About Tod M.
Tod M. Leaven trained in North Carolina. He earned a Bachelor of Science from the University of North Carolina at Asheville in 2006 and a J.D. from the University of North Carolina School of Law in 2010. Those years set the foundation for a practice that spans both federal and state courts and includes extensive work on veterans’ matters.
After law school, Leaven built his career in litigation and veterans’ advocacy. He joined Grimes Teich Anderson LLP Injury Lawyers and rose to partner. His role at the firm combines courtroom work and clinic-based representation. He represents clients in personal injury matters and handles appeals and administrative claims arising from federal benefits systems.
Leaven is admitted across several federal jurisdictions. He is a member of the North Carolina State Bar and is admitted to practice in the U.S. District Courts for the Eastern, Middle, and Western Districts of North Carolina. His admissions extend to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, the Federal Circuit, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims. He is also accredited to practice before the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. The scope of those admissions allows him to carry cases from administrative VA proceedings to federal appellate courts.
Veterans’ legal work is a recurrent thread in his career. He has volunteered for The Veterans Consortium Pro Bono Project since 2017 and has helped operate the Grimes Teich Anderson Homeless Veterans Legal Clinic since 2016. He has been involved with the North Carolina Veterans Legal Representation Network since 2012 and is a member of organizations such as Disabled American Veterans and the Veterans of Foreign Wars. Those roles often involve appeals, benefits claims, and court-mandated treatment programs.
Leaven’s community and professional affiliations extend beyond veterans’ law. He has been a member of the Asheville City Noise Ordinance Appeals Board since 2015 and holds membership in the Buncombe County Veterans Treatment Court and the 28th Judicial Bar Association. He served on the board of the Asheville Lyric Opera from 2012 to 2015 and participates in initiatives addressing jail diversion and trauma recovery focused on veterans. He also maintains membership in the North Carolina Bar Association and the North Carolina Journal of Law and Technology.
At Grimes Teich Anderson LLP Injury Lawyers, Leaven splits his time between courtroom work, appellate practice, and clinic-based representation for veterans and low-income clients. He handles administrative appeals at the VA level and litigates in federal district and appellate courts. His current practice concentrates on personal injury, veterans’ benefits appeals, and related federal litigation.
