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North Carolina
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March 28, 2024
NC Atty Says Career Coaching Business Stiffed Him On Pay
A North Carolina lawyer said this week that he hasn't been paid for his work at a career coaching business in which he owns a minority stake after he discovered the company was bleeding funds and rife with mismanagement, according to an amended state business court complaint.
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March 28, 2024
NC Atty Calls Airline Mogul's Bank Records Request 'Reckless'
A North Carolina attorney has asked a federal court to snuff a request by an airline tycoon to dig into the attorney's banking records as part of a hacking conspiracy lawsuit, arguing the request is an overbroad, "reckless" grab at irrelevant information.
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March 28, 2024
SC Can Use Challenged Elections Map Amid Justices' Review
A federal judicial panel ruled Thursday that South Carolina can conduct its 2024 elections under a congressional map it found unconstitutionally discriminates against Black voters, and which the U.S. Supreme Court is reviewing, saying it's now too late in the election cycle to make changes to the map.
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March 27, 2024
Justices Poised To Expand Repeat Offenders' Jury Trial Rights
The U.S. Supreme Court appeared likely Wednesday to agree with the Biden administration and the criminal defense bar that repeat offenders have a constitutional right to let a jury decide if past offenses were sufficiently distinct to trigger lengthy prison terms under a prominent sentencing enhancement.
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March 27, 2024
Pool Co. Says Objection To Trial Attys Leaving Is 'Misplaced'
A swimming pool equipment maker has hit back at objections to some of its counsel exiting the case after a nearly $15 million trial loss over false ad claims in North Carolina, saying its rival's grievances are "misplaced."
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March 27, 2024
NC Commissioner Says Insurance Mogul's Argument 'Mistaken'
The North Carolina insurance commissioner asked the state's Supreme Court on Tuesday to allow him to give his take on a group of insurers' lawsuit against embattled mogul Greg Lindberg that alleges he pilfered the insurance companies as owner, saying if the court lets him submit an amicus brief he'll explain how Lindberg's main argument is "mistaken."
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March 27, 2024
Marriott Hit With Negligence Suit After Break-In, Sex Assault
An Air Force major and his wife are accusing Marriott International Inc. and owners of a hotel in Charlotte, North Carolina, of negligent security, alleging that a repeat trespasser well known to hotel staff sexually assaulted and robbed the major in his room, according to a newly filed federal lawsuit.
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March 27, 2024
4th Circ. Overturns Fraud Ruling In Suit Over $4.5M Home Buy
The Fourth Circuit on Wednesday revived fraud claims brought by the buyers of a $4.5 million Virginia home who accuse the seller of lying about licenses and permits for improvements to lure them into the purchase, with the panel concluding a federal district court flubbed decisions on the claims.
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March 27, 2024
Advice-Of-Counsel Defense Curbed From NC Tax Fraud Trial
Two St. Louis attorneys and a North Carolina insurance agent can't fall back on advice-of-counsel defenses during their upcoming tax fraud trial after a federal judge found that they had failed to follow court orders requiring them to hand over information about the advice they sought.
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March 27, 2024
BCBS Can't Escape Therapy Coverage Suit
A North Carolina federal judge refused to throw out a proposed class action accusing Blue Cross Blue Shield of unlawfully refusing to cover proton beam therapy to treat prostate cancer, saying the case could remain in court if a state worker health plan is added as a defendant.
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March 26, 2024
Insurer Wants $29M Treble Damages Ruling Reversed In NC
An insurer has asked a North Carolina state appeals court to overturn a nearly $29 million ruling penalizing it for failing to defend an employee who crashed a company truck, killing his colleague, citing a policy exclusion for employee injury cases it said the trial court ignored.
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March 26, 2024
FTC Urges Court To Pause Novant's NC Hospital Deal
The Federal Trade Commission is urging a North Carolina federal court to pause Novant Health's $320 million deal for a pair of hospitals, contending the move would give Novant an "eye-popping" share of the hospital market in a Charlotte suburb.
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March 26, 2024
Insurance Mogul's Ex-Political Consultant Wants Own Retrial
A former political consultant charged alongside embattled insurance mogul Greg Lindberg wants their criminal retrial on wire fraud and bribery charges severed, telling a federal court that Lindberg's potential plan to throw him under the bus will destroy any defenses against the government's accusations.
