Did you miss a Ward and Smith webinar?
Browse recordings of past webinars to catch up on valuable information you missed. It's free and on-demand at your convenience.
January 13: Community Associations Building Blocks - Community Drainage, Flooding & Architectural Control Parameters
Speakers: Eric Remington and Amy Wang
Many communities in North Carolina experience issues with drainage, stormwater, and localized nuisance flooding after rain events. In this webinar, environmental attorney Amy Wang and litigation attorney Eric Remington discussed several issues, including drainage vs. stormwater, general coverage of drainage and stormwater in covenants and permits, updates on the State's Stormwater Program, legal doctrines or rules that pertain to surface water drainage and liability, and common causes of action asserted in lawsuits related to surface water drainage, flooding, and erosion. Watch Webinar
December 9: Community Associations Building Blocks - Land Use and Zoning
Speaker: Clint Cogburn
Zoning and land use laws enacted by the state and federal governments, counties, and municipalities significantly affect the acquisition, sale, development, and use of real property. Government agencies and governing bodies increasingly have enacted more comprehensive zoning and land use rules and regulations governing development, sometimes with the intent to restrict or prohibit development. In this session, Land Use attorney Clint Cogburn discusses how zoning and land use laws can affect community associations as well as tax exemption applications. The session will conclude with a live Q&A. Watch Webinar
December 3 Webinar: In-House Counsel Seminar - Virtual Edition
The 2021 In-House Counsel Seminar consists of three sessions designed to address issues facing in-house counsel today.
Session 1 - Upside Down: Privacy and Data Security LARP
Speakers: Chris Hope, Bridget Welborn, and Angela Doughty, CIPP/US
According to a May article in Bloomberg Law, nearly 90% of chief legal officers expect[ed] data privacy issues to accelerate in 2021. Those surveyed were right to be concerned; data and privacy security should be top of mind for all businesses. This interactive session will walk attendees through real-life breach scenarios and showcase how they can leverage outside law firms to strategically craft compliance plans and track their corporate boards and third-party vendors for proper security and compliance measures. Watch Session
Session 2 - Pell-Mell: Rapid Fire Legal Update
Speakers: Richard Crow, Chris Edwards, Jamie Norment, and Hayley Wells
A whole lot of legal knowledge, condensed into short sound bites! Ward and Smith attorneys will present on a variety of current topics pertinent to corporate counsel, including innovations in eDiscovery, ADA website and public access compliance, government relations, and tax. Watch Session
Session 3 - Inside Out: Employment Law LARP
Speakers: Ken Gray, Justin Hill, and Devon Williams
In-house counsel are often asked to play a role in workplace investigations related to human resources issues. This role has likely been more involved with constantly evolving COVID-19 rules and regulations. This session will incorporate virtual interactivity and will allow attendees to act out real-life HR scenarios remotely. Each case example will be discussed in an open forum to provide insight into navigating the current, complex employment environment. Watch Session
November 17 Webinar: Community Association Building Blocks - Directors and Officers Insurance
Speakers: Allen Trask and Amy Wooten
A community or property owner association ("Association") acts through board members and officers who are volunteers and are generally willing to serve because they care about their communities.
But in this day and age, they are often targets of member lawsuits. Accordingly, it's recommended that all Associations obtain director and officer liability insurance to cover the costs of defending their directors, officers, committee members, and volunteers against such lawsuits. Watch Webinar
October 14 Webinar: Community Association Building Blocks - How to Retain Financing for HOAs and COAs
Speaker: Justin Lewis
Lenders are aware that the borrowing demands for community associations around the country are growing. And those demands will continue to grow as more and more American home buyers choose a home that includes some form of common interest as an integral part of homeownership. In this webinar, we discussed how HOA and COA loans work, including borrowing needs, loan structure and security, and loan documentation. Watch Webinar
October 13 Webinar: Fall Employment Law Update
Speakers: Labor and Employment team
Ward and Smith's entire Labor and Employment team holds discussions on current employment law changes, including the most recent labor and employment hot topics and insight into current EEOC guidance and enforcement priorities. Watch Webinar
October 7 Webinar: Health Care Breakfast and Learn
Speakers: Ken Gray, Michael Fields, Peter McClelland, Troy Smith, and Leigh Wilkinson
This virtual event will tackle many important issues the medical community is facing today, including current legal trends in health care, privacy and data security considerations, professional licensing issues, and employment law hot topics. Watch Webinar
October 6 Webinar: Construction Conversations
Speakers: Construction Law Team, Government Relations Team. and Hank Harris with Ward and Smith Business Consulting
We're talking construction! This webinar is a two-hour program focusing on an array of matters most crucial to today's construction companies and firms.
