informed. Be Inspired. Be Connected. For more information, visit www.iwirc.com

Attorneys Ciara L. Rogers, and Jennifer B. Lyday attended the American Bankruptcy Institute’s (ABI) 2023 Winter Leadership Conference this past weekend at the Fairmont Scottsdale Princess in Scottsdale, Arizona. Ciara was recognized as an honoree of ABI’s 2023 Class of “40 Under 40” on December 1 at a special ceremony.

ABI’s “40 Under 40” program recognizes emerging leaders in the insolvency profession who are an inspiration for the commitment, creativity and ingenuity that they demonstrate in both their careers and communities. More than 200 candidates, each with outstanding records of professional achievement and community leadership, were evaluated by members of a 20-person steering committee. Most of the applicants were partners, directors or managing directors at their firms.

Waldrep Wall Babcock & Bailey PLLC Partner Jennifer B. Lyday is participating in the International Women’s Insolvency & Restructuring Confederation (IWIRC) 2023-2024 Mentoring Program. The program is designed to last for 12 months, starting November 2023, to assist women in the insolvency and restructuring professions in building their careers through connection and promotion.

For more than 30 years, IWIRC has been connecting women worldwide. Across the board room, courtroom and the continents, our diverse relationships make IWIRC the premier organization for women in the restructuring and insolvency professions.

Thanks, Jennifer, for contributing your time and energy to IWIRC’s Mentoring Program!

Best Lawyers®, the oldest and most respected Purely Peer Review® research and accolades company in the legal profession, announced the release of the 14th edition of the United States Best Law Firms® rankings.

The 2024 rankings are based on Best Law Firms’ proven methodology that relies on qualitative and quantitative data on legal skillset, achievements and client successes collected through a submission process managed by Best Lawyers.

“These rankings – our [Best Lawyers’] first independently published rankings and 14th edition – serve as a true North Star for the industry,” said Best Lawyers CEO Phillip Greer. “We know that the legal profession–like so many industries today–is undergoing a transformation led by proliferating technology, global demands and evolving social norms. Through these rankings, we can not only identify the gamechangers for law firms today, but also focus on key issues such as integrating AI and addressing DE&I that are positioning them and the profession for future success.”

The rankings highlight a unique combination of high-quality law practices and the full breadth of legal expertise that has always been differentiated by the credibility and transparent rankings process developed by Best Lawyers. Waldrep Wall Babcock & Bailey PLLC’s Rankings in the Best Lawyers 14th Edition of the United States Best Law Firms® Metropolitan Tier 1 Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law, Triad and Raleigh

Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships), Triad

Commercial Litigation, Triad

Corporate Governance Law, Triad

Corporate Law, Triad

Health Care Law, Triad

Medical Malpractice Law – Defendants, Triad

Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants, Triad

Metropolitan Tier 2

Bankruptcy and Litigation – Bankruptcy, Raleigh

Commercial Transactions / UCC Law, Triad

Mergers & Acquisitions Law, Triad

Metropolitan Tier 3 Commercial Finance Law, Triad

Fifty-six civic and community leaders from across the state have been accepted to form the 2023-2024 class for Leadership North Carolina, including Waldrep Wall Babcock & Bailey PLLC Partner Ciara L. Rogers. Leadership North Carolina is the state’s premier leadership deployment program.

Each year, through a rigorous selection process, LNC chooses a class of established and emerging leaders from across the state to participate in its acclaimed Core Program. Leadership North Carolina’s Class 31 is made up of top leaders from the government, business, nonprofit, and education sectors.

Over the course of seven two-and-a-half day sessions, Class 31 participants will learn about issues critical to the state through discussions with top officials and professionals, field trips, and experiential learning activities. LNC’s sessions focus on six key areas: economic development, education, environment, government, health and human services, and inclusive leadership. Through LNC’s program, participants gain new insight into North Carolina’s strengths and challenges and explore opportunities for how they will improve and empower their communities and the state as a whole.

