Pearson Cunningham
Biography
Pearson Cunningham is an Associate in our Atlanta office, practicing primarily in our appellate and governmental liability groups.
Through his work in HBS’ governmental liability group, Pearson has gained valuable experience defending local governments and their employees in a wide variety of claims under federal and state law. Stemming from this experience and the effective motion practice entailed, Pearson has honed his appellate advocacy skills. He has worked on numerous cases before state and federal appellate courts and has argued before the Supreme Court of Georgia and the Court of Appeals of Georgia.
A native of Covington, Georgia, Pearson received his Bachelor of Arts from the University of Georgia. After serving as a legislative aide for State Representative Barry Fleming, Pearson went on to earn his Juris Doctor, magna cum laude, from the Georgia State University College of Law.
During law school, he served as the Legislation Editor for the Georgia State University Law Review in which he supervised and edited the Law Review’s annual publication of the “Peach Sheets,” which detailed the legislative history for important pieces of legislation from the Georgia General Assembly. Pearson was also an active member of the College of Law’s Moot Court Board and gained valuable experience clerking for then-Judge Ellington on the Court of Appeals of Georgia.
Credentials
Admitted
State Courts:
- Georgia
- Court of Appeals, Supreme Court
U.S. District Courts:
- U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia
- U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Georgia
U.S. Courts of Appeals:
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit
Education
- J.D., magna cum laude, Georgia State University
- B.A., University of Georgia
Memberships
- Georgia Defense Lawyers Association, Appellate Section
- State Bar of Georgia, Appellate Section
Presentations
- Legal Climate Panel
Independent Insurance Agents of Georgia, Young Agents Sales & Leadership Conference; February 8, 2023
Publications
- Whose Precedents Count for Qualified Immunity?
HBS Governmental Liability Blog; December 28, 2021 - Local Government
Mercer Law Review, December 2022 - Local Government
Mercer Law Review, December 2021 - Local Government Law
Mercer Law Review, December 2020