September 16 Webinar: Community Association Building Blocks - Vendor Relationships
Speakers: Adam Beaudoin, Madeline Lipe, and Peter McClelland,
All community associations have professional relationships with contractors, service providers, and other vendors. This webinar explores issues that can arise with third-party vendors, including the importance of vendor contract review and negotiations, how to navigate discourse with vendors, including insurance companies, and the responsibility that community associations have to take reasonable precautions to protect the interests of the association and their members’ confidential information even if it is housed by a third-party. Watch Webinar
August 12 Webinar: Community Association Building Blocks - Annual Meetings
Speaker: Adam Beaudoin
Annual membership meetings are an essential thread of the fabric of community associations and North Carolina law requires that all community associations hold a meeting of the association's members at least once a year. Unfortunately, large group meetings, especially in the community association context, are inherently inefficient and can be more frustrating than they are useful.
In this webinar, Adam Beaudoin reviewed annual meeting basics, rules, and regulations, as well as explain the critical role the association's professional managers, attorneys, and accountants play in the annual membership meeting to ensure that proper procedures are followed, adequate language is used to describe proposed actions, procedures are understood, and votes are properly tabulated. Watch Webinar
July 15 Webinar: Community Association Building Blocks – The Fair Housing Act and Emotional Support Animals
Speakers: Adam Beaudoin and Kristin Mitcham
The Federal Fair Housing Act (FHA) prohibits housing providers and their agents and governing bodies, such as Associations, from discriminating against a resident or potential resident, regardless of whether the resident or potential resident will be the owner or listed tenant of the housing unit because of the resident's or potential resident's disability. The FHA makes it unlawful for Associations to refuse to make reasonable accommodations in rules, policies, practices, or services when such accommodations may be necessary to afford a person with a disability with an equal opportunity to use and enjoy a housing unit. In fact, the Department of Housing and Urban Development has explicitly stated that an exception to a "no pets" policy qualifies as a reasonable accommodation. In this webinar, Adam Beaudoin and Kristin Mitcham discussed the FHA, assistance animals, and what an Association should do if an owner, tenant, guest, or other resident requests a reasonable accommodation for an assistance animal. Watch Webinar
June 10 Webinar: Community Association Building Blocks – Privacy and Data Security
Speakers: Angela Doughty, CIPP/US and Peter McClelland, CIPP/US
You may not know that Community Associations and the companies that manage them have a responsibility to take reasonable precautions to protect their members’ confidential information. Associations, and particularly their board members, are regularly entrusted with homeowners’ sensitive, confidential materials, often including personally identifiable information like social security numbers and financial information like credit card and bank account numbers. In this webinar, Angela and Peter discussed the growing number of laws that relate to holding members' confidential information, the legal penalties associated with falling short of the requirements, and what Associations must do to be considered "reasonable" under law. Watch Webinar
May 26 Webinar: Federal Gift Tax Refresher - Awaiting Congress's Conclusion on the Annual Exclusion of 2021
Speakers: Matt Thompson and Tom Zamadics
Basic estate tax planning techniques include compliant, effective use of the federal gift tax annual exclusion, currently $15,000 per donee for most gifts. In light of Congress's expected changes to federal estate, gift, and generation-skipping transfer tax laws this year, Ward and Smith's trusts and estates attorneys reviewed the federal gift tax basics under current law. Watch Webinar
May 18 Webinar: Website Compliance - Key Costly Legal Risks Every Business Should Consider
Speakers: Angela Doughty, CIPP/US, Peter McClelland, CIPP/US, and Erica Rogers
A recent statistic posted by Sweor states that 75% of consumers admit to making judgments on a company’s credibility based on the company’s website design. Many companies invest a lot of time and resources into making sure their website is a revenue driver, but what steps should organizations take to make sure their website isn't also increasing its business risks and liabilities?
