Brad handles complex litigation for a wide range of municipal clients, typically defending cities and counties in the interpretation and application of ordinances and regulations.

Examples of his municipal litigation include:

• Defend city in religious freedom challenge to zoning ordinance
• Defend county’s development and application of water and sewer fees against statutory and constitutional challenge
• Represented county defendants against claims for unlawful termination, whistleblower retaliation, and tortious interference with contact claims
• Defense of constitutional challenge to municipal ordinance setting minimum health and safety standards for rental housing units
• Represented city in constitutional challenge by abortion opponents of ordinance regulating protest activities
• Defense of county in dispute over approval process for extensive mixed-use development with complex zoning and environmental issues

Representative decisions

• A Hand of Hope Pregnancy Resource Center v. City of Raleigh, 332 F.Supp.3d 983 (E.D.N.C. 2018) (granting summary judgment for city on multiple claims arising from constitutional and zoning ordinance challenges)
• Welton v. Durham County, et al., 2017 WL 3726991 (M.D.N.C. Aug. 28, 2017), aff’d 781 Fed.Appx. 242 (4^th Cir. 2019) (dismissing numerous federal and state claims arising from allegations of race discrimination by county employee)
• Godwin v. City of Dunn, 2010 WL 2813513 (E.D.N.C. July 16, 2010) (dismissing claims that rental housing code was unlawful search and seizure under Fourth Amendment, or violated Fourteenth Amendment equal protection or due process protections)
• Rakestraw v. Town of Knightdale, 654 S.E.2d 825, aff’d 362 N.C. 237 (2008) (upholding municipal notice through publication and posting for zoning ordinance amendment)