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March 26, 2024
Starbucks Settles Worker's Suit Alleging Manager Groped Her
Starbucks Corp. has settled a lawsuit with an employee who alleged her reports of groping and harassment by a manger resulted in a retaliatory investigation, stunting her career with the coffee chain.
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March 26, 2024
SEC To Settle Fraud Suit With CEO Of North Carolina CBD Co.
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and the North Carolina CBD company CEO it accused of self-dealing and defrauding investors in a fund he ran has asked a federal judge to pause the government's case, telling the court they have reached a settlement.
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March 26, 2024
DOL Urges 4th Circ. To Keep $9M Nurse Classification Ruling
A medical staffing company is trying to circumvent clear error standards simply because it didn't like a federal court's conclusion that the company must pay $9 million in a misclassification suit, the U.S. Department of Labor told the Fourth Circuit.
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March 26, 2024
NC Software Execs Ask To Raze Payroll Tax Fraud Conviction
Two former software executives found guilty of failing to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars in employment taxes have sought to wipe out their conviction based on what they allege was insufficient evidence presented by the government at trial.
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March 26, 2024
NC Justices Find BofA Mortgage Fraud Suit Filed Too Late
The North Carolina Supreme Court has ruled that homeowners accusing Bank of America NA of fraud in a mortgage modification program filed their claims too late, finding they knew or should have known about the alleged fraud when their homes were foreclosed upon — four to seven years before they sued.
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March 26, 2024
Wells Fargo Denies Liability Over Texas Atty's Fraud Scheme
Arguing a San Antonio lawyer's widespread fraud scheme predated his relationship with the bank, Wells Fargo has asked a Texas federal judge to trim a suit launched by the attorney's former clients, who accused the bank of enabling the scheme that landed the attorney behind bars for 50 years.
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March 25, 2024
4th Circ. Sides With Trump Jr. In Ex-Coal CEO's Libel Suit
A Fourth Circuit panel on Monday upheld Donald Trump Jr.'s win against former coal company CEO and U.S. Senate candidate Don Blankenship's defamation suit, saying there's no evidence Trump Jr. acted with actual malice when he called Blankenship a "felon" — instead of a person convicted of a federal misdemeanor — on social media.
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March 25, 2024
NC Justices Undo Stacking Auto Insurance Coverage
The North Carolina Supreme Court has overruled 30 years of intermediate appellate court adherence to "stacking" underinsured motorist policies, ruling the plain language of a state law only allows that type of coverage to be combined among policies on a vehicle involved with a collision.
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March 25, 2024
NC High Court Vacates Workers' Comp For Weight Loss Surgery
A divided North Carolina Supreme Court has adopted a test for determining when someone is entitled to workers' compensation for treatment related to their workplace injury and, in doing so, reversed a ruling finding a preschool must pay for an employee's weight loss surgery.
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March 25, 2024
NC Judge Agrees To Suspension After Lying For Jailed Son
A North Carolina judge has agreed to a 120-day suspension for a "pattern of problematic conduct" that included lying to a magistrate in an attempt to spring her son from jail and for closing a courtroom without permission, according to state Supreme Court order.
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March 25, 2024
Pool Co. Objects To Rival Counsel's Exit After $15M Verdict
A swimming pool equipment supply company that won a $15 million verdict against a competitor in North Carolina federal court is now attempting to block the rival's counsel from leaving the case, saying the company may use the loss of its attorneys as justification for delaying final judgment.
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March 25, 2024
Divided NC High Court Backs Insurer's Mailer Coverage Win
A deadlocked North Carolina Supreme Court has left undisturbed a lower court's ruling that an insurer needn't cover a law firm accused of violating the Driver's Privacy Protection Act by using personal information to market legal services to crash victims.
Expert Analysis
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5 Management Tips To Keep Law Firm Merger Talks Moving
Many law firm mergers that make solid business sense still fall apart due to the costs and frustrations of inefficient negotiations, but firm managers can increase the chance of success by effectively planning and executing merger discussions, say Lisa Smith and Kristin Stark at Fairfax Associates.
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The Texas Two-Step May Be Losing Steam
The Texas Two-Step is a powerful bankruptcy strategy that has been used in recent high-profile cases, including Johnson & Johnson’s talc unit bankruptcy case, but ongoing debate and legal challenges raise the question of whether this maneuver is losing reliability, say Brendan Best and Justin Allen at Varnum.