In this webinar, attorneys Angela Doughty, CIPP/US, Peter McClelland, CIPP/US, and Erica Rogers discussed how companies can avoid website compliance issues and the resulting legal headaches, including privacy implications and disclosures; ADA compliance lawsuits; and trademark and copyright demands. Watch Webinar
May 13: Community Association Building Blocks - Collections Session
Speaker: Thomas Wolff
Nearly all community associations must cope with owners who fail or refuse to pay their periodic assessments, which are commonly referred to as monthly, quarterly, or annual "dues." Regardless of your Association's current delinquency rate, delinquencies will increase or decrease depending on your Association's vigilance in enforcing its right to collect.
In the third session of Ward and Smith's Community Association Building Blocks series, attorney Thomas Wolff provided insight into the various options for Associations to consider, and the common pitfalls to avoid when pursuing delinquent accounts. Watch webinar
May 7: 2021 Employment Law Symposium - Virtual Edition
The 2021 Employment Law Symposium features a few sessions designed to assist human resources professionals with workplace challenges head-on.
Session 1 - The Bees Knees: A Conversation with Tom Colclough
Speakers: Thomas M. Colclough, Deputy District Director of the Charlotte District Office of the U.S. Employment Opportunity Commission and Devon Williams
Tom teams up with Labor and Employment attorney and Firm Co-Managing Director, Devon Williams, to provide a deeper dive into the EEOC. This insightful session highlights cases that the EEOC sees (and has seen) and the duo's honest, candid Q&A on these issues will provide you with an insider's look into how the EEOC operates. Watch the Session
Session 2 - Employment Law Honeypot: Rapid Fire Legal Update
Speakers: Xavier Lightfoot, Grant Osborne, Will Oden, and Hayley Wells
This session looks into the Biden Administration's consequences for employers and our prediction on what's to come for the remainder of 2021 and beyond. Topics discussed include an update on current COVID employer issues, how employers can address diversity, equity, and inclusion, and new items that are currently in the Administration's pipeline. Watch the Session
Session 3 - Busy as a Bee: LARPing a Day in the Life of Human Resources
Speakers: Ken Gray, Justin Hill, and Emily Massey
This LARP (Live Action Role Playing) session incorporated virtual interactivity and allowed attendees to act out real-life HR scenarios remotely. Attendees were able to assume the role and viewpoint of an HR professional, employee, or others as they were walked through case examples related to employment issues our employment law attorneys are handling daily.
Each case example was then discussed in an open forum to provide insight into how to navigate the current, complex employment environment. Watch the Session
Session 4 - Q&A Roundtable
Ward and Smith speakers will gathered to answer pre-submitted and live questions at the conclusion of the Symposium. Watch the Session
April 8 Webinar: Community Association Building Blocks - Association Manager Town Hall
Speakers: Adam Beaudoin and Madeline Lipe
From supervising property maintenance and upkeep of facilities and amenities to overseeing financial management and budget tracking to overseeing homeowner communications, the role of a Community Association manager is a constantly evolving and challenging position. In this Community Association Building Blocks webinar, Community Associations attorneys Adam Beaudoin and Madeline Lipe held a town hall to answers questions from community associations managers. Watch the webinar
March 11 Webinar: Community Association Building Blocks - ARC as Easy as 1,2,3?
