West Virginia Executive Winter 2019 | Page 76

National Reach, Local Impact Atlanta, Boston, Charlotte, Washington, Los Angeles, Miami—and Huntington. The Jewel City might not normally be included in a list like this, but it is when it comes to the national law firm Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough LLP. At Home in Huntington Nelson Mullins opened its West Virginia office in 2009. The firm’s leaders saw an opportunity to utilize an experienced group of attorneys who practice law across the country but call Huntington, WV, home. Marc Williams, a Marshall University and West Virginia University graduate and lifelong Huntington resident, is the managing partner in Huntington and has grown the office to 16 attorneys since it opened. “We wanted to build a national practice in Huntington,” he says. “Our experience allows us to provide cost-effective, high-level representation in high-risk matters.” Nelson Mullins’ commitment to the community is manifested by its location in downtown Huntington. The firm occupies space in five historic buildings across from Pullman Square. The offices stretch from the corner of 10th Street and Third Avenue down to the Marshall University Visual Arts Center. These buildings were built in 1915 by Huntington businessman Sam Gideon and designed by Edwin Alger, an architect in Huntington who was responsible for the design of several downtown buildings during that time period. As part of downtown Huntington’s recent renaissance, Dr. Joseph Touma purchased the buildings, renovated the interiors into office space and restored the structures and facades to their original appearance. At Work in the Community Despite the firm’s large size—with more than 750 attorneys across 25 offices—attorneys at Nelson Mullins’ Huntington offices are leaders in the legal industry and the community and support the Huntington residents through leadership and pro bono work. “We see pro bono work as part of the firm’s DNA,” says Randy Saunders, a Huntington partner who currently heads the firm’s pro bono committee. “Everyone here has an obligation to provide legal services to those who cannot afford a lawyer.” Nelson Mullins’ local pro bono efforts include providing free essential legal documents to first responders through a program called Wills for Heroes. This program allows the firm to provide an essential service to the city’s first