Articles

March 31 Deadline to Amend 403(b) Retirement Plans Approaches

Written By Steven B. Long

Employer sponsors of 403(b) retirement plans have until March 31, 2020, to amend their plan documents to comply with Internal Revenue Service (IRS) rules stating what provisions must be contained in those documents.  …

What "Professionalism" Means at Ward and Smith

Written By Stephanie C. Crosby

Ed. Note: Stephanie Crosby, our Paralegal Supervisor for the Business Section, recently gave an in-house presentation about professionalism. She nailed it. We are proud of her, and asked her to share it on our site. Our W…

The Business Judgment Rule: How Corporate Directors Can Sleep Better At Night

Written By Adam M. Beaudoin

What is the Business Judgment Rule? The North Carolina Business Corporation Act (the "Act") imposes certain requirements on corporate directors to ensure that they act in the best interest of the corporation when making d…

Can a Creditor Violate the Automatic Stay in Bankruptcy by Doing Nothing?

Written By Lance P. Martin

Filing a bankruptcy petition automatically halts efforts to collect pre-petition debts from the debtor outside of bankruptcy.  If a creditor wants to continue a lawsuit against a debtor outside of bankruptcy, reposse…

U.S.-China Trade Deal Shows Potential for Improved U.S. Intellectual Property Rights in China

Written By Ryan K. Simmons

A result of negotiating techniques from Donald Trump's book "The Art of the Deal" or a result of strategies from the ancient Chinese military strategy treatise "The Art of War"?  Who knows, but on January 15, 2020, t…

In-House Counsel Seminar Insights: Group Exercise Highlights Tricky Employment Law Issues

Hammertime Security is a nationwide cybersecurity firm whose in-house counsel faces a slew of tricky legal problems:  Managers posting unprofessional content on social media Employees publicly complaining about co…