(CHARLOTTE, N.C.)—Parker Poe Adams & Bernstein LLP announced today that Business North Carolina magazine has named 16 Firm attorneys to its 2012 “Legal Elite.”

“Legal Elite” attorneys are selected through ballots sent to more than 20,000 attorneys who are active members of the North Carolina State Bar. Members of the Bar are asked to select the best lawyer in each field. Lawyers may not select themselves and can only vote for members of their own firms if they also chose someone outside their firms in the same category. With more weight given to outside votes, fewer than three-percent of the state’s lawyers were named to the list this year.

The 16 Parker Poe attorneys were named in ten legal categories. The complete list of the 2012 Parker Poe Legal Elite are:

ANTITRUST
John Graybeal, Raleigh

BANKRUPTCY
J. William Porter, Charlotte

BUSINESS
William L. Esser IV, Charlotte
William G. Pappas, Raleigh

CONSTRUCTION
Russell B. Killen, Raleigh

CRIMINAL DEFENSE
Richard S. Glaser, Jr., Charlotte

EMPLOYMENT
Keith M. Weddington, Charlotte

ENVIRONMENTAL
Thomas N. Griffin III, Charlotte
Steven D. Weber, Charlotte

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
Arthur J. DeBaugh, Raleigh
Frank E. Silber, Raleigh
Christopher M. Thomas, Raleigh

LITIGATION
Harvey L. Cosper, Jr., Charlotte
Charles E. Raynal IV, Raleigh

TAX/ESTATE PLANNING
Andrea C. Chomakos, Charlotte
James N. Greene III, Charlotte

About Parker Poe
Parker Poe Adams & Bernstein LLP has 210 lawyers in six offices located in major markets across North Carolina and South Carolina. The Firm provides legal counsel to large commercial and public organizations on litigation, corporate and regulatory matters. It has been recognized in recent years as one of the fastest growing law firms in the United States and as an award-winning leader in the use of technology to provide better and more efficient service to domestic and international clients.