RALEIGH, N.C. — Poyner Spruill LLP is pleased to announce that three partners at the firm have been named to leadership positions within the North Carolina Bar Association (NCBA).
Drew Erteschik will serve as chair of the Appellate Rules Committee, while Chad Essick will head the Zoning, Planning & Land Use Section. Matt Bouchard has been selected as vice chair of the Construction Section.
NCBA Communities consist of Sections, Divisions, Committees, and Interest Groups, with members encouraged to join in their areas of concentration or professional interest.
The Appellate Rules Committee examines the rules of appellate procedure in the state and recommends any revisions to the NCBA Board of Governors for ultimate referral and consideration by the North Carolina Supreme Court. The committee consists of lawyers and judges from across the state who are concerned with improving the quality of appellate practice in North Carolina through discussion of problems and potential solutions.
The Zoning, Planning & Land Use Section includes attorneys and paralegals in private and local governmental practice who routinely handle matters related to land use, zoning, zoning litigation, and environmental regulations affecting the development of land. The Construction Law Section is concerned with issues including public and private contracting, development, insurance and claims, mechanics’ liens and bonds, construction defects, and OSHA compliance and subcontracting.
Erteschik’s practice at Poyner Spruill focuses on high-stakes litigation and appeals. He is a board-certified specialist in appellate practice and frequently appears before North Carolina’s appellate courts and the Fourth Circuit. He has also taught appellate advocacy as an adjunct professor at the UNC School of Law. His legal career began with a clerkship for Justice (later Chief Justice) Mark D. Martin of the North Carolina Supreme Court.
Essick primarily represents landowners, developers and local governments before boards of adjustment, planning commissions, city councils, and county commissioners on all matters related to zoning and land use. Essick also represents clients in state and federal court on a myriad of land use, zoning and real estate issues, including vested rights constitutional matters, ordinance interpretations and local government authority. Essick is known for taking on controversial land use cases, oftentimes facing significant opposition or public scrutiny.
Bouchard’s practice focuses on commercial construction matters, including the prosecution and defense of payment, defect, extra work, termination, delay, inefficiency, bond, and lien claims. In addition, he helps clients negotiate construction contracts and counsels them throughout the construction process, from contract award through final completion.
