News + Insights

Risky Business: What Lawyers Who Fight Insurance Companies Want You to Know About Your Business Insurance Portfolio

Written By Allen N. Trask, III and Amy H. Wooten

We are attorneys and don’t sell or broker insurance. Yet, we’re writing to alert business owners of a direct threat posed by a “set it and forget it” approach to insurance coverage. Why? Because w…

NC Bar Foundation Spotlights McIntyre Youth Leadership Challenge

The North Carolina Bar Foundation recently featured the 2025 McIntyre Youth Leadership Challenge in a story celebrating the power of civic engagement and student leadership.  The annual Law Day event, spearheaded b…

More Than Dirt, Seed, and Tractors: Why Today’s Farms Need Real Strategy

Written By Allen N. Trask, III

Farming has always been hard work. But today, large-scale agricultural operations aren’t just production-focused—they’re complex businesses operating in a dynamic, heavily regulated environment. Sophisti…

Will Oden Joins American Arbitration Association Employment Panel

Ward and Smith is proud to announce that experienced labor and employment attorney and mediator, Will Oden, has been invited to join the American Arbitration Association’s (AAA) Employment Panel, and will now also se…

X. Lightfoot to Speak at Triangle SHRM’s June Chapter Meeting

Six months into 2025, the workplace is shifting—fast. From sweeping executive orders on labor practices to new federal priorities on pay equity, workplace safety, and DEI, HR leaders are being asked to navigate unfa…

Tick Tock, Tick Tock: Employers Face Final EEO-1 Component Filing Deadline

Written By X. Lightfoot

The clock is ticking for covered employers to submit EEO-1 Component 1 reports. The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) opened the 2024 EEO-1 Component 1 data collection on May 20, 2025. The deadline for c…