Speakers: Eric Remington and Allen Trask
The Architectural Review Committee is one of the most important, and often times challenged, committees within a community association. How can this committee ensure that its fellow board and members understand the difference between ARC guidelines and restrictive covenants? In this webinar, Community Associations attorneys Eric Remington and Allen Trask take a closer look at ARC's enforceability and how to distinguish between ARC guidelines and restrictive covenants in community documents. Watch webinar
February 25: The Eye of the Storm - Insight into Named Storm Insurance Issues for Community Associations
Speakers: Allen Trask and Amy Wooten of Ward and Smith and Jade Bentz and Jeff Major of Skyline Adjusters
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said the 2020 Atlantic hurricane season set multiple records while producing a record of 30 named storms, and a recent extended-range forecast for the 2021 season predicts activity that is above normal. In this webinar, our professionals discussed key named storm insurance issues for Community Associations, including common coverage pitfalls and unknowns, deductibles, and emergency services and contractor issues. Watch webinar
February 24: What's Next? 2021 Employment Law Forecast
It goes without saying that 2020 was an unprecedented year for changes in employment law. As COVID-19 continues to spread across our country and state, and with a new administration in the Oval Office, what changes can employers expect in 2021? In this webinar, our Employment Law team discussed hot topic issues, including the current political climate, vaccination mandates and other COVID-19 issues, LGBTQ issues, paid leave, and much more. Watch webinar
January 28 Webinar: Planning, Choosing, and Assembling - A Tale of Business Succession
Speakers: Lee Hodge, Matt Thompson, Hayley Wells, and Hank Harris
Ward and Smith attorneys Lee Hodge, Matt Thompson, and Hayley Wells, along with Hank Harris of Ward and Smith Business Consulting talked through many real-life issues that business owners face during the planning, choosing, and assembling phases of a business succession plan. Moderator Steve Stephenson of Ward and Smith will help bring our fictional business and characters to life as he leads our panelists through ups, downs, twists, and turns of our modern-day saga. Watch webinar
January 14 Webinar: Community Association Building Blocks - Land Use, Zoning, and Ordinance Issues
Speakers: Adam Beaudoin and Clint Cogburn
What is the interplay between a community association and land use, zoning, and ordinance issues? Oftentimes, community managers must walk a fine line between resident concerns that can be handled by a management company and those that are out of the management company's control. In the second session of Ward and Smith's Community Association Building Blocks series, attorneys Adam Beaudoin and Clint Cogburn provide insight into common land use issues that community associations regularly face and how to competently and comprehensively address those issues when they arise. Watch webinar
December 10 Webinar: Community Association Building Blocks - Navigating Litigation with Directors & Officers Coverage
Speakers: Allen Trask and Amy Wooten
The unfortunate reality for many community association board of directors is that at some point in the association's existence, its board members may be sued. When that happens, the suit may trigger Directors & Officers ("D&O") insurance. Understanding the fundamentals of D&O coverage and its impact on litigation involving the association's board members can prove invaluable to navigating litigation against an association's board. This webinar provides an introduction to D&O coverage and insights into its impact on the litigation process. Watch webinar
December 3: In-House Counsel Seminar - Virtual Edition
The In-House Counsel Seminar consisted of three sessions designed to address specific general counsel issues.
Session 1 - Flag on the Play: Employment Issues During a Pandemic
Speakers: Ken Gray, Justin Hill, and Devon Williams
In-house counsel are often asked to play a role in workplace investigations related to human resources issues. This role has likely been more involved since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. This session will incorporate virtual interactivity and will allow attendees to act out real-life HR scenarios remotely. Attendees will be able to assume the role and viewpoint of an HR professional, employee, or others as you walk through case examples related to employment issues our employment law attorneys are handling daily. Each case example will be discussed in an open forum to provide insight into how to navigate the current, complex employment environment. Watch Webinar
Session 2 - Kick into High Gear: Rapid Fire Legal Update
Speakers: Paul Fanning, Mike McIntyre, and Amy Wooten
Ward and Smith attorneys will present on the latest hot topics related to litigation trends in a COVID-19 environment, how to work with vendors or clients facing bankruptcy, and a federal and state government relations update. Watch Webinar
Session 3 - Game Over: How Cancel Culture Affects Corporate Counsel
Speakers: Angela Doughty, Xavier Lightfoot, Erica Rogers, and Hayley Wells
Cancel culture, or the act of withdrawing support for public figures or companies after they have done or said something considered objectionable or offensive, has become a societal norm.
