Of Counsel Attorney Todd E. Gonyer

Attorney Todd Gonyer is “Of Counsel” to McGrath & Spielberger, PLLC. Todd focuses his practice on serving the business, criminal defense, and personal legal needs of his clients. After nearly twenty years of practicing law, Todd has had the opportunity to serve as counsel and trusted advisor to a variety of clients, from individuals to large multinational corporations and manufacturers.

Prior to relocating to Charlotte in 2006, Todd practiced law for several years with large firms in Kansas City, Missouri and Cleveland, Ohio. During his years of practice at these larger firms, he observed that due to their size, structure, and cost, they often were not in a position to represent smaller businesses, entrepreneurs, and individuals (particularly in criminal matters). In opening his own law firm, Todd brings to these clients the sophisticated and savvy counsel they deserve, but with the level of personal attention and lower costs that a larger firm simply cannot provide.

Some of the many legal matters Todd has handled for his clients include breach of contract and commercial litigation, felony and misdemeanor criminal defense, traffic violations, driver’s license restoration, commercial paper and secured transactions, derivative and shareholder disputes, drafting of contracts, business formation and administration, non-competition agreements and enforcement, employer workplace intentional torts, personal injury (plaintiff and defense), civil rights litigation, insurance coverage and disputes, products liability matters, bankruptcy preference litigation, among others.

Todd is admitted to practice law in North Carolina and Ohio. He is also admitted to the Missouri and Kansas State bars, however, he is currently registered as inactive in those jurisdictions. Todd is a member of the North Carolina Bar Association, the Mecklenburg County Criminal Defense Lawyers Association, the Mecklenburg County Bar. Todd currently serves as the Vice Chair of the Mecklenburg County Bar Solo Practitioner & Small Firm Section, and a member of the Mecklenburg County Bar’s Criminal Justice Section.
Todd is a graduate of the University of Kansas School of Law, where he received his Juris Doctor degree in 1998. As a law student Todd served as an Articles Editor of the University of Kansas Law Review, and further had an article he authored on Federal sentencing in criminal drug possession and distribution cases published in the same journal. See Federal Sentencing in a Post-Chapman World: What is a ‘Mixture or Substance’ Anyhow?, 46 U. Kan. L. Rev. 983 (1998). Additionally, Todd served on the Paul E. Smith Defender Project, where he represented, counseled, and prepared briefs on behalf of inmates seeking state and federal post-conviction relief.

Todd received his undergraduate degree in Political Science Pre-Law from Ohio University in 1995, where he graduated Summa cum laude and with Departmental Honors. While attending Ohio University in picturesque Athens, Ohio, Todd served as Captain of the university’s boxing team for two years and completed his Honors Thesis on the Political and Social Impacts of the Automobile on Post-World War II America.
When Todd is not busy representing his clients or managing his law office, he tries to make the best use of the wonderful Carolina climate. The mountain and foothills areas of North Carolina are a particular favorite and Todd can often be found riding a motorcycle on one of the many winding mountain back roads. Todd’s hobbies include vintage (and not-so-vintage) motorcycle restoration, street and offroad motorcycling; snow skiing, jet-skiing, scuba-diving, camping, travel, and reading.