Lincoln Financial Group (NYSE:LNC) announced today that Jeff Davis, counsel, litigation in the Greensboro, N.C. office, has been named to Business North Carolina magazine’s 2015 Legal Elite, a listing of the state’s top lawyers, in the Corporate Counsel category.

Each year, Business North Carolina magazine asks members of the North Carolina State Bar, who are also state residents, to vote for the best Tar Heel lawyers whose work they have observed first-hand in 14 categories, including bankruptcy, criminal law and intellectual property. Voters are not allowed to vote for themselves, and may only select members of their own firms if they also select out-of-firm lawyers in the same categories. With more weight given to outside votes, only about three percent of the state’s lawyers were named to the 2015 Legal Elite list.

“Jeff is a zealous advocate, a fierce negotiator, and a creative problem solver—a great recipe for a successful attorney,” said Ben Edwards, associate vice president and senior counsel, Lincoln Financial Group. “This award signals that his peers have recognized his excellent legal abilities, his high ethical standards, and his significant contributions to the community.”

Davis joined Lincoln Financial in 2012 and reports to Edwards, who himself was named to the “40 Leaders under Forty” list published in 2013 by the Triad Business Journal. Together, they help to make up the 29-person legal team based in Greensboro. Since 2012, Lincoln Financial’s entire legal team, under the direction of Adam Ciongoli, general counsel, has successfully implemented systematic changes to better align the function with business goals, as well as to reduce spending.

Davis received his undergraduate degree from Clemson University and received his juris doctor degree from the University of North Carolina’s School of Law in Chapel Hill.

For a complete list of the honorees of Business North Carolina’s Legal Elite, visit the magazine’s website at www.businessnc.com.

About Lincoln Financial Group

Lincoln Financial Group provides advice and solutions that help empower Americans to take charge of their financial lives with confidence and optimism. Today, more than 17 million customers trust our retirement, insurance and wealth protection expertise to help address their lifestyle, savings and income goals, as well as to guard against long-term care expenses. Headquartered in Radnor, Pennsylvania, Lincoln Financial Group is the marketing name for Lincoln National Corporation (NYSE:LNC) and its affiliates. The company had $218 billion in assets under management as of December 31, 2014. Learn more at: www.LincolnFinancial.com. Find us on Facebook, Twitter (@lincolnfingroup), LinkedIn and YouTube. To sign up for email alerts, please visit our Newsroom at http://newsroom.lfg.com.