Eddie Speas returns to Poyner Spruill after serving for two years as General Counsel to North Carolina Governor Bev Perdue. Eddie has 40 years experience in civil litigation and appellate practice in State and Federal courts in the areas of labor and employment law, education law, constitutional law, elections law, and administrative law. He focuses his practice on helping clients with government related problems.
Representative Experience
Leandro v. State of North Carolina, 346NC366 (1997) - Represented State agencies and officials in this case upholding the constitutionality of the State’s system for funding public schools and declaring that all students have a constitutional right to the opportunity to obtain a sound basic education.
Shaw v. Reno, 509US630 (1993) and Shaw v. Hunt, 517US899 (1996) - Represented the North Carolina legislature in these cases in decade-long litigation concerning the validity of North Carolina’s 12th Congressional District.
Stephenson v. Bartlett, 355NC354 (2002) - Represented the North Carolina legislature in this litigation challenging its 2000 legislative redistricting plans.
Prior Legal Experience
General Counsel to Governor Bev Perdue, 2008-2011
Poyner Spruill LLP, 2003-2008
Office of the Attorney General of North Carolina, 1971 – 2003
- Chief Deputy Attorney General, 1998 – 2003
- Senior Deputy Attorney General, Head of Special Litigation Division, 1990-1998
- Special Deputy Attorney General and Head of the Education Section, 1975 - 1990