​RALEIGH, NC – Best Lawyers, the oldest and most respected peer-review publication in the legal profession, recognized three Poyner Spruill partners as 2012 “Lawyers of the Year.”

This year’s honored attorneys are Cecil W. Harrison, named Best Lawyers’ 2012 “Raleigh Litigation – Labor & Employment Lawyer of the Year;” Lemuel “Chip” H. Gibbons III, named Best Lawyers’ 2012 “Raleigh Tax Law Lawyer of the Year;” and William “Bill” S. Cherry, Jr., named Best Lawyers’ 2012 “Raleigh Banking and Finance Law Lawyer of the Year.”

Only a single attorney within each specialty, in each community, is named “Lawyer of the Year.” To arrive at its conclusions, Best Lawyers conducts exhaustive peer-review surveys in which thousands of leading lawyers confidentially evaluate their professional peers. The current, 18th edition of The Best Lawyers in America (2012) is based on more than 3.9 million evaluations. The ultimately awarded attorneys have received extraordinary ratings—the result of having earned a high level of respect among peers for their abilities, professionalism and integrity.

Awarded the same honor in 2010, Cecil W. Harrison is a partner in the Raleigh office of Poyner Spruill LLP. He received both his undergraduate and law degrees from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Harrison may be reached at 919.783.2814 or by email at charrison@poynerspruill.com.

Lemuel “Chip” H. Gibbons III is a partner in the Raleigh office of Poyner Spruill LLP. He received both his undergraduate and law degrees from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and his master’s degree in taxation from New York University. Gibbons may be reached at 919.783.2885 or by email at cgibbons@poynerspruill.com.

William “Bill” S. Cherry, Jr. is a partner in the Raleigh office of Poyner Spruill LLP. He received his undergraduate degree from North Carolina State University and law degree from Wake Forest University. Cherry may be reached at 919.783.2938 or by email at bcherry@poynerspruill.com.