Recognition

Recognition is a regular feature of NC Lawyer. To submit notices, email Russell Rawlings.

Dean Brinkley, a white man with brown hair, wears tortoiseshell-colored round glasses, a blue shirt, a tan suit, and a brown bowtie.Dean Martin Brinkley of the UNC School of Law recently received the 54th North Caroliniana Society Award for “long and distinguished service in the encouragement, production, enhancement, promotion and preservation of North Carolina.” The award was presented during the Society’s Annual Membership Meeting and Awards Banquet in Chapel Hill.

Dan, a white man with brown hair, wears a white shirt, orange tie and black suit.Dan Cahill, managing partner of Poyner Spruill LLP, was honored recently for his service as chair of the Raleigh Chamber of Commerce. The Raleigh Chamber recorded numerous accomplishments under Cahill’s leadership, including the 10th annual Women’s Leadership Conference with record-breaking attendance of 1,100 people and the Diversity, Equity & Inclusivity Conference, which was its largest conference with more than 1,400 people registered.

Afi, a Black woman with short dark brown hair, wears a white shirt, black suit and pearl necklace.Afi S. Johnson-Parris of Fox Rothschild LLP in Greensboro is serving as 2023-24 chair-elect of the American Bar Association’s Law Practice Division, and will chair the 27,000-member division in 2024-25. Johnson-Parris is a former member of the NCBA Board of Governors, current member of the NCBF Board of Directors, and a past chair of the NCBA’s Family Law and Law Practice Management & Technology Sections.

Mary Catherine, a white woman with blond hair, wears a black dress.Mary Katherine Stukes, a member and head of the environmental practice of Moore & Van Allen PLLC in Charlotte, has accepted an invitation to join the International Association of Defense Counsel, an invitation-only global legal organization for attorneys who represent corporate and insurance interests. Stukes is also a Fellow of the American College of Environmental Lawyers.

Don, a white man with grey hair, wears a white shirt, navy and red striped tie, and navy blazer.The Hon. Donald R. Vaughan of Greensboro was recently honored as a recipient of the Greensboro Bar Association’s Distinguished Service Award. In addition to his private practice, Vaughan has served on the Greensboro City Council, including two terms as Greensboro’s Mayor Pro Tempore, and two terms in the General Assembly as a member of the N.C. Senate.

Gerald, a man with dark brown hair and a goatee, wears a white shirt and navy suit.Gerald L. Walden Jr. of The Fresh Market, Inc. in Greensboro is serving as president of the Greensboro Bar Association in 2023-24. Walden has served as in-house counsel at The Fresh Market, Inc. for over 19 years, and currently serves as General Counsel and Head of Diversity. He is a former member of the NCBA Board of Governors and past chair of the Minorities in the Profession Committee.

Ralph, a white man with brown hair, wears clear glasses, a pale blue shirt, a red tie and navy suit.The Hon. Ralph A. Walker of Greensboro was recently honored as a recipient of the Greensboro Bar Association’s Distinguished Service Award. Walker has practiced law for nearly 60 years, serving as a solicitor and attorney for Guilford County, in private practice, and as a judge of the N.C. Superior Court and Court of Appeals. He is a former member of the NCBA Board of Governors.

Russell Rawlings is director of external affairs and communications for the North Carolina Bar Association.