Edward Brooks
Chair
About
Edward Brooks
Pembroke, N.C.
Occupation: Attorney
N.C. General Assembly Appointee through 2027
Edward K. Brooks was born and raised in Pembroke, North Carolina, watching his father develop a family-independent pharmacy into a thriving home health agency serving the majority of southeast North Carolina. In high school, he was active in athletics, participated in student government, and was active in his family church.
Brooks served as a United States Congressional Page during his junior year in Washington, DC. Brooks completed his undergraduate work at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He received his Juris Doctorate at the North Carolina Central University School of Law. Brooks began his career as a trial attorney whose practice is focused on civil litigation in the areas of general tort liability and cases involving sovereignty of Indian tribes. Brooks is admitted to practice in the Eastern, Middle, and Western Districts of North Carolina. He was admitted pro hac vice to defend asbestos claims in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. He is also admitted to the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals. He has briefed and orally argued before the North Carolina Court of Appeals. Brooks was a partner with the law firm of Patterson Dilthey, LLP until April of 2013, at which time, he opened his own law practice. Since opening his practice in Pembroke, Brooks has prioritized providing general counsel to local businesses from start up to assisting with federal contracting regulations.
Brooks also serves as legal counsel to the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina, of which he is an enrolled tribal member. In representing the Lumbee Tribe, he has provided legal advice related to employment issues, contract drafting and review, adherence to federal law related to provision of low income housing, negotiated with various contractors regarding services rendered prior to and after contract award by the Tribe, and has represented the Tribe during multiple inquiries by various federal agencies. Brooks has prepared witnesses who represented the Lumbee Tribe before the United States Senate Indian Affairs Committee. He has assisted the Lumbee Tribe apply for and comply with the United States Small Business Administration 8(a) program requirements. He is one of a limited number of attorneys in the nation to successfully argue the sovereignty of a State Recognized Indian Tribe in a state court.
Brooks is married to LeeChelle, his wife of 13 years, and has 3 sons, Riley, Drake and Gaige. He is a deacon at Hyde Park Baptist Church in Lumberton, North Carolina. Being tied to the Robeson County community all his life and currently being rooted in the community, he has a vested interest in seeing the business community thrive.