Compliance with the Open Meetings Law is an ongoing, ever-present obligation for all North Carolina public boards. The advent of Governor Cooper’s COVID-19 State of Emergency declaration prompted additional open meetings...more
On Oct. 15, 2021, Governor Roy Cooper signed Senate Bill 191, “The No Patient Left Alone Act,” into law. The law expressly provides that patient visitation rights in health care facilities will not be impacted during...more
As COVID-19 numbers improve, North Carolina is among the states beginning to resume in-person hearings and civil trials. The week of March 14 saw several developments that collectively signal a “measured reopening” of the...more
While many North Carolina public schools had resumed some level of in-person instruction by the Fall of 2020, by the end of 2020, a majority of those public schools reverted back to 100% virtual learning due to reported...more
On Jan. 14, N.C. Chief Justice Paul Newby issued emergency directives on COVID-19 which are effective immediately. The new order replaces the order issued on Dec. 14, 2020....more
At a recent seminar put on by the North Carolina Association of Defense Attorneys, members of the N.C. task force on resuming jury trials gave an update on jury trial resumption in N.C. There is no definite date for when...more
Apart from a handful of limited exceptions, North Carolina’s civil courts were closed for almost three months in the Spring of 2020 in response to the community spread of COVID-19 across the state. In June, North Carolina’s...more
On September 1, 2020, Governor Roy Cooper issued Executive Order No. 163. This Order became effective on September 4, 2020, and will remain in effect until October 2, 2020. Here is what you need to know...more
With North Carolina's Phase I stay-at-home restrictions expiring at 5 p.m. May 22 under Executive Order 141 (EO 141), Gov. Roy Cooper announced that the state is cautiously ready to take a “modest step forward” into Phase...more
As shelter-in-place orders begin to lift around the country and here in North Carolina, it is time for companies to shift from disaster response—making it through the immediate needs of the COVID-19 crisis and related...more
Two bills (S 704, a policy bill, and H 1043, an appropriations bill) to address COVID-19’s impact on North Carolina were enacted over the weekend. Legislators met in a rare Saturday session to pass the bills and Governor Roy...more
Brooks Pierce has been honored to have so many North Carolina employers rely on us for up-to-date guidance on personnel matters stemming from the COVID-19 crisis. Employers can also expect timely webinars and roundtables from...more