LNC sessions are held around the state, highlighting the social, geographic, and economic diversity of North Carolina.

LNC Class 31:

• Kristie Aldridge, Vice President, Strategic Communications & Marketing, North Carolina’s Electric Cooperatives, Wake
• Madison Allen, Senior Program Officer, Kate B. Reynolds Charitable Trust, Guilford
• Meredith Archie, President, NC Chamber Foundation, Wake
• LaRita Barber, Chief Advancement Officer, Goodwill Industries of the Southern Piedmont, Union
• Vivian Bolanos, VP Business Banker II, First Citizens Bank, Henderson
• Trey Cash, Economic Development Director, Greene County Government, Greene
• Jennifer Chase, Chief Marketing Officer, Executive Vice President, SAS, Wake
• Lisa Cherry, Planning and Economic Development Director, Gates County, Gates
• Rochelle Cook, Project Manager, Laboratory Corporation of America, Guilford
• Jill Cox, President and CEO, Communities In Schools of North Carolina, Wake
• Franklin Creech, Superintendent, Greene County Schools, Greene
• Nancy Cross, Section Chief – Career and Technical Education Reporting and Analysis, North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, Randolph
• Erin Crouse, Field Representative, Southeast Region, The Conservation Fund, Orange
• Kathie Dello, Director of North Carolina State Climate Office/State Climatologist, North Carolina State University, Wake
• Jody D. Donaldson, Chief Marketing & Communications Officer, North Carolina Department of Public Safety, Wake
• Patrick Eglinton, SVP, Senior Director, Operational Risk, First Citizens Bank, Wake
• Wesley Fountain, Vice Chancellor of External Affairs and Military Relations, Fayetteville State University, Cumberland
• Venu Ghanta, VP, Regulatory Affairs and Policy, Duke Energy, Wake
• Charles Harr, Chief Medical Officer, WakeMed Health and Hospitals, Wake
• Kara Henderson, Owner, Henderson & Henderson Dentistry, LLC, Warren
• Jennifer Howard, SVP, Director of Operations, Dogwood State Bank, Wake
• Lauren Iannitti, Vice President, Facility Executive, Atrium Health, Mecklenburg
• Jessica Ijames, Corporate Director, Community Engagement, Novant Health, Rowan
• Tracey Johnson, Washington County Commissioner and Assistant to the Director of Operations, Beaufort County Community College, Washington
• Matthew Kagel, Director, Communications & Government Affairs, Pepsi Bottling Ventures LLC, Johnston
• Carolyn Keith, Assistant Director Economic & Workforce Development, EPIC UNC Charlotte, Mecklenburg
• Colleen Kinser, Director, ICFNC, North Carolina Independent Colleges and Universities, Johnston
• Nicole Kiser, Principal Stakeholder Engagement Manager, Piedmont Natural Gas (Duke Energy), Iredell
• Gregory Lahrman, Senior Director, Operational Excellence, Martin Marietta, Wake
• Stacy M. Lowry, Director, Community Support Services, Mecklenburg County, Union
• Kathryn Marker, Director, K12 Scholarship Programs and College Access Outreach, North Carolina State Education Assistance Authority, Wake
• Steven Martin, President & CEO, Constellation Quality Health, Wake
• Tyler McLauchlan, Architect, Clark Nexsen, Buncombe
• Greg McNamara, Business Development Manager | Associate, LS3P Associates LTD., Wake
• Shannon McSwiney, Director, Marketing & Communications, Delta Dental of North Carolina, Wake
• David Mize, Senior Tax Manager, DMJPS, PLLC, Guilford
• Jack Monell, Provost Fellow & Associate Professor of Justice Studies, Winston-Salem State University, Forsyth
• Christina Moody, Deputy Clerk of Superior Court, North Carolina Administrative Office of the Courts, Halifax
• Hannah Morecraft, Deputy Managing Director, APCO Worldwide, Wake
• Kevin J. Price, President & CEO, National Institute of Minority Economic Development, Chatham
• Nate Quirk, Partner, Burr & Forman, Mecklenburg
• Ciara L. Rogers, Partner, Waldrep Wall Babcock & Bailey PLLC, Wake
• Grace Rountree, Director, Public Affairs Strategy & Advocacy, Duke Energy, Wake
• Jacqueline Russell, Director, Division of Disability Determination Services, North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, Wake
• Kimberly Shaw, Executive Director, The Triangle Nonprofit & Volunteer Leadership Center, Durham
• Paola Sztajn, Dean, College of Education, North Carolina State University, Wake
• Annette Taylor, Director, Office of Digital Equity and Literacy, North Carolina Department of Information Technology, Wake
• Melanie Taylor, AVP, Healthcare Strategy, Planning, and Performance, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina, Durham
• Jessie Tenenbaum, Chief Data Officer, North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services; Associate Professor, Duke University, Wake
• Deborah Thomas, Interim Associate Vice Chancellor for Research, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Mecklenburg
• Stacie Walker, Chief Lending Officer, State Employees’ Credit Union, Wake
• Jordan Whichard, Chief Deputy Secretary, North Carolina Department of Commerce, Wake
• La’Meshia Whittington, President/CEO, The Whittington & Staley Consulting Group, Wake
• Kim Winter, Dean & Professor, Western Carolina University, Jackson
• Valyce Woolaston, Senior Counsel, Dominion Energy Services, Inc., Wake
• William Wooldridge, Chief of Staff, Corning, Cabarrus

