Spilman Thomas & Battle, PLLC

People have commented so often on the loss of opportunities actually to try cases that little more needs to be said about it. Discovery seems unrestrained, costing so much and taking up so much time that after paying for it, the…more

On April 12, 2013, the N.C. Supreme Court stepped into the ongoing dispute regarding the 7.2 percent rate increase sought by Duke Energy and approved by the North Carolina Utilities Commission (NCUC) in January 2012. Duke…more

America’s high school and college students will soon be finishing another school year, and employers across the country are gearing up to welcome many of these young adults as interns for the summer. Interns are staples in many…more

In 2012, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) set the business community atwitter when an administrative law judge in American Red Cross decided that an at-will disclaimer in an employee handbook violated the National Labor…more

On February 25, 2013, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released its final rule (the Final Rule) setting forth standards for health insurance issuers under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (the…more

Last month, the United States Supreme Court (Supreme Court) provided an unexpected gift to entities facing collective actions under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) by holding that defendants may moot such a case by making an…more

Because of recently-enacted changes to the West Virginia Wage Payment and Collection Act, West Virginia employers will have more time to pay final wages to discharged employees. Prior to this change, the Wage Payment and…more

In This Issue: - Notes from the Chair & Executive Editor - The Board Plays On: The NLRB Clarifies Its Position on At-Will Disclaimers - Interns This Summer? Evaluating Your Unpaid Internship Programs Under…more

When the Chair of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), Jacqueline A. Berrien, and EEOC Commissioner Victoria A. Lipnic sat down for an informal conversation regarding workplace diversity during the Diversity…more

It is undeniable that technology and globalization are changing the way lawyers practice law. Technology has not just made people, places, and things much more accessible to us – it has impacted the way we store information and…more

Depositions are essential to developing your case because they allow you to assess the facts and witnesses in ways that you cannot achieve through other discovery tools. Many practitioners say that except for the ability to…more

As discussed in Part I, the North Carolina Mining and Energy Commission (“N.C. MEC”) will present its report on hydraulic fracturing to the Joint Legislative Commission on Energy Policy and the Environmental Review Commission by…more

On April 24, 2013, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court issued its highly anticipated decision in the Butler v. Charles Powers Estate case. The Supreme Court decided to maintain the status quo in Pennsylvania by reaffirming the…more

In This Issue: - Pa. Supreme Court Issues Decision in Butler Case - Hydraulic Fracturing - Studies Without End - Pending Pa. Legislation Gives Incentives for Natural Gas Vehicles - Atlantic Natural…more

The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) has become active in scrutinizing and striking down employers’ social media policies. Three times in the last year, the NLRB issued Operations Management Memoranda providing employers…more