Articles

Final(ly) Adoption by the US EPA of Revised Standards and Practices for All Appropriate Inquiries

Written By Mary V. Cavanagh and Amy P. Wang

The United States Environmental Protection Agency ("EPA") adopted an updated standard of practice for Phase I Environmental Site Assessments on December 15, 2022.  The updated standard adds more refined investigation …

NC General Assembly Returns for 2023 Session with Unfinished Business

As the clock struck noon in Raleigh on January 11th, lawmakers and their families settled into the House and Senate Chambers at the North Carolina General Assembly to witness history. In the House of Representatives, Rep.…

When ABC, Inc. Buys the House Next Door and Next Door and Well, You Get the Idea

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

Scott D. Weiss, Esq. of Ortale Kelley Law Firm in Nashville, Tennessee, focused his lens at the Community Associations Institute's ("CAI") Annual Law Seminar on a relatively new phenomenon that is fast becoming one of the …

The Case of the Inexcusably Ignorant Refinance Loan

Written By Lance P. Martin

A recent decision from the North Carolina Court of Appeals illustrates the wrong way to refinance a loan.  In Midfirst Bank v. Brown, a refinancing lender cancelled a deed of trust that should have been assigned to i…

What Say Ye, FTC: The FTC Deems Non-Competes Unfair Competition

Written By Justin T. Hill and Avery J. Locklear

On January 5, 2023, the Federal Trade Commission ("FTC") proposed a rule that would ban non-compete agreements between employers and workers on the basis that non-compete clauses are unfair methods of competition.  W…

Marriage, Divorce & The Family Business: Is What Is Mine Really Yours Too?

Written By William S. Durr

North Carolina's equitable distribution laws provide the framework for determining how property will be valued and divided when one or both partners in a marriage decide to separate. Before doing a deeper dive into how on…