North Carolina

  • May 08, 2024

    4th Circ. Says Purpose Of Inmate Labor Affects Classification

    The primary purpose of prisoners' work at a Baltimore County recycling plant should determine whether a group of incarcerated people were employees under federal law, a Fourth Circuit panel ruled Wednesday, rejecting the county's view that any amount of rehabilitative-oriented work spared it from minimum wage obligations.

  • May 08, 2024

    4th Circ. Asks If High Court Ruling Bars Credit Suisse Tipster

    A Fourth Circuit panel questioned Wednesday whether a U.S. Supreme Court ruling prevented it from reviving a whistleblower case by a former Credit Suisse employee alleging the bank helped U.S. citizens evade taxes after paying a $2.6 billion criminal penalty.

  • May 08, 2024

    NC Court Clerks, Administrators Escape Digital Courts Suit

    Plaintiffs in a proposed class action have voluntarily dropped North Carolina court administrators and clerks from a lawsuit alleging that flaws in the state's electronic court filing system led to unlawful arrests and longer jail stays.

  • May 08, 2024

    No Reimbursement For $5.5M Crash Settlement, Insurer Says

    A highway construction company is not entitled to reimbursement for a $5.5 million settlement in an underlying suit over multiple motorcycle accidents that killed one and injured two others, a subcontractor's insurer has told a North Carolina federal court, saying the company does not qualify as an additional insured.

  • May 08, 2024

    Catholic School Defeats Gay Teacher's Bias Suit At 4th Circ.

    The Fourth Circuit on Wednesday struck down a gay drama teacher's win in his suit alleging he was unlawfully fired by a Catholic school after announcing his wedding on Facebook, finding that his job entailed responsibilities that triggered a religious exception to anti-discrimination law.

  • May 08, 2024

    Biden Picks US Magistrate Judge In Fla. For 11th Circ.

    President Joe Biden announced Wednesday his intent to nominate U.S. Magistrate Judge Embry J. Kidd to the Eleventh Circuit.

  • May 07, 2024

    Novant CEO Vows To Improve Hospitals Facing FTC Scrutiny

    Novant Health kicked off its defense Tuesday in the Federal Trade Commission's $320 million merger challenge with testimony from its longtime CEO, who vocalized the health system's promise to reinvest in the two struggling hospitals at the center of the case.

  • May 07, 2024

    85 Lawmakers Join Chorus Opposing Space Force Transfers

    A bipartisan group of 85 federal lawmakers on Tuesday joined all 50 state governors in opposing a proposal to allow Air National Guard units to be transferred to the U.S. Space Force without gubernatorial approval, arguing the measure would undermine "the integrity and longstanding mission of the National Guard."

  • May 07, 2024

    Duke Energy Rival Stresses Holistic View Of Monopoly Suit

    Duke Energy's contract snub and price drops reveal a bid to monopolize the North Carolina market when the conduct is viewed holistically rather than in piecemeal fashion, a rival told the Fourth Circuit on Tuesday in an attempt to revive antitrust claims.

  • May 07, 2024

    DOJ Tells High Court To Undo 4th Circ. OT Carveout Ruling

    Employers need only adhere to a less stringent standard in proving whether a worker is overtime-exempt, the U.S. Department of Justice told the U.S. Supreme Court Tuesday in support of the reversal of a Fourth Circuit ruling that sales workers didn't fit the carveout's guidelines.

  • May 07, 2024

    Contract's 1-Year Limit Doesn't Block NC Mold Claims

    A North Carolina appeals court on Tuesday reinstated a couple's suit against a contractor they say failed to remediate water and mold damage in their house, saying the trial court was wrong to find that the contract's one-year limitation on claims applied to the state's Unfair and Deceptive Trade Practices Act.

  • May 07, 2024

    NC Firm Beats Appeal In Fee Fight With Fla. Client

    A North Carolina state appeals court on Tuesday affirmed a lower court's denial of a motion to dismiss a breach-of-contract lawsuit filed by Raleigh-based law firm Wilson Ratledge PLLC, agreeing the fee dispute with two Florida-based companies falls under the state court's jurisdiction.

  • May 07, 2024

    US Chemical Cos. Say Chinese Refrigerant Duties Are Wrong

    Domestic chemical companies called on the U.S. Court of International Trade to scrap new anti-dumping duties on Chinese hydrofluorocarbons, saying the duties were based on economic information from Romania, which allegedly doesn't produce a similar product.

