Articles

Supreme Court Announces Broad Separability Test in Applying Copyright Law to Useful Articles

Written By Norman J. Leonard and Erica B. E. Rogers

This article continues the discussion in an earlier article addressing the scope of copyright protection as it applies to useful goods under copyright law.  At the time the first article was written, Varsity Brands, I…

Creating and Supporting a Qualified and Productive Workforce

At Ward and Smith, P.A. we recognize that people are our most important resource for sustaining excellent service, and we encourage employees to make a lifelong commitment to learning and self-development.   Thr…

Here Today, Gone Tomorrow: the Allures and Legal Considerations of Pop-Up Shops

Written By Joanne H. Badr

For years now, a new type of retail merchant has been "popping up" everywhere.  Short-term, temporary retail events, or "pop-ups," serve as a marketing strategy for retailers and entrepreneurs looking to extend their …

Supreme Court Absolutely Affirms the Absolute Priority Rule

Written By Lance P. Martin

The United States Supreme Court recently decided a case that impacts lenders and other creditors in Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings.  The Supreme Court held that a bankruptcy court may not approve a “structure…

House Bill 89: Does It Grant or Just Tweak The Power to Abolish a Public Housing Authority?

Written By James W. Norment

Since 1969, Chapter 157 of the North Carolina General Statutes (the "Housing Authority Law") has allowed municipalities and counties to create and abolish Public Housing Authorities.  Over the years, the General Assem…

No Ifs, Ands, or Butts: Regulating Smoking Within Community Associations

Written By Adam M. Beaudoin

The End of the Age of "Mad Men" The past twenty years have seen a dramatic uptick in the regulation of smoking, as dozens of states and hundreds of cities and counties have enacted laws making designated public places "sm…