News + Insights

Ward and Smith Sponsors Kiwanis All-American Golf Tournament

Ward and Smith is a proud sponsor of the 44th Annual Kiwanis All-American Golf Tournament on August 14-15 at the Pinecrest Country Club in Lumberton.  Kiwanis of Robeson-Lumberton is a non-profit dedicated to improvi…

3 Ward and Smith Attorneys to Speak at CAI-NC Annual Conference & Expo

Three Ward and Smith attorneys will be featured speakers at one of the premier gatherings for North Carolina community association managers and leaders.  Adam Beaudoin, Allen Trask, and Amy Wooten are presenters at…

Media Mention: Grant Osborne Featured in Business North Carolina

Employment attorney Grant Osborne addressed employer-mandated vaccines in the June issue of Business North Carolina.  The article, "'The JAB, or Your JOB': Mandatory Vaccinations in the Private Workplace," details em…

4 Ward and Smith Attorneys Inducted into the 2020 NC Pro Bono Honor Society

The North Carolina Pro Bono Resource Center (PBRC) is recognizing four Ward and Smith attorneys for their efforts to help others in need. Mary Cavanagh, Chris Edwards, Paul Fanning, and Lance Martin were inducted into t…

Media Mention: Grant Osborne Discusses Employer Mandated Vaccinations on WSOC-TV

"Can employers require the COVID-19 vaccine?" It's a popular question perplexing both employers and employees. Recently, WSOCT-TV turned to labor and employment attorney Grant Osborne to weigh in on the deb…

Media Mention: Grant Osborne Talks Mandatory COVID-19 Vaccines on ABC News 13

A new directive from the Buncombe County Clerk of Superior Court has sparked a new debate on whether employers can require employees to get the COVID-19 vaccine.  Recently, Clerk Steven Cogburn sent out an email…

Buzzworthy! Ward and Smith Releases 2021 Employment Law Symposium Agenda

Ward and Smith has released the agenda for its 2021 Employment Law Symposium on May 7.  The half-day virtual event features a trio of sessions that will cover buzzworthy employment law topics, such as the&n…

The HIPAA Right of Access Initiative: Still Going Strong Despite COVID

Written By Leigh A. Wilkinson

In late 2019, the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) at the United States Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) announced it would be focusing its enforcement efforts under the Health Insurance Portability and Accounta…

Media Mention: Ward and Smith's Ken Gray Discusses Mandatory Vaccinations on WCTI /ABC NewsChannel 12

The new COVID-19 vaccines have many company owners and employees perplexed. Does an employer have a right to ask employees to be vaccinated to protect the company's clients and other employees? Do employees have the right…

Media Mention: Ward and Smith Attorneys Settle Pender County Map Act Case for $17.5M

Ward and Smith attorneys secured a $17.5 million settlement for a North Carolina developer at odds with the North Carolina Department of Transportation (DOT). The Facts The case was recently highlighted by NC Lawyers Wee…

Ward and Smith Welcomes New Privacy and Data Security Attorney Peter McClelland

Ward and Smith is pleased to announce that Peter McClelland has joined the firm's Raleigh office. Peter focuses his practice on privacy, data security, and technology matters. "How businesses collect, use, share, and secu…

COVID-19 and the Construction Industry: Must Know Information for Executives

Written By William S. Durr

During Ward and Smith’s recent virtual "Construction Conference," six of my partners and I covered a range of emerging legal issues — most related to the pandemic — that are important for construction com…

Media Mention: Amy Wooten Featured in NC Lawyers Weekly Article

NC Lawyers Weekly recently highlighted Amy Wooten's unconventional start at Ward and Smith's Raleigh office.  "Instead of welcoming Amy Wooten with coffee and pastries and showing her to her new office on her fir…

How to Maintain a Positive Company Culture During COVID-19

Written By William A. Oden, III

Culture eats strategy for breakfast, or so we've been told by Mr. Drucker and others.  Coincidentally, I wholeheartedly agree.  So, how does leadership maintain, let alone improve, its company culture in the fac…

Understanding Who (Might) Have Lost and Won: The 2020 Election Results Directly Impact How We Respond to COVID-19

