North Carolina

  • January 26, 2026

    New Cadwalader Exits To Fuel Paul Hastings Charlotte Launch

    A group of approximately 15 to 20 fund finance lawyers are leaving Cadwalader Wickersham & Taft LLP and Haynes Boone to launch a Charlotte, North Carolina, office for Paul Hastings LLP, marking the third time a large law firm has set up shop in the banking hub in recent months.

  • January 23, 2026

    Trump Admin's EV Infrastructure Funding Pause Vacated

    A Seattle federal judge said Friday that President Donald Trump's administration overstepped its statutory powers and broke federal law by abruptly freezing approved funding for new electric vehicle charging infrastructure last year, vacating the program's suspension and siding with 20 states and environmental groups who challenged the move.

  • January 23, 2026

    Real Estate Recap: HUD, Corporate Landlords, Atty Errors

    Catch up on this past week's key developments by state from Law360 Real Estate Authority — including how the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development may be shifting focus, what President Donald Trump's executive order on investment in single-family homes means for Wall Street, and a look at some of the mistakes made by real estate attorneys.

  • January 23, 2026

    4th Circ. Maroons Copyright Fight Over Pirate Ship Pics

    The Fourth Circuit on Friday relieved for good North Carolina's government from a long-running copyright infringement suit over photos and videos of a famous pirate shipwreck, saying a lower court was wrong to revive the claims in the case, which at one point went to the U.S. Supreme Court.

  • January 23, 2026

    $200M Sun, Taro Generics Deal Gets Final OK

    A Pennsylvania federal judge granted final approval Friday for a $200 million deal resolving employee benefits plans' claims against Sun Pharmaceutical and Taro Pharmaceuticals in the sprawling price-fixing litigation against generic-drug makers, while again ensuring the claims from dozens of state attorneys general remain untouched by the settlement.

  • January 23, 2026

    As Duke Sues Its Own QB, NIL Tensions Come To A Head

    Duke University's gambit to stop its star quarterback from transferring to another school signals the latest friction point in college sports, providing an opportunity for courts to tackle the still-evolving concept of direct payment deals between athletes and their schools regarding name, image and likeness.

  • January 23, 2026

    Split 4th Circ. Sides With Feds In DHS Grant Termination Row

    A split Fourth Circuit panel ruled Friday that a district court did not abuse its discretion in finding a challenge to the federal government's termination of a citizenship preparation grant program likely belongs in the U.S. Court of Federal Claims.

  • January 23, 2026

    Ex-Judge's Tax Issues Back License Revocation, Court Told

    A North Carolina appeals court should uphold the suspension of a former state court judge's law license over alleged misconduct at his law firm and on the bench, the state bar said, arguing the disciplinary board acted within its power and had sufficient evidence to revoke his license.

  • January 23, 2026

    Live Nation Antitrust Judge Wants To 'Punt' On State Claims

    A federal judge in Manhattan asked Friday whether federal and state authorities accusing Live Nation of stifling competition in live entertainment would consent to staying the state law claims and focus on federal claims in an upcoming trial so it won't end up "lasting five years."

  • January 22, 2026

    Prosecutors Seek Retrial In Killing Of NBA Star's Grandfather

    The state of North Carolina has asked a state appeals court to undo the acquittal of two men who were found to have been wrongly convicted of murder and robbery in the death of the grandfather of NBA star Chris Paul in 2002, arguing the men should instead be given a retrial.

  • January 22, 2026

    Assistant DA Isn't 'Employee' In Her Race Bias Suit, Court Told

    A North Carolina prosecutor can't be targeted in a race bias and retaliation suit under Title VII, as the Black assistant district attorney alleging an unlawful pay disparity isn't an "employee" under the federal statute, the prosecutor's counsel told a North Carolina federal court Thursday.

  • January 22, 2026

    Life Insurer Calls NASCAR Driver's $8.5M Suit 'Inflammatory'

    NASCAR driver Kyle Busch and his wife failed to pay the premiums on hefty life insurance policies and let them lapse rather than hold on to them long enough for their value to grow, Pacific Life Insurance Co. argued Thursday in seeking an early exit from the couple's suit claiming the policies were a sham.

  • January 22, 2026

    NC Court Backs Asphalt Co. In $2.6M Tax Dispute

    A North Carolina asphalt company's transfers of property to its parent company aren't taxable sales because the state Department of Revenue failed to prove there was any form of payment for the products, the state business court affirmed, canceling a $2.6 million bill.

