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David R. Teddy

Partner

A lifelong resident of Shelby, North Carolina, David Teddy was raised with a strong desire to help the people of the community he grew up in. It was this desire to help others along with his appreciation of the art of debate that first spurred his drive to practice law. Thirty-two years later, he still maintains that passion, drive, compassion and determination as he seeks justice on behalf of his clients. Every day he and the other experienced attorneys at Teddy, Meekins & Talbert, P.L.L.C., not only seek justice for their clients, they also believe that it is their role to preserve the Constitution. It is their goal to act as part of the system of checks and balances against the government by being exceptional criminal defense lawyers and fighting for the underdog.

Through the years he and his fellow attorneys have learned something more vital than the role they play as part of the Constitutional checks and balances and more valuable than anything they could ever be taught in law school, it is that the most important part of practicing law is listening to their clients. Every client has a story and Mr. Teddy has found that it is his job to “discover that story”. He and his associates have found that the key to the best representation is “listening more and talking less”. Why a client is in his office (the facts of their case) is important, but it isn’t usually the most important part of the client’s situation. “If a lawyer spends time during the client interviewing listening more and talking less, they just might find the answers to the questions that will help their clients the most,” said Teddy.

A Southerner and a North Carolinian through and through, Mr. Teddy left North Carolina for only a brief period to attend the University of Tennessee where he graduated with honors in Business Administration, majoring in Marketing. Upon graduation from UT, Mr. Teddy went on to attend Campbell University School of Law where he was elected President of the Student Bar Association and was a member of the National Moot Court Team. Mr. Teddy was also honored by the Student Bar Association with the origination of the SBA “David R. Teddy Innovative Leadership and Service Award”, which is bestowed annually upon the Campbell Student who demonstrates a keen sense of leadership and service to the law school. In addition, Mr. Teddy was also the recipient of the Fred O. Dennis Citizenship award. He proudly received his J.D. from Campbell in 1988.

With a continued desire to help those in his local hometown community, Mr. Teddy returned to Shelby as an associate with Shelby City Attorney, Michael S. Kennedy. After year later, Mr. Kennedy extended an offer to Mr. Teddy to become a partner and the firm of Kennedy & Teddy was formed in 1989.

Sharing common core values and a strong focus on helping those in need, Mr. Teddy and his friend and fellow Campbell Alumnus, Ralph Meekins, decided to start their own firm. So, in 1995, the firm of Teddy & Meekins opened its doors. 25 years later, the firm of Teddy, Meekins & Talbert, P.L.L.C., has 6 practice areas, 5 attorneys, 13 staff and 2 locations. The Teddy, Meekins & Talbert, P.L.L.C., team is proud to serve the Cleveland, Rutherfordton, Lincolnton, Gaston and the surrounding Counties of Western North Carolina.

Mr. Teddy’s love of people and enjoying & experiencing his time with them to the fullest, spills over into his time away from the law as well. Like many Southerners, the thing he enjoys most is spending time with family and close friends, cooking, eating and enjoying excellent food together. And if he’s not doing that, he’s most likely playing or watching his other favorite great Southern past-time – golf! His favorite golf related activity other than watching one of the “Great Tournaments” is playing in a tournament to help raise money for a local charity to help give back to the community that has given him so much over the years.

“Things do not happen. Things are made to happen.” ~ John Fitzgerald Kennedy

Memberships/Organizations

  • Recognized for 10 Years Selected to Super Lawyers Award
  • Appointed to the Indigent Services Commissions by the North Carolina State Bar, 2012
  • Certified Maintenance Technician Intoxilizer 5000 series, March 2004, CES Consulting, Inc.
  • Certified Operator Intoxilizer 5000 series, March 2004, CES Consulting, Inc.
  • Certified National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the International Association of Chiefs of Police
  • DWI Detection Standardized Field Sobriety
  • Member, National College of DUI Defense, Inc., 2003-present
  • President’s Club Member, N.C. Academy of Trial Lawyers
  • Co-Chair: DWI Legislative Task Force, N.C. Academy of Trial Lawyers
  • Co-Coordinator, N.C. Academy of Trial Lawyers, Political Action Committee, 2004
  • Speaker, N.C. Academy of Trial Lawyers, Using Demonstrative Evidence in a DWI Case, 2002
  • Member, National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers
  • Candidate, N.C. Senate, 1994
  • Chairman, Cleveland County Democratic Party, 1995-98.
  • He is the Author of DWI Trial Notebook and DWI Playbook-a Trial Lawyer’s Guide to Defending a DWI Case in N.C. published by Lexis-Nexis
  • Board Certified Specialist, N.C. Criminal Law, N.C. State Bar