  • May 06, 2024

    Alaska Man Gets 2 Years Over 'Bud And Breakfast' Scheme

    An Alaska man has been sentenced to two years in prison and will have to pay more than $580,000 in restitution after duping investors into staking a purported plan to build a marijuana-themed hospitality center referred to as a "Bud and Breakfast."

  • May 06, 2024

    Warranty Claims Trimmed From Bone Graft Tuberculosis Suit

    A North Carolina federal judge has thrown out breach of warranty claims against three companies in a suit alleging their bone repair product gave a woman tuberculosis, saying it's subject to a state law blocking warranty liability for services involving human tissue.

  • May 06, 2024

    Home Builder Beats NC Trade Secrets Suit

    The North Carolina's business court scrapped an interior designer's claims that a competitor stole cabinetry designs and customer information when it hired a former employee, sparing only an accusation that the ex-worker embezzled money.

  • May 06, 2024

    Claims Court Won't Toss Dispute Over Army Corps Work Redo

    A Court of Federal Claims judge on Monday refused to dismiss a lawsuit alleging the Army Corps of Engineers wrongly required a building construction contractor to redo its work, ruling the suit was not barred by a related previous case.

  • May 06, 2024

    4th Circ. Clinches NBA Star Win In Legal Saga With Ex-Agent ​​​​​​​

    NBA star forward Zion Williamson secured a Fourth Circuit victory on Monday in a prolonged legal battle with his would-be agent, with a unanimous panel ruling his contract with the Florida marketing agency was void under a North Carolina law governing student-athlete representation.

  • May 06, 2024

    Meet The Attys For NC Insurance Mogul Facing Bribery Retrial

    Nearly two years after the Fourth Circuit exonerated Greg E. Lindberg on bribery and wire fraud charges, a team of Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP partners with prosecution experience has joined forces with prominent white collar defense lawyer James F. Wyatt lll in hopes of staving off a second conviction for the embattled insurance tycoon.

  • May 06, 2024

    SEC Settles Insider Info Charges With CBD Co.'s Ex-Chairman

    The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has announced a settlement with the former chairman of Neptune Wellness Solutions Inc. to resolve charges that he leaked inside information about the company's then-pending purchase of SugarLeaf Labs Inc. to a friend's wife.

  • May 06, 2024

    Full NC Court Asked To Review Panel's 'Double Odor' Pot Test

    A man who pled guilty to cannabis-related charges after a traffic stop is asking for an en banc review of a North Carolina appeals panel's rejection of his argument that the evidence against him was unconstitutional. 

  • May 03, 2024

    Hospital In Novant Merger Beset By Staff Turnover, Court Told

    The Federal Trade Commission and two healthcare companies used witness testimony Friday to paint competing pictures of a North Carolina hospital at the center of a $320 million merger dispute: one in which the hospital has focused on making quality improvements, and another where it's been plagued by poor ratings and high staff turnover.

  • May 03, 2024

    Rue21 Can Use Lender Cash As It Moves To Shut All Stores

    A Delaware bankruptcy judge gave an initial nod Friday to teen apparel company rue21's bid to use its lender cash collateral to fund itself as it works to sell off inventory across 540 stores in the U.S. during its Chapter 11 case.

  • May 03, 2024

    Ex-Defender Can't Make Feds Release Harassment Reports

    A North Carolina federal court rejected a former assistant federal defender's bid to have the federal government release certain #MeToo evidence following a trial over her claims of a botched sexual harassment probe, saying she was "woefully late" in deciding to challenge its confidentiality status.

  • May 03, 2024

    Lewis Brisbois Adds 2 Insurance Coverage Pros In The South

    Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith LLP has hired a pair of attorneys from a boutique insurance coverage firm as partners for its insurance coverage and bad faith litigation practices for its office in Jackson, Mississippi, the firm said Friday.

Expert Analysis

  • Business Litigators Have A Source Of Untapped Fulfillment

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    As increasing numbers of attorneys struggle with stress and mental health issues, business litigators can find protection against burnout by remembering their important role in society — because fulfillment in one’s work isn’t just reserved for public interest lawyers, say Bennett Rawicki and Peter Bigelow at Hilgers Graben.