  • January 22, 2026

    FERC Commissioners Back Fed-State Push For PJM Changes

    The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission on Thursday backed plans from the Trump administration, state governors and PJM Interconnection to address escalating power prices amid data center-fueled increases in electricity demand, and encouraged the nation's largest grid operator to promptly submit policy proposals.

  • January 22, 2026

    Golf Club Says Allianz Unit Owes $2.2M In Hurricane Coverage

    An Allianz unit acted in bad faith when refusing to pay nearly $2.3 million in coverage for damages caused by Hurricane Helene, a private golf club alleged in a suit removed to North Carolina federal court.

  • January 22, 2026

    NCAA Tells 4th Circ. Appeal Of Eligibility Ruling Should Go On

    The NCAA has urged the Fourth Circuit to keep hearing its appeal of a preliminary injunction letting four West Virginia University football players compete in a season that is now over, arguing that similar challenges to its eligibility rules are inevitable.

  • January 21, 2026

    Epic Games Taps Veteran BigTech GC Amid Antitrust Fights

    Veteran technology-industry attorney Reginald "Reggie" Davis, who recently served as Qualia Labs Inc.'s general counsel, has joined Epic Games Inc. as its top in-house attorney, moving to Epic as the Fortnite game-maker is in the midst of wrapping up its years-long antitrust battle against Google and Apple.

  • January 21, 2026

    PE Firm Used Jail Threats To Steer Cannabis Deal, Court Told

    A private equity firm can't free itself from a contract breach spat between a CBD and hemp product manufacturer and its business partner, as the firm not only interfered with the contract but also threatened to have people thrown in jail if they refused to capitulate, a North Carolina federal court heard Wednesday.

  • January 21, 2026

    4th Circ. Says Judge Wrongly Blocked Trump Grant Freeze

    The Fourth Circuit on Wednesday wiped out a federal district judge's order restoring 32 congressionally funded grants frozen by the Trump administration, saying it's a contractual matter for the U.S. Court of Federal Claims to decide.

  • January 21, 2026

    Allergan Says Fed. Circ.'s Ax Of $39M Win Misread Record

    A Federal Circuit decision reversing a $39 million verdict against Sandoz in Allergan's suit accusing it of infringing an eyelash growth drug patent misunderstood the evidence and was based on an "indisputably false" premise, Allergan said in a petition for rehearing Tuesday.

  • January 21, 2026

    NC Court Throws Duke A Lifeline In Transfer Battle With QB

    A North Carolina state judge allowed Duke University quarterback Darian Mensah to enter the NCAA transfer portal Wednesday, but prohibited him from signing with another school until ruling on Duke's request for an injunction that would keep him at the university.

  • January 21, 2026

    Tex-Mex Chain's 'Feeling' Isn't Trade Secret, NC Biz Court Told

    A chain of upscale Tex-Mex restaurants in North Carolina failed to specify the trade secrets a former manager is accused of stealing to replicate its dining concept at another restaurant in Missouri, defense counsel told a North Carolina Business Court judge on Wednesday.

  • January 21, 2026

    Insurer Loses Appeals Over $40M NC Drunken Driving Verdict

    A North Carolina appeals court on Wednesday rejected efforts by insurer Integon Indemnity Corp. to appeal decisions in a pair of cases stemming from a $40 million drunken driving verdict, saying the receivers suing for breach of contract were in the correct venue.

  • January 21, 2026

    4th Circ. Pauses DOJ Appeal Over Md. Judges' Habeas Order

    The Fourth Circuit paused a Trump administration appeal of a ruling that dismissed its challenge to a standing order Maryland federal judges issued to temporarily delay the removal of detained noncitizens who file habeas petitions.

  • January 20, 2026

    Investment Cos. Deny Funding Tribal Biz Sued For Payday Loans

    Two investment firms have denied they secretly controlled a tribally affiliated short-term lending company that is being sued in North Carolina federal court by a class of borrowers who say it's handing out supposedly illegal payday loans that charge annual interest rates as high as 490%.

Expert Analysis

  • SDNY OpenAI Order Clarifies Preservation Standards For AI

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    The Southern District of New York’s recent order in the OpenAI copyright infringement litigation, denying discovery of The New York Times' artificial intelligence technology use, clarifies that traditional preservation benchmarks apply to AI content, relieving organizations from using a “keep everything” approach, says Philip Favro at Favro Law.