Written By Whitney Campbell Christensen and James W. Norment

Our efforts to keep you knowledgeable about legal issues related to the pandemic has become one of our most important services to our clients.  COVID-19 challenges all of us.  Our businesses, our families, and o…

The Impact of COVID-19 on M&A Transactions

Written By C. Joseph DelPapa and Michael E. Kohagen

As the impact of COVID-19 on financial markets continues to play out, so does its effect on M&A transactions. Many deals have been cancelled or are on hold as parties struggle with valuation, availability of financing…

Media Mention: Business Adaptability During COVID-19

COVID-19 continues to significantly impact businesses, but there are ways companies can emerge from the current crisis stronger. The Wilmington Business Journal recently asked corporate and securities attorney K…

Media Mention: Tyler Russell on What it Means to "Lead Well" and "Be Authentic"

Attorney Tyler Russell is sharing his thoughts on what it means to "lead well" and "be authentic." His comments appeared in an article spotlighting members of the North Carolina Bar Association (NCBA) Leadership Academy.&…

COVID-19 Update: Reopening Your Business, House Bill 118, and Executive Order 163

Written By Michael E. Kohagen and James W. Norment

In a series of Executive Orders, the most recent of which is Executive Order 163 dated September 1, 2020, Governor Roy Cooper implemented a "Safer at Home Phase 2.5" COVID-19 response plan.   While certain businesses…

Media Mention: Eric Remington Discusses Eviction Moratoriums with NC Lawyers Weekly

A wave of evictions is expected in North Carolina now that the statewide moratorium is expired.  North Carolina Lawyers Weekly recently interviewed several attorneys, including Ward and Smith litigator Eric Remi…

Tyler Russell Receives Triangle Business Journal's 2020 "40 Under 40 Leadership Award"

The Triangle Business Journal (TBJ) recently selected Tyler Russell as a "40 Under 40 Leadership Award" recipient for 2020.  The honor recognizes outstanding professionals under the age of 40 for their cont…

Hayley Wells Joins Asheville Brewers Alliance's COVID-19 Legal Roundtable as a Panelist

Attorney Hayley Wells will be a panelist for a virtual COVID-19 Legal Roundtable, hosted by the Asheville Brewers Alliance ("ABA"). The virtual forum is for breweries who still have lingering questions and concerns r…

Media Mention: Evan Musselwhite Featured in Kiplinger Magazine

 The COVID-19 pandemic put a lot of events on hold or canceled them altogether.  So if you had plans to travel, attend a concert, or get married, what can you do to get your money back? Attorney Evan Musselwhite…

Media Mention: Xavier Lightfoot and Will Oden Featured in "Business North Carolina"

"How do I get my workers back to the workplace?" It's a common question frequently asked by employers to our labor and employment attorneys. And recently, attorneys Xavier Lightfoot and Will Oden addressed that speci…

COVID-19 Update from Ward and Smith

An employee at the New Bern office of Ward and Smith has tested positive for the coronavirus. We immediately notified the employees who came into close contact with the impacted person, and per our policy, those people wi…

Ward and Smith Welcomes 2020 Summer Associates

We are pleased to announce the arrival of six new law students for our 2020 Summer Associate Program. These accomplished students will spend the next three weeks applying what they've learned in the classroom to the daily…

Reopening After COVID-19: What Business Owners Should Know

Written By James R. Todd and Allen N. Trask, III

Back to business doesn't mean back to normal. As COVID-19 lockdown restrictions begin to ease, business owners are grappling with new challenges and are being forced to make tough decisions in an environment of great unce…

Adam Beaudoin to Present CAI-NC Webinar on Risks & Liabilities for HOAs

As COVID-19 lockdown restrictions ease, many HOA boards and community managers may be weighing the risks of reopening pools, clubhouses, and other amenities.  Ward and Smith attorney Adam Beaudion, Andrew Bateman, a …

New Online Liability Waiver Review Service for Reopening Businesses

Ward and Smith's Outdoor Sports and Recreation team has developed a new online service to help businesses that use liability waivers be certain that those waivers cover issues related to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Liabili…

