North Carolina

  • January 09, 2026

    Up Next At High Court: Pollution Lawsuits & Trans Athletes

    The U.S. Supreme Court will kick off the new year by hearing disputes over the constitutionality of state laws banning transgender female athletes from female-only sports and whether state or federal courts are the proper forum for lawsuits seeking to hold major oil companies accountable for harm caused by their oil production activities along Louisiana's coast. 

  • January 09, 2026

    Real Estate Recap: Predicting '26

    Catch up on this past week's developments by state from Law360 Real Estate Authority — including key asset classes and pending litigation to watch in the new year.

  • January 09, 2026

    Furniture Store Employees Get 1st OK For Data Breach Deal

    A North Carolina federal judge has granted preliminary approval in a class action settlement to a former employee of a new and used office furniture company in a data breach lawsuit that's just over a year old.

  • January 09, 2026

    Vending Co. Will Pay Nearly $7M To Hidden Fee Class

    A federal judge in North Carolina on Friday gave final approval to a $6.94 million settlement with food service company Compass Group USA Inc. in a class action alleging it charged customers 10 cents more than the displayed prices for items sold in its vending machines.

  • January 09, 2026

    Worker's Poor Performance Dooms Bias Suit, 4th Circ. Says

    The Fourth Circuit declined to revive a Black USPS worker's retaliation suit claiming her white boss crafted a paper trail to oust her after she filed a race bias complaint against him, ruling Friday that she couldn't overcome evidence that her repeated performance issues got her temporarily fired, not bias.

  • January 09, 2026

    4th Circ. Frees Man Convicted For Speech After 9/11

    A lecturer and scholar of Islam convicted of inducing others to levy war against the U.S. after Sept. 11, 2001, was freed from serving his remaining sentence Friday, when a unanimous Fourth Circuit panel ruled that his speech was protected under the First Amendment.

  • January 09, 2026

    Attys, Broker Ask 4th Circ. To Overturn Tax Fraud Convictions

    Two St. Louis tax attorneys and a North Carolina insurance broker have asked the Fourth Circuit to unravel their convictions for participating in a $22 million tax scheme, arguing the government failed to prove at trial that the tax plan they used was actually illegal.

  • January 09, 2026

    Gov't Tells 4th Circ. SC Residents Can't Challenge Marsh Plan

    The federal government has urged the Fourth Circuit to uphold the dismissal of a suit filed by South Carolina property owners challenging the approval of a local marsh mitigation bank plan, arguing the property owners lack Article III standing and their claims are "speculative."

  • January 09, 2026

    4 Argument Sessions That Benefits Attys Should Watch In Jan.

    The U.S. Supreme Court will zero in on the methodology for assessing liability for pulling out of a multi-employer pension fund, and the circuit courts will hear bids to revive suits over alleged 401(k) mismanagement and deferred compensation. Here, Law360 looks at a quartet of oral arguments coming up in January.

  • January 09, 2026

    Patent Protection Firm Ends Software Infringement Suit

    A patent protection services firm has dropped its case against a photo-editing software company alleging infringement of three patents covering advanced image processing.

  • January 09, 2026

    Comey, James Fight DOJ Push To Combine Dismissal Appeals

    Former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James are pushing back against federal prosecutors' effort to consolidate their currently separate appeals of the beleaguered prosecutions against the pair at the Fourth Circuit.

  • January 09, 2026

    Couple Fights To Send Annuity Fraud Case To State Court

    A retired U.S. Navy veteran and his wife, who are accusing Ameritas Mutual Holding Co. and Ameritas Life Insurance Company Inc. of orchestrating a fraudulent investment scheme based on the sale of unsuitable equity-indexed annuities, urged a North Carolina federal court to send the case back to state court. 

  • January 09, 2026

    4th Circ. Asks If NCAA's W.Va. Eligibility Appeal Is Now Moot

    The NCAA and four West Virginia University football players have until Jan. 21 to tell the Fourth Circuit whether the collegiate athletic association's appeal of an injunction making the players eligible this season is moot, now that the season is over.

