Especially in the beginning stages of building a family, legal documentation is not often top of mind. However, for young families, establishing a comprehensive estate plan is an important and proactive step toward safeguarding…
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/ Family Law, Taxation, Wills, Trusts, & Estate Planning
However, creating pet policies is only half the battle—consistent and proper enforcement is key to handling pet disputes. Remember, service and emotional support animals are not pets, so keep in mind that the pet policy does…
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/ Administrative Law, Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR), Real Estate - Residential
Whether you're the appellant or the appellee, knowing when an argument is properly preserved goes a long way. The United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit publishes very few opinions, so finding a roadmap for issue…
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/ Civil Procedure, Criminal Law
One in four parents living with a child in the United States today are unmarried. Of these, 35% of all unmarried parents are living with a partner. In the event the relationship goes south, do unmarried fathers have rights to…
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/ Civil Procedure, Conflict of Laws, Family Law
For construction company owners and managers, understanding antitrust laws and implementing effective compliance measures isn't just good business practice, it's essential protection against potentially devastating legal…
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/ Antitrust & Trade Regulation, Commercial Law & Contracts, Construction Law
At Ward and Smith, we are closely monitoring these developments to help our clients with the potential impacts on their businesses. Below is an overview of what stakeholders in the hemp industry need to know about this proposed…
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/ Administrative Law, Agriculture, Taxation
House Bill 47 ("H47") was signed into law (Session Law 2025-2) by Governor Stein on March 20. The bill's official name is the Disaster Recovery Act of 2025–Part I, but it is more commonly known as the Hurricane Helene Mountain…
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/ Construction Law, Real Estate - Residential, Zoning, Planning & Land Use
Ed. Note: This is the last in a series of articles taken from Gavin Parsons' CLE presentation for the North Carolina Bar Association's Antitrust and Complex Business Dispute CLE Program presented on Thursday, January 30, 2025…
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/ Commercial Law & Contracts, Intellectual Property, Science, Computers, & Technology
When residents call to complain about their neighbor's vehicle blocking the street or a commercial truck parked overnight, you need to know what your association can—and cannot—do to address these concerns. Let's examine the…
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/ Real Estate - Residential, Transportation, Zoning, Planning & Land Use
Ed. Note: This is the fourth in a series of articles taken from Gavin Parsons' CLE presentation for the North Carolina Bar Association's Antitrust and Complex Business Dispute CLE Program presented on Thursday, January 30, 2025…
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/ Business Torts, Civil Remedies, Intellectual Property
The landscape of coastal real estate development in North Carolina has undergone a seismic shift following major regulatory changes over the last few years.
For developers eyeing coastal properties, understanding the recent…
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/ Environmental Law, Real Estate - Commercial, Zoning, Planning & Land Use
Ed. Note: This is the third in a series of articles taken from Gavin Parsons' CLE presentation for the North Carolina Bar Association's Antitrust and Complex Business Dispute CLE Program presented on Thursday, January 30, 2025…
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/ Civil Procedure, Electronic Discovery, Intellectual Property
The new fee structure is presented as a neutral pricing adjustment to replace the current TEAS Plus and TEAS Standard application filing options with a single base application option that changes based on the "complexity and…
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/ Administrative Law, Agriculture, Intellectual Property
This is the second in a series of articles taken from Gavin Parsons' CLE presentation for the North Carolina Bar Association's Antitrust and Complex Business Dispute CLE Program presented on Thursday, January 30, 2025…
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/ Business Torts, Criminal Law, Intellectual Property
While this requirement is not new, the Court’s decision formally adopts a line of Court of Appeals precedent that enforces this rule with precision, particularly in complex cases involving multiple claims or defenses. The…
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/ Business Organizations, Business Torts, Civil Procedure