Local Government Laws Updated to Deal with COVID-19 and States of Emergency

Written By James R. Todd

On Monday, May 4 Governor Roy Cooper signed two COVID-19 relief bills into law: House Bill 1043 and Senate Bill 704.  The laws cover a variety of stimulus, tax, and legislative issues, but they also seek to provide im…

Temporary Relief for NC Taxpayers Under New COVID-19 Legislation

Written By Lee C. Hodge and Peter B. von Stein

Members of the North Carolina General Assembly made good use of their time leading up to the short session that began on April 28, with each chamber filing a COVID-19 relief bill within twenty-four hours of reconvening. Se…

Ward and Smith Launches Online Estate Planning "Essentials Package"

Estate planning typically involves in-depth communication between our clients and Ward and Smith's experienced estate planning attorneys.  In this time of uncertainty, however, we've had requests for more immediate, b…

Tyler Russell Named Raleigh Geographic Team Co-Chair

Ward and Smith is pleased to announce Tyler Russell as the new co-chair of the Raleigh Geographic Team. He will serve with government relations attorney Whitney Campbell Christensen, who has led the team since 2019. "The…

Desperate Times Call for…Taco Tuesday? Navigating the Use of Food Trucks in HOA Communities During COVID-19

Written By Adam M. Beaudoin

We have now just crossed the halfway point of Governor Cooper's "Stay at Home" Order, which, unless additional action is taken, is set to expire on April 29, 2020. This has been a challenging time for Community Associatio…

COVID-19 and Defense Contractors: Fighting for the Future

Written By James W. Norment

"We are at war. It's a different type of war, but a war nonetheless." - General Mark A. Milley, US Army, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, on the military's response to COVID-19. "The Defense Industrial Base (…

Ward and Smith Welcomes Two Attorneys to Raleigh Office

COVID-19 has impacted our state tremendously in recent days, but Ward and Smith's ability to provide comprehensive legal services to our clients not only remains steadfast but has grown, with the addition of two new attorn…

Help for the Hemp Industry in the COVID-19 Crisis

Written By Tyler J. Russell and Allen N. Trask, III

The last month has been difficult for everyone, to say the least.  The hemp industry as a whole has faced tremendous economic pressures and worries for months.  Businesses continue to operate under regulatory un…

Environmental Enforcement Discretion Guidance from U.S. EPA for COVID-19 Disruptions

Written By Amy P. Wang

On Thursday, March 26, 2020, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency ("EPA") published guidance for how it will enforce environmental legal obligations during the COVID-19 pandemic.  The temporary policy, which is r…

AG's Office Gives Guidance on Remote Meetings for Local Governments during COVID-19

Written By Clifford P. Parson

With social distancing guidelines limiting the number of people gathering in one place to 10 or fewer, and with the Governor's "stay at home" order now in effect, local governments have been doing their best to maintain th…

Working Remotely and Cyber Security During the COVID-19 Outbreak

Written By Angela P. Doughty, CIPP/US and Erica B. E. Rogers

The number of positive cases of COVID-19 is rapidly increasing throughout the United States, requiring more and more employers to rely on employees working from home. While this is a necessity under current conditions, es…

Pitt Community College Foundation Changes Format of Spring Fundraiser Due to COVID-19 Outbreak

Every year, the Pitt Community College Foundation (PCC) holds a fundraiser to benefit student scholarships, programs, and educational activities.  Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, the nonprofit has changed the format of…

Ward and Smith Launches COVID-19 Response Team for Client Questions, Concerns

In order to efficiently address the vast and rapidly changing effects COVID-19 will continue to have on our clients and their needs, Ward and Smith has formed a COVID-19 Response Team.   The members of the Team …

7 Guidelines for Parents Sharing Custody of Children During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Written By Lauren Taylor Arnette Quinn

With the Governor's proclamation to close schools and restaurants to dine-in customers, now, more than ever, our children are a primary focus during these trying times.  All parents are faced with the challenges of e…

Ward and Smith's Response to the Coronavirus (COVID-19)

To our clients and friends: Ward and Smith, like so many other businesses in our community, is doing our part to stop the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19) while ensuring that all of your legal needs will continue to b…