Walter Hannah Justice Fund Dedicated

Article Date: Friday, May 15, 2009

Nancy and Walter Hannah display Justice Fund plaque.

The Walter L. Hannah Justice Fund of the North Carolina Bar Association Foundation Endowment was dedicated Thursday at Well Spring in Greensboro. NCBA Executive Director Allan Head presided.

 

Speakers included longtime law partners David Senter and Jay DeVaney of Nexsen Pruet PLLC, the successor to Adams Kleemeier Hagan Hannah & Fouts, with which Walter Hannah is forever linked.

 

Hannah traces his roots to the firm to 1955 when he joined King, Kleemeier & Hagan as the firm’s first associate.

 

“What you have taught us,” Senter said in regard to Hannah and his wife, Nancy, “has been invaluable and will live on through us.”

 

“You led by example,” DeVaney added.

 

Hannah’s name is also prominent within the NCBA, where he has served in numerous leadership roles and received several honors.

 

Hannah chaired the Public and Private Contract Law Committee – forerunner to the Construction Law Section – from its establishment in 1981 to 1984. He was also the first recipient of the Evelyn M. Coman Award for Distinguished Service in the Field of Construction Law.

 

 

A 2002 inductee of the General Practice Hall of Fame, Hannah served as a vice president on the NCBA Board of Governors from 1998-2000.

 

Daughter Nan Hannah, a Raleigh attorney and president-elect of the Wake County Bar Association and 10th Judicial District Bar, provided remarks on behalf of her father and family.

 

“As most of you are aware, Dad is experiencing some communications challenges which prevent him from standing here instead of us,” Nan Hannah stated. “He has made clear his wish to express his heartfelt gratitude.

 

 

Walter Hannah is flanked by Nexsen Pruet colleagues David Senter, left, and Jay DeVaney.

 

 

 

“He and Mom spent many years and developed themselves to making sure (my brother) Lewis and I developed the skills necessary to carry on their legacy of devotion to family, dedication to friend, and honor to our professions. Today, we give voice to their gratitude to all of you for this wonderful honor.”

 

Nan Hannah recognized the partners, associates and staff of Nexsen Pruet for their leadership in establishing the Justice Fund, which was underwritten through contributions from family members, friends, colleagues and the firm.

 

A Justice Fund is a named endowment that honors those North Carolina lawyers, past and present, whose careers have demonstrated dedication to the pursuit of justice and outstanding service to the profession and the public. One or more contributors may establish a Justice Fund to honor a colleague, family member or friend.

 

Lawyers designated and honored by the creators of a Justice Fund receive special recognition in the form of a permanent plaque and biographical sketch – see below – maintained at the N.C. Bar Center. One or more contributors may establish a Justice Fund to honor a colleague, family member or friend through a combined gift of $35,000.

 

The NCBA Foundation Endowment was established in 1987 to enable the foundation to fund programs and activities to better serve the public and the legal profession. As of January 2009, the endowment had awarded grants totaling $3,073,635 for 410 projects.

 

 

Hannah family unveils enlargement of Justice Fund plaque etching.

 

 

 

Biographical sketch:

Walter Lewis Hannah was born Oct. 4, 1924, in Louisville, Ky. One of five children, he grew up in Louisville, Shelbyville and Danville, a true son of the Bluegrass region. Returning to his family’s Virginia roots and following in his father’s footsteps, he attended Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech) for one school year before his hometown draft board called him to service in 1943.

 

He joined the United States Army which provided him with a coast to coast tour of the United States before sending him to Europe. Following the surrender of Germany, the Army continued to need his services and shipped him halfway around the world to serve the remainder of the war in Manila, Philippines.

 

Following Walter’s honorable discharge from military service, he entered college at Washington & Lee University, where he participated in a program which allowed him to complete undergraduate and law school at an accelerated pace. He graduated from law school at W&L in February 1950.

 

During his tenure in Lexington, Va., he had the great fortune of marrying Nancy Barksdale Edmunds on Dec. 28, 1946. That union has produced two children, Walter Lewis Hannah, Jr. and Nancy (Nan) Edmunds Hannah. Walter and Nancy are the proud grandparents to Tyler and Alex Hannah.

 

Following law school, Walter moved to Raleigh. Because of residency requirements in place at the time, Walter initially found employment with USF&G as an adjuster. He worked for USF&G from 1950-53.

 

Upon receipt of the good news that he had successfully completed the Bar Examination, Walter, Nancy and their year-old son, Lewis, moved to Greensboro where Walter hung out his shingle and began his legal career as a sole practitioner.

 

In 1955, the firm of King, Kleemeier & Hagan was formed and Walter was invited to join the firm as its sole associate. Bill Adams joined the firm in March 1956 and the firm became King, Adams, Kleemeier & Hagan.

 

King withdrew from the firm in 1958 to become president of the Richardson Corp. and the firm name became Adams, Kleemeier & Hagan.

 

During the early years with the firm, Walter learned at the feet of masters. Each provided guidance in a wide variety of practice areas and all demonstrated the highest ideals of professionalism. In these early years, Walter developed a strong belief in the necessity of assisting clients from all walks of life and providing these clients with whatever assistance they needed.

 

Through the years, Walter’s practice included criminal defense (state and federal), traffic court, land use and zoning, real estate, insurance defense, plaintiff’s personal injury,  medical malpractice, products liability, commercial and residential real estate development, business law (in all its permutations), a federal court civil practice, wills and estates, family law, construction law, suretyship, appellate practice, mediation, and arbitration.

 

Over the years, Walter has been recognized nationally for the construction law component of his practice. He helped found the Construction Law Section of the NCBA and was involved early in the organization of the North Carolina Association of Defense Attorneys.

 

Walter has long been recognized as a leader in the North Carolina Bar Association. He served that organization as a vice-president, section chair, committee chair and as an active member of numerous committees and task forces.

 

He also has held leadership positions with the ABA’s Public Contract Section, the Forum on the Construction Industry, and the American College of Construction Lawyers. He is a Fellow of the College of Construction Law and a Fellow of the American Bar Foundation.

 

After allegedly retiring at the age of 70 and becoming of counsel with Adams Kleemeier, Walter remained active in the legal profession through his role as a certified mediator for both the N.C. Superior Court mediated settlement program and the N.C. Industrial Commission.

 

He also served as an arbitrator and mediator for the American Arbitration Association and for the Private Adjudication Center, Inc., conducting mediations across the state and arbitrations around the country.

 

In addition to his professional involvement, Walter has been continuously active in numerous roles with in his community. First Presbyterian Church in Greensboro has benefited from his contributions in numerous roles, including ruling elder and trustee.

 

He was honored by the Old North State Council of the Boy Scouts of America for his long service to that organization. He also was awarded the Silver Beaver. Through the years, Walter served as an active Jaycee, a leader in the Greensboro Chamber of Commerce, and a leader in the Jaycee’s Old Timers.

 

Walter also has been active in local Democratic Party politics. He is an active alumnus of W&L. Among his roles with the university, he served as the president of the Washington Society, is a past chair of the Law Council, and has been the local alumni chapter president. Walter was for years an active Kiwanian.

 

Currently, Walter and his wife of 61-plus years, Nancy, reside at Well Spring Retirement Community in Greensboro.