Professionals
- Demi Lorant Bostian
- Adam K. Doerr
- Stephen D. Feldman
- Robert E. Harrington
- Mark A. Hiller
- Travis S. Hinman
- Charles E. Johnson
- Timothy P. Misner
- Lawrence C. Moore III
- J. Dickson Phillips III
- Caroline H. Reinwald
- Matthew W. Sawchak
- Gregory L. Skidmore
- Garrett A. Steadman
- Anna Claire Tucker
- John R. Wester
- Erik R. Zimmerman
Overview
Government litigation differs from other litigation. Legal issues that rarely come up in private litigation, such as sovereign immunity, are often pivotal in government-related cases. Agencies can often demand pre-lawsuit discovery through grand-jury subpoenas, civil investigative demands and other means. Likewise, government agencies face greater scrutiny of their actions than most private litigants do. This scrutiny can include public-records requests, executive and legislative oversight, and media coverage. Finally, even the endgame can differ: Government lawsuits go to judgment or appeal more often than private lawsuits do.
For the government litigation group at Robinson Bradshaw, the special features of government lawsuits are familiar territory. We regularly represent businesses in lawsuits with government agencies, and we also represent government agencies themselves. Our experience covers North Carolina's executive branch and many of the state's independent regulatory agencies. Our team includes the most recent solicitor general of North Carolina.
To handle government lawsuits efficiently, a lawyer needs to think and act strategically. Some government lawsuits are destined for appeal, but others can be defeated at the threshold or settled on reasonable terms. Robinson Bradshaw's experience on both sides of government lawsuits helps us understand which cases fall into each category.
Put our experience to work for your business or agency by contacting any member of our practice group.
Experience
Enforcement Matters
Defend telecommunications companies against lawsuits by state and local governments over fees related to 911 calls.
Represent investors in solar projects in dispute with state over tax credits.
Successfully challenged — at trial and on appeal — a multimillion-dollar tax assessment.
Won trial and appeal on behalf of charter schools in funding dispute with county board of education.
Advised hospital system on state's challenge to merger with nearby health system.
Helped public health care system resolve a federal investigation on North Carolina's Disproportionate Share Hospital Program.
Defended credit-rating firms in litigation by state attorneys general after 2008 financial crisis.
Represented target defendant in lawsuit over alleged bid rigging in professional services sold to the government. Defended licensed professionals against related threats of disciplinary proceedings.
Executive-Branch Officials and Agencies
Successfully represented governor of North Carolina and two former governors in landmark separation-of-powers litigation over appointments to administrative commissions.
Secured injunctive relief on behalf of governor of North Carolina in dispute over proposed amendments to the North Carolina Constitution.
Defended state agency in U.S. Supreme Court in dispute over constitutional limits on taxation of trusts.
Represented state health agency in lawsuit over changes to Medicaid program.
Defend state agency in employment-related class actions.
Represented state agency in administrative litigation over psychology services in state prisons.
Independent Agencies
Represented professional-licensing boards in U.S. Supreme Court and U.S. Court of Appeals in landmark case on antitrust challenges to licensing boards' decisions.
Won unanimous North Carolina Supreme Court decision in favor of licensing board in scope-of-practice lawsuit filed by a different licensing board.
Successfully defended medical licensing board in federal lawsuit alleging that professional discipline caused due-process and antitrust violations.
Defeated challenge in state supreme court to a health care board's rule that promoted patient safety.
Friend-of-the-Court Briefs
Filed U.S. Supreme Court amicus brief for the Lawyers' Committee on Civil Rights on whether federal courts can decide claims of partisan gerrymandering.
Represented statewide association of homebuilders as amici curiae in North Carolina Supreme Court in dispute over municipalities' authority to impose impact fees on builders and developers.
Represented former North Carolina governor and former state chief justice as friends of the court in dispute over legislation that changed structure and composition of state elections board.
Filed amicus brief in the North Carolina Court of Appeals on behalf of the North Carolina Legislative Black Caucus. The brief supported a challenge to the validity of a state constitutional amendment.
Filed amicus brief in state-court litigation for bipartisan consortium of former North Carolina governors, supporting challenge to partisan gerrymandering.
Note: This list includes cases handled by members of the firm before they joined Robinson Bradshaw.
News & Events
News
- Aug. 23, 2024
- June 27, 2024
- June 21, 2024
- May 2, 2024
- April 29, 2024
- March 25, 2024
- Feb. 29, 2024
- Jan. 16, 2024
- Dec. 14, 2023
- Nov. 15, 2023
- June 27, 2023
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- May 25, 2023
- May 2, 2023
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- Oct. 27, 2022
- Oct. 21, 2022
- Aug. 4, 2022
- July 29, 2022
- May 5, 2022
- Dec. 10, 2021
- Nov. 22, 2021
- Oct. 12, 2021
- June 24, 2021
- June 22, 2021
- June 1, 2021
- May 19, 2021
- May 11, 2021
- May 4, 2021
- Dec. 16, 2020
- Dec. 9, 2020
- Dec. 3, 2020
- Nov. 19, 2020
- Nov. 19, 2020
- Nov. 5, 2020
- Robinson Bradshaw Challenges Exclusion of Low-Income Families from State Coronavirus Relief PaymentsOct. 29, 2020
- Oct. 22, 2020
- Sept. 11, 2020
- Aug. 28, 2020
- July 23, 2020
- July 1, 2020
- April 2, 2020
- April 1, 2020
- Sept. 4, 2019
- Aug. 7, 2019
- July 17, 2019
- March 12, 2019
- March 1, 2019
- Aug. 23, 2018
- July 3, 2018
- Jan. 30, 2018
Insights
- April 1, 2021Robinson Bradshaw Publication