Program Chair

  • January 20, 2006 – Greensboro, NC, North Carolina Academy of Trial Lawyers
  • February 17, 2006 – Wilmington, North Carolina Academy of Trial Lawyers “Fighting The “DWI Exception” To The Constitution – Battle Plans for Lawyers Who Refuse to Surrender, with Larry Taylor”
  • November 17, 2006 – Asheville, NC, North Carolina Academy of Trial Lawyers “METH 101 – Defending a Meth Case in North Carolina”
  • September 5, 2008 – Greensboro, N.C. North Carolina Academy of Trial Lawyers “DWI: Winning with Motions and Preparing for the New Breath Machine”
  • June 20, 2009- Sunset Beach, NC North Carolina Advocates for Justice “Criminal Masters In Advocacy: The Ultimate Checklist Seminar”
  • September 11, 2009 – Greensboro, N.C. North Carolina Advocates for Justice “The Ultimate Checklist Seminar”

Presentations

  • DWI Defenses: Ideas for a Changing Legal Environment
    Topic: The DWI Notebook: Take Your War Chest to Court!

    September 23, 2004- Raleigh, N.C. Speaker, Wake Forest University School of Law

  • Topic: Suppressing Illegally Obtained Evidence
    June 21, 2005 – Sunset Beach, Speaker, North Carolina Academy of Trial Lawyers
  • Convention 2005: Concurrent Workshop
    Topic: Recent Developments in DWI Law
    May 10, 2007, Cary, N.C. Speaker, North Carolina Bar of Association
  • Topic: Hot Topics in DWI; 2007 Update
    May 17, 2007: Spring Public Defender’s Conference, Wrightsville, Beach N.C.
  • Topic: How to combat the New DWI Law
    September 20, 2007, Raleigh, N.C. Speaker, Wake Forest University School of Law
  • Topic: Representing a Defendant in an Alcohol Related Offense, (A summary of the N.C. Motor Vehicle Driver Protection Act of 2006).
    September 26, 2007, Chapel Hill, N.C. New Misdemeanor Defender Program, N.C. Institute of Government
  • Topic: Defending Against Impaired Driving Charges
    June 17, 2008; Raleigh, N.C. North Carolina Academy of Trial Lawyers
  • Convention 2008: Concurrent Workshop
    Topic: Defending Your Foreign National Clients in 287(g) and Racial Profiling

    September 5, 2008 – Greensboro, NC, North Carolina Academy of Trial Lawyers
  • DWI: Winning with Motions and Preparing for the New Breath Machine
    Topic: Winning Your Case with the Officer’s In-Car Camera Video

    September 24, 2008: Chapel Hill, N.C. New Misdemeanor Defender Program, N.C. Institute of Government
  • Topic: Defending against Impaired Driving Charges
    June 20, 2009- Sunset Beach, North Carolina Academy of Trial Lawyers
  • Criminal Masters In Advocacy: The Ultimate Checklist Seminar
    Topic: A Review of Checklists You Need to Have in Your Trial Notebook (Including Tips for Obtaining Successful Outcomes)

    September 11, 2009 – Greensboro, North Carolina Academy of Trial Lawyers
  • The Ultimate Checklist Seminar
    Topic: A Review of Checklists You Need to Have in Your Trial Notebook (Including Tips for Obtaining Successful Outcomes)

    October 25, 2008 – Asheville, NC. North Carolina Academy of Trial Lawyers
  • Mountain Magic 2008 – Concurrent Workshop
    Topic: Racial Profiling

    August 28, 2009 – Raleigh, N.C. North Carolina Academy of Trial Lawyers
  • Where Civil Rights, Criminal Defense and Immigration Law Collide
    Topic: Constitutional and Practical Concerns, Part 1: Stops, Seizures, and Silence
    Topic: Local Practice

    October 23, 2009 – Asheville, North Carolina Advocates for Justice
  • Fall Conference For Paralegals 2009
    Topic: Discovery in Criminal Cases

    June 22, 2010 – Wilmington, North Carolina Advocates for Justice
  • Convention 2010 – Concurrent Workshop
    Topic: Teddy’s 10 Strategic Tips for Winning the Seemingly Unwinnable DWI Case
  • “David Teddy and his team are outstanding!!! WORTH EVERY PENNY!”

    - Nicholas D.
  • “David is the finest attorney that I have had the pleasure to meet.”

    - G. C.
  • “David Teddy and his assistant treat you like family... I consider them the best in Cleveland County, maybe the best in all of NC.”

    - Kristina B.
  • “David Teddy was more than worth the money... he actually took the time to listen.”

    - Rosslyn S.
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Buy David Teddy's North Carolina DWI Trial Notebook This publication covers the relevant laws for representing clients charged with DWI in North Carolina and provides a step-by-step trial notebook.

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