Moore & Van Allen PLLC (MVA) is pleased to announce that Charlotte White Collar, Regulatory Defense and Investigations Member Valecia M. McDowell has been named to the inaugural Lawyers of Color “Nation’s Best” list, which is presented by Major, Lindsey & Africa with the support of the Diverse Partners Network. The Lawyers of Color Nation’s Best list salutes minority law firm partners and senior-level corporate counsel.

Lawyers of Color’s selection committee, comprised of fellows, advisers and editorial staff, chose attorneys who had noteworthy accomplishments and a commitment to diversity and inclusion in the legal profession. One hundred attorneys were selected to represent each of six regions. Lawyers of Color is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit devoted to promoting diversity in the legal profession and advancing democracy and equality in marginalized communities.

Ms. McDowell is a member of MVA’s Management Committee and co-head of the firm's White Collar, Regulatory Defense and Investigations practice. She has experience conducting internal investigations for publicly traded, privately held and nonprofit institutions in the United States, Europe, Asia and South America. Ms. McDowell also possesses significant trial, arbitration and regulatory defense experience in complex, high-stakes cases, particularly in the financial services, securities, manufacturing, telecommunications and health care industries.

As the longstanding co-chair of MVA’s Diversity Committee, Ms. McDowell invests in the career trajectories of the firm’s female and minority associates, working to advance diversity within the firm. Ms. McDowell chairs the Board of Directors of the Arts and Science Council, serves as a Trustee of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Community Foundation Board and serves on the Charlotte Center City 2040 Vision Plan Steering Committee. Ms. McDowell is the immediate past General Counsel for the Charlotte Regional Business Alliance (formerly the Charlotte Chamber of Commerce) and she formerly served as chair of the Community Building Initiative Board, as co-chair of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Cultural Life Task Force, as co-chair of the Mecklenburg County Bar Sub-Committee on Diversity, and as a member of the Council for Children’s Rights Board. In 2017, Ms. McDowell was the recipient of the Julius L. Chambers Diversity Champion Award, from the Mecklenburg County Bar. For several years, Ms. McDowell has served as a guest instructor at her alma mater, Duke University School of Law.