Need to Know: Topics for the Government and Public Sector Attorney (2023 Government & Public Sector Section Program)

8:55 Welcome and Introductions

9:00 Business Law for Government Lawyers: Part I

Eugene S. "Scott" Bowers IV, Womble Bond Dickinson (US) LLP, Raleigh
Jeffrey R. Wolfe, Schell Bray PLLC, Winston-Salem

Government and public sector attorneys deal with businesses in a variety of ways, including contracting, licensing, and permitting and zoning. Learn about business law basics as this session explores pertinent issues: Does the type of business entity affect how you write a contract or permit? What is the impact of a merger, acquisition, or change of business entity? What is the effect of a business dissolution or revenue suspension?

10:30 Break

10:40 Business Law for Government Lawyers: Part II

Ciara L. Rogers, Waldrep Wall Babcock & Bailey PLLC, Raleigh

Do you know what to do when your government client receives a business bankruptcy notice? This session provides clarity on what to do when your clients receive such a notice from a debtor, permittee, licensee or other business.

11:10 Lunch Break

12:25 Governor's General Counsel

Eric Fletcher, North Carolina Governor's Office, Raleigh
Edwin M. "Eddie" Speas Jr., Poyner Spruill LLP, Raleigh

Gain insight into the legal and other roles and responsibilities of a Governor's General Counsel. Discover how the Governor's General Counsel interacts with other state and local governments and public sector attorneys, when it is appropriate to contact a Governor's General Counsel directly about a legal issue, and if there is a difference in representation of a Governor who is or isn't an attorney.

1:25 Break

1:35 The Future Is Now as Changing Population Demographics Affect Our Law Practice

David N. Kirkman, NC Department of Justice (retired), Raleigh
Misty L. Piekaar-McWilliams, NC Department of Health and Human Services, Raleigh

Explore and think about legal issues that will affect us and our clients as our population ages, such as fraud targeted at seniors, and laws and ordinances establishing and modifying government services. Then discuss the impacts on your clients and your practice, including shrinking jury pools due to age-related exceptions, taxes, transportation, housing, and other aspects of the aging population.

3:35 Break

3:45 Ethics: The Organization as Client and the Duty to Go Up the Ladder^*

Suzanne Lever, NC State Bar, Raleigh

All attorneys who represent organizations must carefully balance their ethical duties to the organization, its officials and employees. Hear about the delicate ethical balance government and public sector attorneys often face when elected officials may not understand that the attorneys' ethical obligation is first to the organization.

4:45 Adjourn

* Indicates portion providing Ethics/Professional Responsibility credit

Thank you

Thank you for joining us for Need to Know: Topics for the Government and Public Sector Attorney (2023 Government & Public Sector Section Program).

Contributors

Eugene S. "Scott" Bowers IV

Eugene S. "Scott" Bowers IV is a partner at Womble Bond Dickinson (US) LLP in Raleigh. He focuses his practice on mergers and acquisitions, strategic corporate transactions, and corporate finance. He is a trusted advisor to his clients, understanding their businesses and giving priority to their strategic objectives in crafting tailored, effective, and efficient solutions to particular transactions.

As part of his practice, Scott regularly acts for clients in a number of outside general counsel roles ranging from representation in complex commercial contracting engagements to providing guidance in corporate governance and general business law matters. He has represented clients in a number of industry sectors, and has particular experience in the fields of technology, manufacturing, agriculture, education, and renewable energy.

Scott's practice is international in scope. He represents international clients in United States in-bound acquisitions and strategic transactions, and has represented a number of clients in multiple transactions centered in China, the European Union, and the United Kingdom, as well as transactions involving subsidiary operations in a number of other countries.

Scott is a member of the North Carolina and Wake County Bar Associations, Tenth Judicial District and the American Society of Legal Advocates.

Scott earned his B.A. in Political Science and Philosophy from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and his J.D. from The University of Alabama School of Law.

Click here for more information about Scott.
Kathryn J. Cooper

Kathryn J. Cooper is a Senior Associate City Attorney at the Raleigh City Attorney's Office. Her areas of expertise are environmental, energy, and municipal law. She also provides a broad range of legal services to the City Council, the City Manager and City Officials and staff in conducting the City's business.

Kathryn spent most of her career with the North Carolina Department of Justice rising to Special Deputy Attorney General, a position she held for over 23 years.

Kathryn earned her A.B. in African American Studies, Government and Economics from Smith College and her J.D. from the University of North Carolina School of Law.

Click here for more information about Kathryn.
Eric Fletcher

Eric Fletcher is General Counsel to North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper at the North Carolina Governor's Office in Raleigh. He has significant experience in political and election matters.

Prior to joining the Governor's Office, Eric was a partner at Brooks Pierce McLendon Humphrey & Leonard LLP and an associate at WilmerHale in Boston.

Eric earned his B.A., with highest honors and highest distinction, in Political Science from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and his J.D., magna cum laude, from Harvard Law School.

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David N. Kirkman

David N. Kirkman is the former (retired) Special Deputy Attorney General at the NC Department of Justice in Raleigh. He is more recently the author of "Elder Fraud Wars".

David earned his B.A., cum laude, in History from Davidson College and his J.D. from the University of North Carolina School of Law.

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Suzanne Lever

Suzanne Lever is Assistant Ethics Counsel at the NC State Bar in Raleigh. She is one of three lawyers on the staff who answer ethics questions through the North Carolina State Bar's "ethics hotline."

