Staff Report
Published Jan. 5, 2009

Columbia-based law firm Nexsen Pruet, which has an office in Charleston, announced today a merger with Raleigh firm Sanford Holshouser LLP. This is Nexsen Pruet’s eighth office.

Joining the firm are Ernie Pearson, former assistant secretary of economic development for the N.C. Department of Commerce, and former North Carolina Gov. Jim Holshouser.

“We believe this puts us in an even stronger position to serve business clients in the Raleigh area and throughout North Carolina,” said Nexsen Pruet board chairman W. Leighton Lord.

“Additionally, by building upon one of our traditional strengths — helping new companies to locate, relocate and expand in this region — it will enable us to play a greater role in efforts to create jobs and opportunities statewide.”

Other attorneys forming the core of the office are Tom Johnson, who has more than two decades of experience in a broad range of real estate matters, and Samuel W. Whitt, whose practice areas include corporate law, venture capital, economic development and nonprofit law. Laurence A. Cobb, F. Joseph Diab and David Garrett will also be part of Nexsen Pruet’s new team of lawyers in Raleigh.

“This is a great fit,” Holshouser said. “Our strengths meld well with Nexsen Pruet’s, and we are looking forward to what this new venture will bring.”

Pearson has an extensive background in economic development. As assistant secretary, he managed programs dealing with business and industry recruitment, international trade development, incentives, travel and tourism promotion, and small-business development.

In each of his four years with the Commerce Department, the agency was recognized as the top state recruitment program in the country. During that period, North Carolina led the nation three times in recruitment of large industries and twice led in recruitment of international companies and research and development facilities.

After leaving government, Pearson joined Sanford Holshouser, concentrating his practice in corporate law, international law, public finance, commercial real estate development, corporate relocation and corporate growth and financing.

Holshouser was elected governor in 1972 after four terms in the General Assembly. He is active in North Carolina higher education, and is a member emeritus of the Board of Governors of the University of North Carolina. In his service on the board, he chaired the personnel and budget committees; served on the board of trustees of Davidson College and the board of advisors of Lees McRae College; and chaired the board of trustees of St. Andrews Presbyterian College. He is currently on the advisory board for the new law school at Elon University.

Holshouser is also a member of the real estate section of the North Carolina Bar Association.

Johnson concentrates his practice in real estate, assisting clients with closure of loan transactions, preparation of commercial leases for retail and office space, commercial development and financing and other related issues.

Whitt has represented corporate clients ranging from startup ventures to Fortune 500 companies. He handles mergers, acquisitions and a variety of transactional matters.

Nexsen Pruet has more than 170 attorneys and offices in Columbia, Charleston, Greenville, Hilton Head and Myrtle Beach, and in Charlotte, Greensboro and Raleigh in North Carolina.