Maynard Nexsen Boosts Team with Multi-State Expansion

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Maynard Nexsen, a full-service law firm with 24 offices across the United States, is pleased to announce the addition of 12 new attorneys to its offices in Huntsville, Alabama, Greenville, South Carolina and Knoxville, Tennessee. The group includes nine new shareholders. In conjunction with the recent recruitment efforts, Maynard Nexsen also opened a new office in Knoxville, establishing the firm’s second office in the Tennessee market. The multi-state expansion is a testament to the success of the firm’s recent merger and represents the commitment to providing superior legal services to a growing nationwide client base.

Joining the Greenville, South Carolina office:

• Bo Russell joins Maynard Nexsen after serving as a partner at Nelson Mullins. He provides counsel to corporate entities, venture and growth-oriented businesses, private equity funds, financial institutions, and real estate development companies regarding various corporate affairs. Bo has been recognized by Chambers USA as one of America’s Leading Lawyers for Business and multiple times by The Best Lawyers in America as Lawyer of the Year in Greenville. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Washington and Lee University before graduating from the University of South Carolina School of Law.
• Rivers Stilwell has more than two decades of experience practicing in a number of areas including business, commercial litigation, public procurement, economic development, and construction. He joins Maynard Nexsen as a partner. Among his many distinctions, in 2021 he was recognized as Lawyer of the Year in Greenville and named The Best Lawyers in America for his work in construction and commercial litigation. He received his undergraduate degree from the University of Virginia before earning his law degree from the University of Virginia School of Law.
• Lane W. Davis joins Maynard Nexsen after previously serving as partner at Nelson Mullins. He practices in a number of areas of complex litigation including business torts, health care, managed care, and securities. He has significant courtroom and trial experience and managed litigation in at least 12 jurisdictions. He was recently recognized by the Greenville Business Magazine as “Legal Elite of the Upstate.” An alum of Boston College, Lane earned his J.D. at Emory University School of Law.
• Giles Schanen joins Maynard Nexsen after serving as a partner at Nelson Mullins. He is a versatile trial lawyer and counselor with over 20 years of experience in successfully resolving high-stakes disputes in the areas of employment law, trade secret and non-compete litigation, product liability, and commercial litigation. Giles also is a trusted advisor for his clients on employment and other business-related matters. Giles currently serves as president of the South Carolina Defense Trial Attorneys' Association, and has been consistently recognized for excellence in the areas of employment law and product liability. Giles is a graduate of Furman University and the University of Georgia School of Law.
• Lee Kiser comes to Maynard Nexsen after spending nearly a decade with Nelson Mullins as a partner. He focuses on mergers and acquisitions, private equity, emerging and growth-oriented companies, and corporate governance matters. In 2022, Lee was named a Rising Star by the South Carolina chapter of Super Lawyers. He earned his bachelor’s degree in business administration from Presbyterian College. He then graduated magna cum laude from the University of South Carolina School of Law.
• Nikki Lee has two decades of experience and focuses her work on private markets and corporate and business transactions. She graduated cum laude from both the University of South Carolina Upstate and the University of South Carolina School of Law.
• Elizabeth Edmondson focuses on employment and labor, commercial litigation and business torts. She was named to the South Carolina Supreme Court’s Pro Bono Honor Roll in 2020 and is a member of the South Carolina Bar Association. She graduated summa cum laude from Clemson University before attending William & Mary Law School.

Joining the Huntsville, Alabama office:

• Graham Burgess joins Maynard Nexsen after serving as partner at Lanier Ford. He practices commercial and industrial real estate and financing law with a focus on commercial and real estate lending, secured transactions, loan restructuring and real estate construction and development. Graham has been named a Rising Star by SuperLawyers.com four times and currently serves on the Board of Directors for Downtown Huntsville, Inc. An alum of Birmingham-Southern College, he earned his J.D. from the University of Alabama.
• Shannon Cazzavillan joins Maynard Nexsen as partner. She is a real estate attorney with nearly two decades of experience representing clients in various in-state and multi-state real estate acquisitions, dispositions, financing arrangements, and development projects. She is ranked at the highest level of professional excellence by the Martindale-Hubbell Legal Directory. A competitive soccer player, she attended Mississippi State University on a full athletic scholarship before earning her J.D. from Cumberland School of Law and her M.B.A. from Samford University.
• Scott W. Faulkner has more than two decades of experience practicing tax, corporate law, and employee benefits law, including various aspects of the Employee Retirement and Income Security Act (ERISA). He joins Maynard Nexsen after previously serving as partner at Lanier Ford. He received his undergraduate degree from Stanford University, his J.D. from the University of Alabama, his M. Acc. from the University of Alabama in Huntsville, and his LL.M. from New York University. In addition to being an attorney, Scott is also a certified public accountant (CPA).
• Austin Hagood joins Maynard Nexsen as an Of Counsel attorney in the Complex & Commercial Litigation Practice Group. His prior legal experience includes litigation relating primarily to divorce, child custody, protection from abuse, medical malpractice, pharmaceutical liability, and product liability. He also has assisted clients with healthcare regulatory compliance matters, which included navigating referral issues, HIPAA compliance, and physician contract negotiation. Austin has been recognized as a Mid-South Rising Star by Super Lawyers and as a Top Pro Bono Volunteer by the Madison County Volunteer Lawyers Program. He earned a B.S. in psychology at Birmingham-Southern College and J.D. from the University of Alabama School of Law.

Joining the Knoxville, Tennessee office:

• Tim McConnell represents employers in employment claims and counsels companies on all manner of employment law issues and day-to-day management considerations. He advises clients on the many issues businesses face related to their workforce, including wage and hour compliance, disciplinary and termination decisions, paid leave, and workplace harassment and discrimination. Tim also regularly defends clients in matters before the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and related state agencies.

“The addition of these talented lawyers validates our recent merger and our growth strategy,” said Jeff Grantham, Maynard Nexsen CEO and Managing Shareholder. “We are a growing client-centered firm that attracts highly skilled lawyers who want to focus on delivering excellent legal services in a collaborative workspace. These lawyers are a natural fit on our dynamic team and we look forward to building a future together.”

“These are unique, multi-generational teams who desire to plant roots and grow with clients for years to come,” said Leighton Lord, Maynard Nexsen President and Chief Strategy Officer. “We pride ourselves on curating a client-centered environment conducive to teamwork, creativity and collaboration, all of which foster a culture where lawyers enjoy practicing law. We look forward to the future with our new partners.” 

Maynard Nexsen proudly serves clients from 24 offices in the following markets:

• Alabama: Birmingham, Huntsville, Mobile, Montgomery
• California: Los Angeles, San Francisco
• Florida: Miami, Orlando
• Georgia: Atlanta
• Iowa: Des Moines
• New York: New York City
• North Carolina: Charlotte, Greensboro, Raleigh
• South Carolina: Charleston, Columbia, Greenville, Hilton Head/Bluffton, Myrtle Beach
• Tennessee: Knoxville, Nashville
• Texas: Austin, Dallas
• Washington, D.C.