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Home › About › Communications › NCBA News › 2010 News Articles › Citizen Lawyer Profile: Louis Bissette
Citizen Lawyer Profile: Louis Bissette
Article Date: Tuesday, June 01, 2010
W. LOUIS BISSETTE JR.
Residence: Asheville
Education: Wake Forest University (B.A.), University of North Carolina School of Law (J.D.), University of Virginia Graduate School of Business Administration (M.B.A.)
Firm: McGuire Wood & Bissette
Practice areas: Business law, mergers and acquisitions, real estate development.
On being a Citizen Lawyer: “All of these experiences have allowed me to get to know the fabric of my community and its people. I am truly grateful for having been able to serve my clients as a North Carolina lawyer and for the opportunity to serve the people of my community.”
STORY
The N.C. Bar Association recently honored Asheville attorney Lou Bissette with its 2010 Citizen Lawyer Award, which recognizes lawyers who demonstrate exceptional leadership and outstanding service to their communities.
Bissette’s exemplary 35-year record of public service includes two terms on the Asheville City Council and two terms as the city’s mayor of Asheville, which he considers to have been a highlight of his career.
“What could be more rewarding than to serve as the mayor of one’s city,” Bissette said. Economic development has been a driving force behind Bissette’s community involvement. He has served in leadership positions for a number of economic development groups, including the Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce, the Western North Carolina Community Development Association, the Buncombe County Economic Development Commission and the I-26 Corridor Association.
Bissette’s commitment to economic development is also visible in his work with Winston-Salem Industries for the Blind (IFB), a non-profit organization that provides manufacturing jobs to people who are blind or visually impaired.
In addition to being a multimillion-dollar enterprise, IFB gives jobless citizens the opportunity to become confident, contributing members of the community. Under Bissette’s leadership, IFB-Asheville moved to a new manufacturing facility and launched a capital campaign.
“IFB has been a real success in Asheville because of Lou. He does nothing in a partial manner,” said Bissette’s longtime friend, Glen Orr, a Winston-Salem banker. “He is all out all the time and is very deserving of any honor that comes his way.”
Bissette also played an instrumental role in helping Pisgah Legal Services, a non-profit law firm, acquire a larger office building. His fundraising efforts allowed PLS to expand its services in 2009 to provide free legal aid to more than 10,000 low-income people in Western North Carolina.
“All of these experience and many more have allowed me to get to know the fabric of my community and its people,” Bissette said. “I am truly grateful for having been able to serve my clients as a North Carolina lawyer and for the opportunity to serve the people of my community.”
Bissette is the president of McGuire Wood & Bissette, P.A. in Asheville. His practice focuses on business and real-estate development, as well as mergers, acquisitions, and wealth creation. In addition to his local community involvement, Bissette has served on the Board of Trustees at his alma mater, Wake Forest University, since 1996.
About the Citizen Lawyer Award
The NCBA Citizen Lawyer Award was established in 2007 to recognize lawyers who provide exemplary public service to their communities. Honorees include elected and appointed government officials, coaches, mentors and voluntary leaders of non-profit, civic and community organizations. Since 2007, there have 64 recipients of the award.
About the N.C. Bar Association The North Carolina Bar Association, founded in 1899, is a voluntary organization of lawyers, paralegals and law students dedicated to serving the public and the legal profession. The N.C. Bar Center in Cary serves as headquarters for the NCBA and the NCBA Foundation, Inc. Though similar, the NCBA (www.ncbar.org) and the mandatory North Carolina State Bar (www.ncbar.gov) are not affiliated.
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