  • January 09, 2026

    Food Service Co. Can't Sink Fired Manager's Sex Bias Suit

    A New Jersey federal judge narrowed but refused to toss a suit alleging a dining services company fired a district manager for calling out its boys club culture, leaving it up to a jury to decide whether the company's stated reason for her firing was a smokescreen for discrimination.

  • January 09, 2026

    NC Biz Court Bulletin: Trade Secrets Row, A Patient Data Deal

    The North Carolina Business Court closed out the year by tossing a trade secrets fight brought by a corrugated packing manufacturer against its onetime star salesman and signing off on a $2.45 million settlement ending claims a healthcare system sold patients' data to Meta.

  • January 09, 2026

    Virginia Takes Vape Law Fight To 4th Circ.

    Virginia is looking to the Fourth Circuit to overturn a court order partially blocking it from enforcing a ban on flavored vapes, according to a notice filed by the state's attorney general.

  • January 08, 2026

    States Fight To Block EPA From Wiping Out $7B Solar Funding

    A coalition of states urged a Washington federal district judge Thursday to preliminarily block the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency from cutting solar power grant programs, arguing that without an injunction the Trump administration could transfer $7 billion back to the Treasury and "we will be entirely out of luck."

  • January 08, 2026

    4th Circ. Says Fraud On Optional Visa Docs Is Still Criminal

    A split Fourth Circuit panel on Thursday affirmed the visa fraud convictions of a Maryland man who prosecutors said submitted fraudulent applications for clients of his immigration "legal center," with the majority ruling that knowingly making false statements on documents that aren't necessarily required can still be criminal.

  • January 08, 2026

    States Can't Block HPE Integration Amid Deal Review

    A California federal court refused Thursday to bar Hewlett Packard Enterprise from further integrating with Juniper Networks while state enforcers raise objections to a U.S. Department of Justice settlement allowing the merger to move ahead.

  • January 08, 2026

    Wolfspeed Securities Class Action Sent To NC Federal Court

    A securities class action case against chipmaker Wolfspeed Inc. was transferred to North Carolina federal court Wednesday following a New York judge's order directing the movement of the consolidated investor suits over alleged misrepresentations about the company's financial projections.

  • January 08, 2026

    Former IRS Official Criticizes CEO's Tax Prosecution

    A former IRS deputy commissioner criticized the U.S. Department of Justice for indicting a former software executive who was ultimately convicted of failing to pay employment taxes, calling the choice "entirely unwarranted" in a letter filed in North Carolina federal court.

  • January 08, 2026

    NC Wins Appeal To Use Smithfield Funds For Enviro Grants

    The North Carolina Attorney General's Office can continue putting money from a decades-old hog waste agreement toward environmental grants, a state appeals court panel ruled, overturning a lower court order earmarking the money exclusively for public schools.

  • January 08, 2026

    Organ Procurer Says CMS Rule Will Toss Industry Into Chaos

    A North Carolina-based organ procurement organization wants a federal court to toss aside a Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services rule taking effect this year that will alter how organ procurers are certified, arguing the rule pits them against one another in a "Hunger-Games-style" competition.

  • January 08, 2026

    PLLCs Ineligible To Serve As Trustees In NC, Court Finds

    A North Carolina appeals court ruled Wednesday that a law firm organized as a professional limited liability company cannot serve as trustee of a trust or executor of a will without being explicitly authorized to do so under state law.

  • January 07, 2026

    NC Judge Warns Of 'Pandora's Box' In Shareholder Row

    A North Carolina business court judge Wednesday cautioned counsel for a discharged director of a real estate and insurance company against potentially "opening Pandora's Box" as he argued that his client was targeted by his fellow directors — and family members — due to his age, but can be protected as an employee under state and federal law.

Expert Analysis

  • The Major Securities Litigation Rulings And Trends Of 2025

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    The past 12 months saw increased regulator focus on disclosures concerning artificial intelligence, signs of growing judicial scrutiny at the class certification stage, and shifting regulatory priorities at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission — all major developments that may significantly affect securities litigation strategy in 2026 and beyond, say attorneys at Debevoise.

  • Sports Gambling Scrutiny Expands Risks For Teams, Leagues

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    The Minnesota attorney general recently sent warning letters to 14 website operators for offering what the state considers illegal online gambling, demonstrating why the sports industry, including teams and leagues, should ask critical questions about organizational compliance, internal controls and potential criminal liability, say attorneys at Stinson.

