Founding Partners
and access,
After more than 50 years, Ed is still excited to practice the profession he loves. He does so because it's intellectually challenging, satisfies both his competitive nature and his joy in collaborative teamwork with his colleagues, and is consistent with his desire to help others. He is known for his professionalism and passion for mentoring young lawyers. When Ed started his practice, lawyers in Wake County for the most part were generalists not specialists. Thus Ed was in the courtroom in criminal and civil cases, including family law, commercial disputes, and personal injury as well as administrative hearings in federal contract claims, before the Utilities Commission and occupational licensing boards. He has appeared at the trial and appellate level in both state and federal courts. He has handled transactional matters and contract negotiation, including commercial and residential closings, and has served as general counsel to a bank, residential and commercial developers, a country club and homeowners associations. He has represented both taxpayers and tax representatives before the Property Tax Commission. He has been involved in toxic mold litigation involving serious personal injury for 30 years. Indeed, there are few attorneys practicing law in North Carolina today who can bring to bear on their clients' opportunities and problems the breadth and depth of knowledge and experience which Ed possesses. This experience over 50 years of diverse practice makes Ed the firm's ultimate problem solver whose advice and guidance is sought and respected by clients and fellow attorneys alike. In recent years Ed has concentrated his practice in business problem solving and civil trial practice, primarily involving business-related disputes, but also property tax appeals, toxic mold and serious personal injury in federal and state courts at both the trial and appellate level. Clients (as well as opposing counsel) who have dealt with Ed have described him as being like a friendly bulldog: easy and pleasant to deal with but when necessary he bites hard and never gives up.