  • Series

    Skiing Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    A lifetime of skiing has helped me develop important professional skills, and taught me that embracing challenges with a spirit of adventure can allow lawyers to push boundaries, expand their capabilities and ultimately excel in their careers, says Andrea Przybysz at Tucker Ellis.

  • Think Like A Lawyer: Forget Everything You Know About IRAC

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    The mode of legal reasoning most students learn in law school, often called “Issue, Rule, Application, Conclusion,” or IRAC, erroneously frames analysis as a separate, discrete step, resulting in disorganized briefs and untold obfuscation — but the fix is pretty simple, says Luke Andrews at Poole Huffman.

  • How Firms Can Ensure Associate Gender Parity Lasts

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    Among associates, women now outnumber men for the first time, but progress toward gender equality at the top of the legal profession remains glacially slow, and firms must implement time-tested solutions to ensure associates’ gender parity lasts throughout their careers, say Kelly Culhane and Nicole Joseph at Culhane Meadows.

  • Regulatory Trends Offer 4 Lessons For Debt Relief Providers

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    A string of enforcement actions, including a New York lawsuit filed last month by seven states and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, underscore the regulatory scrutiny that debt relief and credit repair companies face and offer important lessons on telemarketing and deceptive practices compliance, say attorneys at Sheppard Mullin.

  • 7 Common Myths About Lateral Partner Moves

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    As lateral recruiting remains a key factor for law firm growth, partners considering a lateral move should be aware of a few commonly held myths — some of which contain a kernel of truth, and some of which are flat out wrong, says Dave Maurer at Major Lindsey.

  • Series

    Cheering In The NFL Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Balancing my time between a BigLaw career and my role as an NFL cheerleader has taught me that pursuing your passions outside of work is not a distraction, but rather an opportunity to harness important skills that can positively affect how you approach work and view success in your career, says Rachel Schuster at Sheppard Mullin.

  • Using Arbitration And Class Waivers As Privacy Suit Tools

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    Amid a surge in data breach class actions over the last few years, several federal court decisions indicate that arbitration clauses and class action waiver provisions can be possible alternatives to public court battles and potentially reduce the costs of privacy litigation, say Mark Olthoff and Courtney Klaus at Polsinelli.

  • 6 Pointers For Attys To Build Trust, Credibility On Social Media

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    In an era of information overload, attorneys can use social media strategically — from making infographics to leveraging targeted advertising — to cut through the noise and establish a reputation among current and potential clients, says Marly Broudie at SocialEyes Communications.

  • 5 Lessons For SaaS Companies After Blackbaud Data Breach

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    Looking at the enforcement actions that software-as-a-service provider Blackbaud resolved with state attorneys general, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and the Federal Trade Commission in the past year can help SaaS companies manage these increasingly common forms of data breaches, say attorneys at Orrick.

  • A Post-Mortem Analysis Of Stroock's Demise

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    After the dissolution of 147-year-old firm Stroock late last year shook up the legal world, a post-mortem analysis of the data reveals a long list of warning signs preceding the firm’s collapse — and provides some insight into how other firms might avoid the same disastrous fate, says Craig Savitzky at Leopard Solutions.

  • 2nd Circ. Ruling Will Guide Social Media Account Ownership

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    The Second Circuit’s recent decision in JLM Couture v. Gutman — which held that ownership of social media accounts must be resolved using traditional property law analysis — will guide employers and employees alike in future cases, and underscores the importance of express agreements in establishing ownership of social media accounts, says Joshua Glasgow at Phillips Lytle.

  • Series

    Coaching High School Wrestling Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Coaching my son’s high school wrestling team has been great fun, but it’s also demonstrated how a legal career can benefit from certain experiences, such as embracing the unknown, studying the rules and engaging with new people, says Richard Davis at Maynard Nexsen.

  • SG's Office Is Case Study To Help Close Legal Gender Gap

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    As women continue to be underrepresented in the upper echelons of the legal profession, law firms could learn from the example set by the Office of the Solicitor General, where culture and workplace policies have helped foster greater gender equality, say attorneys at Ocean Tomo.

  • Reimagining Law Firm Culture To Break The Cycle Of Burnout

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    While attorney burnout remains a perennial issue in the legal profession, shifting post-pandemic expectations mean that law firms must adapt their office cultures to retain talent, say Kevin Henderson and Eric Pacifici at SMB Law Group.

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