  • How Fractional GCs Can Manage Risks Of Engagement

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    As more organizations eliminate their in-house legal departments in favor of outsourcing legal work, fractional general counsel roles offer practitioners an engaging and flexible way to practice at a high level, but they can also present legal, ethical and operational risks that must be proactively managed, say attorneys at Boies Schiller.

  • Series

    Nature Photography Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Nature photography reminds me to focus on what is in front of me and to slow down to achieve success, and, in embracing the value of viewing situations through different lenses, offers skills transferable to the practice of law, says Brian Willett at Saul Ewing.

  • 2025 State AI Laws Expand Liability, Raise Insurance Risks

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    As 2025 nears its end, claims professionals should be aware of trends in state legislation addressing artificial intelligence use, as insurance claims based on some of these liability-expanding statutes are a certainty, say attorneys at Wiley.

  • Series

    Law School's Missed Lessons: Practical Problem Solving

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    Issue-spotting skills are well honed in law school, but practicing attorneys must also identify clients’ problems and true goals, and then be able to provide solutions, says Mary Kate Hogan at Quarles & Brady.

  • What Trump Order Limiting State AI Regs Means For Insurers

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    Last week's executive order seeking to preclude states from regulating artificial intelligence will likely have minimal impact on insurers, but the order and related congressional activities may portend a federal expectation of consistent state oversight of insurers' AI use, says Kathleen Birrane at DLA Piper.

  • Opinion

    A Uniform Federal Rule Would Curb Gen AI Missteps In Court

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    To address the patchwork of courts’ standing orders on generative artificial intelligence, curbing abuses and relieving the burden on judges, the federal judiciary should consider amending its civil procedure rules to require litigants to certify they’ve reviewed legal filings for accuracy, say attorneys at Shook Hardy.

  • Series

    The Law Firm Merger Diaries: Integrating Practice Groups

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    Enacting unified leadership and consistent client service standards ensures law firm practice groups connect and collaborate around shared goals, turning a law firm merger into a platform for growth rather than a period of disruption, says Brian Catlett at Fennemore Craig.

  • Opinion

    Supreme Court Term Limits Would Carry Hidden Risk

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    While proposals for limiting the terms of U.S. Supreme Court justices are popular, a steady stream of relatively young, highly marketable ex-justices with unique knowledge and influence entering the marketplace of law and politics could create new problems, say Michael Broyde at Emory University and Hayden Hall at the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware.

  • How Choice Of Law Won The Day In NC Biz Court COVID Case

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    The North Carolina Business Court recently ruled for policyholders in Tanger Properties v. ACE American Insurance, a business interruption lawsuit arising from the pandemic-related closure of Tanger outlet centers, underscoring the significant role that choice of law plays in insurance coverage disputes, say attorneys at Hunton.

  • NBA, MLB Betting Indictments: Slam Dunks Or Strikeouts?

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    Recent fraud charges against bettors, NBA players and MLB pitchers raise questions about what the government will need to prove to prosecute individuals involved in placing bets based on nonpublic information, and it could be a tough sell to juries, say attorneys at Ford O'Brien.

  • Series

    Knitting Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Stretching my skills as a knitter makes me a better antitrust attorney by challenging me to recalibrate after wrong turns, not rush outcomes, and trust that I can teach myself the skills to tackle new and difficult projects — even when I don’t have a pattern to work from, says Kara Kuritz at V&E.

  • Series

    The Biz Court Digest: Welcome To Miami

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    After nearly 20 years in operation, the Miami Complex Business Litigation Division is a pioneer upon which other jurisdictions in the state have been modeled, adopting many innovations to keep its cases running more efficiently and staffing experienced judges who are accustomed to hearing business disputes, say attorneys at King & Spalding.

  • AI Evidence Rule Tweaks Encourage Judicial Guardrails

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    Recent additions to a committee note on proposed Rule of Evidence 707 — governing evidence generated by artificial intelligence — seek to mitigate potential dangers that may arise once machine outputs are introduced at trial, encouraging judges to perform critical gatekeeping functions, say attorneys at Lankler Siffert & Wohl.

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