NCBA Bankruptcy Section Presents Pro Bono and Lifetime Achievement Awards

On May 12, 2021, the Bankruptcy Section convened virtually to recognize two exceptional attorneys for their contributions to the practice. The 2020 Outstanding Achievement Pro Bono Award was presented by the Pro Bono Committee to Heather Culp. The 2020 Lifetime Achievement Award was presented by the Lifetime Achievement Award Committee to W.B. “Ben” Hawfield Jr. The below comments are adapted from the comments of Tyler J. Russell, who presented the Pro Bono Award on behalf of the Pro Bono Committee, and Ashley Rusher, who presented the Lifetime Achievement Award on behalf of the Lifetime Achievement Award Committee.

Heather Culp – 2020 Outstanding Achievement Pro Bono Award Recipient

Heather Culp is an attorney with the law firm of Essex Richards in Charlotte and practices in the areas of bankruptcy and debtor/creditor relations. In addition to her billable practice for the firm’s clients, Heather volunteers within the legal community in a number of different ways.

Heather is serving a three-year term on the Board of Trustees for the NC State Bar Plan for IOLTA, which serves as a source of grant funding for the provision of civil legal services to the poor. She is also serving a three-year term as chair of the North Carolina Bar Foundation’s Programs Committee and sits on the Foundation’s Board of Directors.

Heather is a past president of the Mecklenburg County Bar Association, previously served on the Board of Governors of the North Carolina Bar Association and North Carolina Bar Foundation, and previously chaired the 2018-2019 Access to Justice Campaign.

Heather regularly volunteers with the Charlotte Center for Legal Advocacy (formerly Legal Services of Southern Piedmont) and with Legal Aid of North Carolina. For years, she has been a tireless advocate and provider of pro bono legal services to those in need, and her efforts serve as a shining example to all members of our Bankruptcy Section and our profession generally.

The NCBA Bankruptcy Section gratefully congratulates Heather Culp, the 2020 Outstanding Achievement Pro Bono Award recipient!

W. B. “Ben” Hawfield Jr. – 2020 Lifetime Achievement Award Recipient

The purpose of the Lifetime Achievement Award is to recognize a bankruptcy practitioner who has contributed to the betterment of the Bankruptcy Section, the profession, and who has set an aspiring example for those who follow.

The Bankruptcy Section has established written factors and qualifications for the Committee to consider when evaluating each nominee, including:

• the nominee must be a past or present section member, licensed for no fewer than twenty-five years, with
• the highest ethical standards;
• a demonstrated knowledge of bankruptcy law and practice, consistently producing the very best work product;
• a history of zealous but respectful advocacy;
• a reputation of high esteem among members of the bench and the North Carolina Bar Association; and
• a demonstrated commitment to serve the Bankruptcy Section, the Bankruptcy Council, and the community.

Ben Hawfield ticks those boxes several times over. Ben was a founding member of the Bankruptcy Section and served as its Vice Chair its first two years, followed by service as its third Section Chair. Ben’s service to the NCBA did not stop with his Bankruptcy Council roles, as he also served on the Board of Governors for the Bar from 2003-06. Beyond his service to the NCBA, Ben is a permanent member of the Fourth Circuit Judicial Conference.

Ben is a graduate of Stanford Law School and of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he was a Morehead Scholar and Phi Beta Kappa. He began his career in service to this country with the Navy Judge Advocate General’s Corps, serving from 1972-1975.

In 1975, Ben joined the law firm of Moore & Van Allen, where he has practiced law for forty-five years, serving ten of those years on the firm’s Management Committee. Colleagues at Moore & Van Allen say “he is beloved at the firm for his generosity and enthusiasm in training and mentoring younger lawyers.” This same sentiment was expressed by others outside of the firm who describe him as a “gentleman lawyer,” “always helpful to young lawyers in the courtroom,” “a respectful adversary,” and “professional in all dealings.”

Ben has dedicated his career to matters of bankruptcy and financial restructuring, successfully navigating many of the largest bankruptcy filings in North Carolina. He has been recognized over the years as a leader in the field of bankruptcy by Martindale Hubbell, Legal Elite, Super Lawyers and Best Lawyers in America.

In service to his community, Ben shines as an example to all of us. He currently serves on the Executive Committee and Advisory Board of Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina, a position he has held for more than fifteen years. In fact, the NCBA is not awarding Ben his first Lifetime Achievement Award; he received the same recognition from Second Harvest in 2018. Ben also currently serves as the Chair of the Board of Blowing Rock Methodist Church and as a Sunday School teacher at Myers Park United Methodist Church.

Ben’s past board service includes the Board of Trustees and Executive Committee of Queens University of Charlotte; Board of Directors and Board of Advisors, Charlotte Chamber of Commerce; Board of Directors, Western North Carolina Conference Board of Pensions, Inc.; Advisory Board of the Mecklenburg County Council of the Boy Scouts of America (Ben earned the rank of Eagle Scout and has helped others attain this goal as a merit badge counselor for twenty years); and Trustee, Myers Park United Methodist Church.

While Ben’s list of experience and achievements is long and impressive, he is humble and reserved. Ben does not seek accolades or recognition. Nevertheless, these experiences and achievements are precisely why the Lifetime Achievement Awards selected Ben for 2020.

The NCBA Bankruptcy Section congratulates Ben Hawfield, the 2020 Lifetime Achievement Award recipient!