But, how can this form of public group shaming, affect corporate counsel? Our panel will share their thoughts on how to work with employees or clients involved on either side of a cancel culture situation; how to address social media statements about your company or employees; public vs. private response; and how to distinguish between your personal and professional beliefs when dealing with sensitive topics. Watch Webinar
October 27 Webinar: Time for a Checkup? Virtual Health Care Breakfast and Learn
Speakers: Michael Fields and Ken Gray
The health care industry is fraught with regulatory mandates and rules and the addition of a pandemic has brought on a whole new set of complexities. This webinar focuses on many health care and employment law topics including:
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October 8 Webinar: 2020 Construction Conference - Virtual Edition
This virtual conference is designed to provide information on current topics and trends related specifically to the construction industry. Topic highlights include a rapid fire legal update on hot construction and COVID-19-related legal topics, a construction industry update, and a roundtable Q&A session with all of our presenters. Watch webinar
September 30 Webinar: What's New in Special Assets?
Speakers: Paul Fanning, Norman Leonard, Tyler Russell, and Thomas Wolff
In this webinar, Ward and Smith Creditors' Rights attorneys focused on three main areas, including new receivership laws, SUB-V11 bankruptcies, and the unique issues involved in foreclosure and auction hybrids. Watch webinar
September 17 Webinar: Stuck Between a Rock and a Hard Place - Employer Predicaments in a COVID-19 Environment
Speakers: Ken Gray, Justin Hill, Xavier Lightfoot, Emily Massey, Will Oden, Grant Osborne, Hayley Wells, and Tom Zamadics
Many employers in North Carolina and beyond are currently stuck between a rock and a hard place, regularly facing difficult decisions where they have to choose between two equally unpleasant courses of action. Combining health and safety concerns with the current economic environment, employment questions are ever-evolving, and solutions can be tricky. Ward and Smith's Labor and Employment team is working with clients daily on the issues they face and providing advice on how to navigate them legally, effectively, and compassionately. This webinar highlights employer concerns, government regulations, and ways we believe employers can handle specific "rock and hard place" situations. Watch webinar
July 30 Webinar: Unpacking Your Estate Plan When Moving to North Carolina
Speakers: Eldridge Dodson and Tom Zamadics, trusts and estates attorneys
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, more than 300,000 people who called North Carolina home in 2018 lived in another state the previous year. This webinar focuses on important considerations to make in regard to your estate plan if you are one of the many individuals who recently moved to North Carolina. Watch webinar
June 25 Webinar: Protecting Yourself Against EEOC, OSHA, & Workers' Compensation Claims in the COVID-19 Era
Speakers: Ken Gray and Will Oden, labor and employment attorneys
Many employers have questions about liability issues related to re-opening and employees returning to work as the COVID-19 stay in place orders have begun to lift. As North Carolina employers work through the Governor's Phase 2 restrictions and look into the future at what Phase 3 restrictions could bring, our labor and employment attorneys are fielding calls daily from clients with burning questions about how to protect their businesses, employees, and patrons. Attorneys Ken Gray and Will Oden answered some of those questions in an hour-long Q&A session. Watch webinar
June 11 Webinar: Your College-Aged Child is an Adult. Now What?
Speaker: Virginia Carter, trusts and estates attorney
There are important legal implications that most people do not realize about their adult children, including how the ability to have input into decisions for and access information about your child is limited, even in the event of an accident or illness. This webinar focuses on the five estate planning documents parents should make sure their child has. Watch webinar
May 14 Webinar: Returning to Work - What Every Corporate Counsel Needs to Know Today
Speaker: Ken Gray, labor and employment attorney
At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, many employers made the decision to have their employees work remotely. Now that shelter in place orders are relaxing, employers are having to make daily decisions and consider novel approaches to allow employees to safely return to the workplace. This webinar focuses on issues every corporate counsel need to know today to ensure compliance with FFCRA "Temporary" Regulations, guidance from the EEOC and the DOL, and additional federal and state laws, during the return to work phase, and in the future. Watch webinar
May 5 Webinar: Pandemics and Leases – A Discussion on Current Leasing Issues and Examples of Future Lease Provisions to Consider
Speaker: Drake Brinkley, commercial real property attorney
During the webinar, Drake will lead a discussion about current commercial leasing issues in North Carolina associated with the COVID-19 crisis. He will also provide attendees with insight on approaches to address pandemics in future commercial leases. Watch webinar