Leadership North Carolina’s mission is to inform, develop, and engage committed leaders by broadening their understanding of and involvement in issues and opportunities facing North Carolina. Leadership North Carolina’s Core Program cultivates a network of individuals with diverse backgrounds and experiences who share a deep commitment to their state. There are more than 1,400 graduates of the program whose continued ties to LNC and to one another provide them with rich opportunities for serving North Carolina.

The American Bankruptcy Institute (ABI) recently announced the honorees of its 2023 Class of “40 Under 40” award program, and Ciara L. Rogers, Partner at Waldrep Wall Babcock & Bailey PLLC, was among the ones chosen!

ABI’s “40 Under 40” program recognizes emerging leaders in the insolvency profession who are an inspiration for the commitment, creativity and ingenuity that they demonstrate in both their careers and communities. More than 200 candidates, each with outstanding records of professional achievement and community leadership, were evaluated by members of a 20-person steering committee. Most of the applicants were partners, directors or managing directors at their firms.

The honorees will be recognized at a special ceremony on December 1 during ABI’s 2023 Winter Leadership Conference at the Fairmont Scottsdale Princess in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Waldrep Wall Babcock & Bailey PLLC received the 2023 North Carolina Association of Women Attorneys (NCAWA) Balanced Life Workplace Award on Friday, September 29 during the NCAWA Annual Conference at The Big Chill in Charlotte, NC! Attorneys Jim Lanik and Jennifer Lyday accepted the award on our firm’s behalf.

The Balanced Life Workplace Award (BLWA) is presented annually by NCAWA to an employer that has distinguished itself by establishing employment policies and practices that assist lawyers in achieving balance between their work and personal lives. Any legal employer in either the public or private sector, employing at least two or more individuals, is eligible for consideration. NCAWA considers, among other factors, the employer’s policies and practices on work hours, office benefits, part-time employment, flexible work schedules, leave options, and remote work arrangements.

Waldrep Wall Babcock & Bailey PLLC is a business law firm focused on bankruptcy, commercial transactions, healthcare, commercial real estate, litigation, and mediation, serving our clients with efficiency and expertise, both inside and outside of the courtroom. We started our firm to create an environment that encourages a collaborative team culture. Our unique culture allows our attorneys, staff, and other legal professionals to handle complex work while being fully present in their daily lives. We value our firm, our team, and our communities, and we strive to balance our work and the responsibilities of our personal lives.