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3 Abortion Enforcement Takeaways 1 Year After Dobbs
A year after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the constitutional right to abortion in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, confusion continues to abound amid the quagmire of state-level enforcement risks, federal efforts to protect reproductive health care, and fights over geolocation data, say Elena Quattrone and Sarah Hall at Epstein Becker.
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Rethinking In-Office Attendance For Associate Retention
The hybrid office attendance model doesn't work for all employees, but it does for many — and balancing these two groups is important for associate retention and maintaining a BigLaw firm culture that supports all attorneys, says Summer Eberhard at Major Lindsey.
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Opinion
ALI, Bar Groups Need More Defense Engagement For Balance
The American Law Institute and state bar committees have a special role in the development of the law — but if they do not do a better job of including attorneys from the defense bar, they will come to be viewed as special interest advocacy groups, says Mark Behrens at Shook Hardy.
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High Court Ruling Wouldn't Change Federal Affirmative Action
If the U.S. Supreme Court's eventual decision in two cases concerning affirmative action indicates that using race or ethnicity as a factor in college admissions is illegal, it would align with how the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs already enforces nondiscrimination regulations for government contractor hiring, say Joanna Colosimo and Evan Szarenski at DCI Consulting.
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Murdaugh Trials Offer Law Firms Fraud Prevention Reminders
As the fraud case against Alex Murdaugh continues to play out, the evidence and narrative presented at his murder trial earlier this year may provide lessons for law firms on implementing robust internal controls that can detect and prevent similar kinds of fraud, say Travis Casner and Helga Zauner at Weaver and Tidwell.
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Firm Tips For Helping New Lawyers Succeed Post-Pandemic
Ten steps can help firms significantly enhance the experience of attorneys who started their careers in the coronavirus pandemic era, including facilitating opportunities for cross-firm connection, which can ultimately help build momentum for business development, says Lana Manganiello at Equinox Strategy Partners.
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Cost To Gov't Means Justices Must Review NC Sales Tax Case
The U.S. Supreme Court should review and overrule the North Carolina high court’s decision in Quad Graphics v. North Carolina Department of Revenue — an anticipatory overruling of precedent that expands the state sales tax base and imposes a stealth tax on the federal government, says Richard Pomp at the University of Connecticut Law School.
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Prepping Your Business Ahead Of Affirmative Action Ruling
The U.S. Supreme Court's upcoming ruling on whether race should play a role in college admissions could potentially end affirmative action, and companies will need a considered approach to these circumstances that protects their brand power and future profits, and be prepared to answer tough questions, say Nadine Blackburn at United Minds and Eric Blankenbaker at Weber Shandwick.
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Tackling Judge-Shopping Concerns While Honoring Localism
As the debate continues over judge-shopping and case assignments in federal court, policymakers should look to a hybrid model that preserves the benefits of localism for those cases that warrant it, while preventing the appearance of judge-shopping for cases of a more national or widespread character, says Joshua Sohn at the U.S. Department of Justice.
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Perspectives
How Attorneys Can Help Combat Anti-Asian Hate
Amid an exponential increase in violence against Asian American and Pacific Islander communities, unique obstacles stand in the way of accountability and justice — but lawyers can effect powerful change by raising awareness, offering legal representation, advocating for victims’ rights and more, say attorneys at Gibson Dunn.
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Opinion
Congress Needs To Enact A Federal Anti-SLAPP Statute
Although many states have passed statutes meant to prevent individuals or entities from filing strategic lawsuits against public participation, other states have not, so it's time for Congress to enact a federal statute to ensure that free speech and petitioning rights are uniformly protected nationwide in federal court, say attorneys at Skadden.
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As Subchapter V's Popularity Rises, So Do Its Boundaries
Recent data and bankruptcy court rulings give greater context to Subchapter V’s popularity, but also show how courts continue to interpret its provisions to establish limits and contours, such as the sequence of filing for affiliate debtors, say Jack O’Connor and Heidi Hockberger at Levenfeld Pearlstein.
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Some Client Speculations On AI And The Law Firm Biz Model
Generative artificial intelligence technologies will put pressure on the business of law as it is structured currently, but clients may end up with more price certainty for legal services, and lawyers may spend more time being lawyers, says Jonathan Cole at Melody Capital.