Former North Carolina Supreme Court Justice Sam J. Ervin IV Joins Brooks Pierce

Brooks Pierce is pleased to announce that former Supreme Court of North Carolina Justice Sam J. Ervin IV has joined the firm as Of Counsel. Ervin, an associate justice on the state's high court from 2015 to 2023, will be based in Brooks Pierce's Greensboro office as he assists on matters statewide in areas including litigation, appeals and utilities.

"Brooks Pierce's reputation for integrity, the high quality of legal work that it provides, and its deep roots within and commitment to North Carolina convinced me that firm was the right place to continue my legal career," said Justice Ervin. "I'm pleased to have the opportunity to work with a truly stellar group of colleagues in assisting clients on a range of critical legal issues."

Justice Ervin's public service to the Tar Heel State spans more than two decades. In addition to his eight years on the Supreme Court of North Carolina, he served as a judge on the North Carolina Court of Appeals for six years and as a commissioner on the North Carolina Utilities Commission for nine- and one-half years. During his time as a Utilities Commissioner, he served as chair of the Subcommittee on Nuclear Issues, chair of the Committee on Electricity of the National Association of Regulatory Utilities Commissioners and as a member of the board of the Organization of PJM States.

"Justice Ervin has served the state of North Carolina well throughout his career. His intellectual depth and commitment to service have benefitted the state immensely," said Reid Phillips, managing partner at Brooks Pierce. "We therefore are honored to have the justice join our firm and confident our clients, drawn from a broad cross-section of industries and institutions, will value his counsel."

"Justice Ervin's perspective, professionalism and knowledge of the law will enrich our internal dialogues and help us continue to navigate important issues for our clients," said Craig Schauer, Brooks Pierce partner and litigator.

Before embarking on the public service aspect of his career, Justice Ervin spent almost 18 years in private practice. During that time, he participated in handling a variety of civil, criminal and administrative matters, including civil and criminal jury trials, proceedings before the Utilities Commission, and appeals before the North Carolina Court of Appeals and the Supreme Court of North Carolina.

Justice Ervin graduated magna cum laude from Davidson College and earned his Juris Doctor, cum laude, from Harvard Law School.