Suzanne earned her bachelor's degree from Wake Forest University and her J.D. from the University of North Carolina School of Law.

Click here for more information about Suzanne.
Misty L. Piekaar-McWilliams

Misty L. Piekaar-McWilliams is with the NC Department of Health and Human Services in Raleigh. She started her legal career as an elder law attorney focusing on guardianships, estate planning and estate administration. She then transitioned to State government where she has served in various roles including hearing officer, certificate of need analyst, legal services developer and as the Division of Aging & Adult Services rule-making coordinator.

Misty is an active member of the North Carolina State Bar and Tenth District Judicial Bar.

Misty earned her J.D. from North Carolina Central University School of Law.
Ciara L. Rogers

Ciara L. Rogers is a partner at Waldrep Wall Babcock & Bailey PLLC in Raleigh. Her practice focuses on Debtors' and Creditors' Rights, Chapter 11 Bankruptcy, Representing Chapter 11 and Chapter 7 Bankruptcy Trustees, serving as a Subchapter-V Trustee, General Litigation, and Employment Law.

Before joining Waldrep Wall Babcock & Bailey, PLLC, Ciara was an attorney with the Law Offices of Oliver & Cheek. Prior to that, she was a law clerk to the Honorable J. Rich Leonard and the Honorable Randy D. Doub of the Eastern District of North Carolina, Bankruptcy Court. During law school, she interned with the Bankruptcy Administrator's Office in the Eastern District of North Carolina.

In 2018, Ciara was selected as the director of the Stubbs Bankruptcy Clinic at Campbell University School of Law. In that capacity, she supervises second– and third-year law students in providing pro bono bankruptcy representation to low wealth individuals in the Eastern District of North Carolina. She has also taught the foundations of bankruptcy law course at Campbell University School of Law and speaks at conferences on various bankruptcy related topics.

Ciara is a member of the North Carolina and Virginia State Bars and the North Carolina Bar Association. She is also certified as a specialist in business bankruptcy by the North Carolina State Bar.

Ciara earned dual B.S degrees in History and Political Science from Averett University and her J.D. from North Carolina Central University School of Law.

Click here for more information about Ciara.
Edwin M. "Eddie" Speas Jr.

Edwin M. "Eddie" Speas Jr. is a partner at Poyner Spruill LLP in Raleigh. He has practiced law for 52 years. From 2009 to 2011, he served as General Counsel for Governor Beverly Perdue. Prior to 2009, he served for 32 years in various roles in the Office of the Attorney General and for 7 years practiced as a partner at Poyner Spruill in Raleigh. After leaving the Governor's office, he returned to Poyner Spruill.

Eddie is a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers and received the first Distinguished Service Award from the Education Section of the North Carolina Bar Association. For decades he has represented clients in significant matters regarding legislative and congressional redistricting, educational and tax policies and practices, employment practices, and other issues.

In 1990 he received the first Distinguished Service Award from the Education Section of the Bar Association.

Eddie earned B.A. from Wake Forest University and his J.D. from Wake Forest University School of Law.

Click here for more information about Eddie.
Ann B. Wall

Ann B. Wall is General Counsel for the North Carolina Department of the Secretary of State in Raleigh. She has served as an attorney in the North Carolina Departments of Justice and Labor, as well as the National Labor Relations Board. She has provided advice regarding public records requests, open meetings and records retention issues during her years of State and federal service.

Anne is a member and past chair of the Administrative Law and Government and Public Sector Sections of the NCBA. She is a past recipient of what is now called the Grainger Barrett Award for Excellence awarded by the Government and Public Sector Section. She is also a member of the Business, Constitutional Rights & Responsibilities, Corporate Counsel, Criminal Justice, Labor and Employment Law and Litigation Sections. She is a member of the ABA and several of its sections, and of the NC Association of Women Attorneys.

Anne's undergraduate and law degrees are from Meredith College and from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill respectively.

Click here for more information about Ann.
Jeffrey R. "Jeff" Wolfe

Jeffrey R. "Jeff" Wolfe is of Special Counsel with Schell Bray PLLC in Winston-Salem. He focuses his practice on all stages of the for-profit and non-profit business cycle, including entity formation, raising capital, daily contract needs, and strategic exits. He has advised companies of every size, from early-stage startups and small consulting companies to large public companies, on matters including complex mergers and acquisitions and private and public equity offerings.

In addition to providing legal services, Jeff enjoys mentoring and coaching business leaders on legal and non-legal matters. He has served as a counselor with the Forsyth Tech Small Business Center; a mentor with Velocity, an accelerator for creative entrepreneurs; and is involved with Winston Starts, a local entrepreneurial community.

Since 2021, Jeff has served on the school board for Redeemer School in Winston-Salem. From 2015 to 2021, he served on the Board of Directors for JusticeMatters, a non-profit that provides empowering legal services to protect children and help survivors of human trafficking and other trauma rebuild their lives.

Jeff earned his B.A. in Economics and Political Science from Indiana University Bloomington and his J.D. from Wake Forest University School of Law.

Click here for more information about Jeff.

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Thank you

Contributors

Eugene S. "Scott" Bowers IV

Kathryn J. Cooper

Eric Fletcher

David N. Kirkman

Suzanne Lever

Misty L. Piekaar-McWilliams

Ciara L. Rogers

Edwin M. "Eddie" Speas Jr.

Ann B. Wall

Jeffrey R. "Jeff" Wolfe