Kearns Davis, a partner at Brooks Pierce, was sworn in as the 122nd president of the North Carolina Bar Association (NCBA) on June 25 at the organization's annual meeting in Charlotte. Davis is the second Brooks Pierce attorney to serve as president of the NCBA. Aubrey Brooks, one of the firm's founding partners, led the association from 1916-1917.
"I'm deeply honored by the trust my fellow lawyers have placed in me. I look forward to working with attorneys, judges and citizens across the state to help meet the legal challenges of our time," Davis said. "Brooks Pierce was built on a foundation of service and leadership in the legal profession and the communities we serve. I'm deeply grateful for my partners' tremendous support."
Davis heads Brooks Pierce’s white-collar criminal defense and investigations practice, and handles a wide range of federal and business litigation. He previously served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of North Carolina, where he was the United States’ lead prosecutor in felony trials for a broad spectrum of federal crimes, and as a law clerk to the late Chief Judge Sam J. Ervin, III, of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. He has taught trial advocacy at the University of North Carolina School of Law, the Elon University School of Law, and the U.S. Department of Justice’s National Advocacy Center.
“Since joining Brooks Pierce in 1996, Kearns has demonstrated the Brooks Pierce brand of extraordinary commitment to our clients, exceptional integrity, and mastery of a demanding practice, all while taking on many leadership roles within the North Carolina Bar Association,” said Reid Phillips, the firm’s managing partner. “He is truly dedicated to advancing the legal profession. The North Carolina Bar Association could not have chosen a better lawyer or more accomplished leader to be its next president.”
Brooks Pierce attorneys support Kearns Davis at his swearing-in ceremony on June 25, 2016