  • Compliance Steps To Take As FCRA Enforcement Widens

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    As the Fair Credit Reporting Act receives renewed focus from both federal and state enforcers, regulatory and litigation risk is most acute in several core areas, which companies can address by implementing purpose processes and quick remediation of consumer complaints, among other steps, say attorneys at Wiley.

  • Opinion

    High Court, Not A Single Justice, Should Decide On Recusal

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    As public trust in the U.S. Supreme Court continues to decline, the court should adopt a collegial framework in which all justices decide questions of recusal together — a reform that respects both judicial independence and due process for litigants, say Michael Broyde at Emory University and Hayden Hall at the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware.

  • Series

    Traveling Solo Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Traveling by myself has taught me to assess risk, understand tone and stay calm in high-pressure situations, which are not only useful life skills, but the foundation of how I support my clients, says Lacey Gutierrez at Group Five Legal.

  • Series

    Law School's Missed Lessons: Client Service

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    Law school teaches you how to interpret the law, but it doesn't teach you some of the key ways to keeping clients satisfied, lessons that I've learned in the most unexpected of places: a book on how to be a butler, says Gregory Ramos at Armstrong Teasdale.

  • Where 4th And 9th Circ. Diverge On Trade Secret Timing

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    Recent Fourth and Ninth Circuit decisions have revealed a deepening circuit split over when plaintiffs must specifically define their alleged trade secrets, turning the early stages of trade secret litigation into a key battleground and elevating the importance of forum selection, say attorneys at Skadden.

  • Series

    Adapting To Private Practice: 3 Tips On Finding The Right Job

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    After 23 years as a state and federal prosecutor, when I contemplated moving to a law firm, practicing solo or going in-house, I found there's a critical first step — deep self-reflection on what you truly want to do and where your strengths lie, says Rachael Jones at McKool Smith.

  • Series

    Painting Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Painting trains me to see both the fine detail and the whole composition at once, enabling me to identify friction points while keeping sight of a client's bigger vision, but the most significant lesson I've brought to my legal work has been the value of originality, says Jana Gouchev at Gouchev Law.

  • H-2A Rule Rollback Sheds Light On 2 Policy Litigation Issues

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    The Trump administration’s recent refusal to defend an immigration regulation implemented by the Biden administration highlights a questionable process that both parties have used to bypass the Administrative Procedure Act’s rulemaking process, and points toward the next step in the fight over universal injunctions, says Mark Stevens at Clark Hill.

  • Protecting Sensitive Court Filings After Recent Cyber Breach

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    In the wake of a recent cyberattack on federal courts' Case Management/Electronic Case Files system, civil litigants should consider seeking enhanced protections for sensitive materials filed under seal to mitigate the risk of unauthorized exposure, say attorneys at Redgrave.

  • DOJ Settlement Offers Guide To Avoiding Key Antitrust Risks

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    The U.S. Justice Department's settlement with Greystar Management shows why parties looking to acquire companies that use pricing recommendation software should carefully examine whether the software algorithm and how it is used in the market create antitrust dangers, say attorneys at Fried Frank.

  • Series

    NC Banking Brief: All The Notable Legal Updates In Q3

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    There were several impactful changes to the financial services landscape in North Carolina in the third quarter of the year, including statutory updates, enforcement developments from Office of the Commissioner of Banks, and notable mergers, acquisitions and branch expansions, say attorneys at Moore & Van Allen.

  • How AI Can Find Environmental Risks Before Regulators Do

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    By using artificial intelligence to analyze public information that regulators collect but find incredibly challenging to connect across agencies and databases, legal teams can identify risks before widespread health impacts occur, rather than waiting for harm to surface — potentially transforming environmental litigation, says Paul Napoli at Napoli Shkolnik.

  • Series

    Judging Figure Skating Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Judging figure skating competitions helps me hone the focus, decisiveness and ability to process complex real-time information I need in court, but more importantly, it makes me reengage with a community and my identity outside of law, which, paradoxically, always brings me back to work feeling restored, says Megan Raymond at Groombridge Wu.

  • What Ethics Rules Say On Atty Discipline For Online Speech

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    Though law firms are free to discipline employees for their online commentary about Charlie Kirk or other social media activity, saying crude or insensitive things on the internet generally doesn’t subject attorneys to professional discipline under the Model Rules of Professional Conduct, says Stacie H. Rosenzweig at Halling & Cayo.

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