Joe’s practice focuses on representing individuals and businesses in criminal matters in both federal and state court. Since 1995, he has represented people from all walks of life who have had trouble come into their lives, from sophisticated professionals to public officials to the indigent.
Representative Experience
Joe has defended criminal cases involving allegations of fraud, tax crimes, antitrust violations, customs violations, environmental crimes, banking crimes, computer crimes, money laundering, and drug crimes. He regularly represents indigent persons in murder cases involving the death penalty across North Carolina.
Joe has defended clients in scores of trials in federal and state court, with a high number of successful outcomes. His expertise in the area of criminal defense is recognized by his “AV” rating by Martindale Hubbell, as well as his being selected by his peers for inclusion in the “Best Lawyers in America” since 2003 and among Business North Carolina’s “Legal Elite” since 2008. Joe has been selected for inclusion among Law & Politics’ “North Carolina Super Lawyers” since 2006, and in 2010 was recognized by that publication as one of the “Top 100” lawyers in North Carolina.
A large portion of Joe’s practice involves assisting individuals and businesses under investigation in avoiding the return of criminal charges altogether. He has extensive experience in representing businesses and their employees in grand jury investigations, and assisting those clients in avoiding the return of criminal charges. Some of his most recent experience in this area includes:
- Represented businessman investigated by federal authorities for alleged criminal tax violations relating to nonpayment of millions of dollars of employment taxes collected by the client’s business. Investigation was terminated with no charges being brought against client.
- Represented construction business in federal antitrust investigation relating to alleged price-fixing. Investigation was terminated with no charges being brought against business or its employees.
- Represented businessman charged in federal court with distribution of counterfeit pharmaceuticals. Case against client was terminated by entry into pretrial diversion agreement wherein charges against client were dismissed.
Joe regularly represents individuals and businesses in forfeiture proceedings in federal court, and has successfully obtained the return of money and property from the Government for numerous businesses and individuals. He also represents clients in appeals in federal and state courts, and has successfully argued appeals in the federal circuit courts of appeal, the North Carolina Court of Appeals, and the North Carolina Supreme Court.
In addition to his criminal practice, Joe also advises businesses and other lawyers in responding to subpoenas, lawsuits, and other crisis inquiries. Joe has represented judges in disciplinary actions brought by the Judicial Standards Commission of North Carolina. He represented a lawyer in a landmark attorney-client privilege dispute in North Carolina that ultimately reached the North Carolina Supreme Court two times, wherein a prosecutor sought to require that lawyer to disclose the confidences of the lawyer’s deceased client. Joe also assists businesses and their employees in civil litigation, and has represented clients in civil matters in the areas of antitrust, banking litigation, tax litigation, and fraud litigation, including class actions.
Joe is a member of the bar of all state and federal courts in North Carolina, and is admitted to the bar of the First, Fourth, and Eleventh Circuit Courts of Appeal.
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Prior Legal Experience
Prior to joining Poyner Spruill, Joe served as a Law Clerk to the Honorable William L. Osteen of the United States District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina from 1994 to 1995.