News + Insights

Media Mention: Law360 Features Article Written by Melissa Forshey Schwind

Nothing beats hands-on experience.  Sometimes, that's easier said than done, especially during a pandemic. COVID-19 has altered how law firms operate, with many choosing to let their attorneys and staff wor…

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…

NC Community College System President to Speak at the March Power Luncheon

Get ready for the next Greenville-Pitt County Chamber of Commerce Power Luncheon on March 16.  North Carolina Community College System President, Thomas Stith, III, will headline the virtual event. Stith became syste…

Adam Beaudoin and Amy Wooten to Speak at CAI-NC's Community Association Law Day 2021

Community associations attorneys Adam Beaudoin and Amy Wooten will speak virtually at the upcoming Community Association Law Day on March 12. The duo's session, titled "Acts of Gods: Preparing, Reacting & Repaying," w…

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…

Register for our Labor and Employment Webinar

What changes can employers expect in 2021? Join our Employment Law team on February 24, from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. for an in-depth discussion on hot topics, including:  Political Winds: What to Expect…

Media Mention: Bill Durr's Article featured on WRAL TechWire

The new year welcomed some good news for business owners still facing the financial fallout of the coronavirus pandemic.  The Paycheck Protection Program received additional funding, courtesy of a new law that w…

Year in Review: A Letter from Our Co-Managing Directors

More than nine months ago, our community experienced a shut-down that was without equal, and we all began to fight a virus no one fully understood. When we discussed putting together a "Year in Review" to tell the Ward an…

COVID-19 Paid Leave in 2021: The Impact of New Federal Relief Bill on Employers

Written By Emily G. Massey, Grant B. Osborne, and Hayley R. Wells

"The future ain't what it used to be."  – Yogi Berra Governing can be a fickle affair. The Families First Coronavirus Response Act of 2020 ("FFCRA"), the first paid-leave of absence law to be enacted on a nati…

Flexibility in the Face of COVID-19: When Culture and Technology Align

Written By Angela P. Doughty, CIPP/US

We didn't know what we would be asked to do during the pandemic, or how flexible we would all need to become to continue work during this unusual year. Here are just a few examples of how Ward and Smith has aligned our te…

Grant Osborne Recognized as a 2020 "Go To Thought Leader" by the National Law Review

The National Law Review (NLR) recognizes labor and employment attorney Grant Osborne as a 2020 "Go To Thought Leader." It's an honor reserved for less than 1% of the publication's 15,000 authors across var…

Media Mention: NASBP's Blog Features Article by Bill Durr

The National Association of Surety Bond Producers (NASBP) is sharing insights from Ward and Smith's 2020 Construction Conference with its members.  The organization recently republished an article written by attorney…

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…

Ken Gray and Xavier Lightfoot to Speak at SEACAA Pre-Conference Event

Labor and employment attorneys Ken Gray and Xavier Lightfoot will kickoff a pre-conference day event during the Southeastern Association of Community Action Agencies' (SEACAA) annual symposium. This virtual one-day sessio…

Get Ready to Golf for a Great Cause

Golfers will hit the links this weekend for the 20th Annual CarolinaEast Cup Fundraising Golf Tournament, hosted by the Pamlico Community College Foundation.  This popular event usually takes place in May but was del…

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…

Register Now for Our Virtual Health Care Breakfast and Learn on October 27

The COVID-19 pandemic has reshaped many industries. The health care industry is no exception. We want to help physicians and health care providers navigate this ever-changing landscape, virtually.  Join us on Tuesday…

Ward and Smith Sponsors 2020 IMPACT Event to End Domestic Violence

The COVID-19 pandemic has canceled many events, but some are still happening -- virtually.   The Center for Family Violence Prevention in Greenville will hold its 3rd annual Domestic Violence IMPACT Event online…

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.&…

Register Now for the "Employer Predicaments in a COVID-19 Environment" Webinar

Furloughs or layoffs? To test or not to test? Work from home or return to the office? These are some of the many quandaries employers face as they manage COVID-19 pandemic-related disruptions for the weeks and months to c…

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…

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…

Is Court in Session? An NC Family Law Court Update

During the COVID-19 pandemic, North Carolina Courts postponed most district and court cases until June 1.  On May 21, Chief Justice Beasley provided that there could be a limited reopening of courts to address specif…

COVID-19 Eviction Moratoriums: Need-To-Know Information for NC Landlords and Tenants

Written By Juliana S. Inman and Eric J. Remington

The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act was passed by Congress and signed into law by President Trump on March 27, 2020.  The CARES Act provided immediate economic assistance for American worke…

Don't Dive Right In! Strategies for Opening Community Pools in the Wake of COVID-19

Written By Eric J. Remington and Amy H. Wooten

Ed. Note: On May 21, The NC Department of Health and Human Services issued Interim Guidance for Public Pools and Spas. See our coverage of this most recent guidance here.  State and local governme…

Ward and Smith Creates Loan "Forgiveness Maximizer™" Report for PPP Borrowers

Ward and Smith is helping small business borrowers maximize their loan forgiveness under the Paycheck Protection Program ("PPP") with the creation of a new custom report. The PPP loan program, currently on the second roun…

Loan Modification and Reporting During the COVID-19 Crisis

Written By Lance P. Martin

We reported that, on March 9, 2020, the Federal Reserve, Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, National Credit Union Administration, and Conf…

New COVID-19 Guidance for Public Sector Employers

Written By Emily G. Massey and Clifford P. Parson

On March 18, 2020, Congress passed the Families First Coronavirus Response Act ("FFCRA") to address some of the effects COVID-19 has caused in workplaces across the country.  As we have written previously, the U.S. D…

COVID-19 Update for Employers: New Key Guidance

Written By Xavier D. Lightfoot and Hayley R. Wells

On March 25, 2020, the U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division ("WHD") published its initial guidance to provide compliance assistance for employers related to the application of the benefits and leave entitlemen…

Impact of COVID-19 on Force Majeure and Rent Abatement in Commercial Leases

Written By Kristin D. Mitcham and Allen N. Trask, III

Many businesses have suffered greatly in the wake of the measures taken to slow the spread of COVID-19.  One immediate impact is the flood of requests from commercial tenants to their landlords for rent reduction or …

CARES Act: Providing Payroll Relief to Employers in Response to COVID-19

Written By Thomas J. Zamadics, Jr.

This week, the U.S. Senate passed the "Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act" (the "CARES Act") to respond to the COVID-19 crisis.  The House is set to vote on Friday, and the passage of the CARES Act ap…

COVID-19 Relief Package to Include Small Business Loans

Written By Joanne Badr Morgan

On March 25, 2020, the U.S. Senate unanimously voted to advance legislation titled Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (the "CARES Act") to respond to individuals, families, and businesses affected by the co…

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 …

"Hold On, Help Is on the Way:" U.S. Senate Passes Second COVID-19 Relief Bill

Written By Emily G. Massey, William A. Oden, III, and Devon D. Williams

On March 18, 2020, the United States Senate passed a second round of relief legislation as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, this time to provide relief to American employers.  The measure passed with 90 senators vo…

What the EEOC Wants You to Know About the ADA, the Rehabilitation Act, and COVID-19

Written By Emily G. Massey

On March 18, 2020, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission ("EEOC") published its "Q&A About the ADA, the Rehabilitation Act, and COVID-19."  The Q&A confirms much of what we gleaned from previous EEOC gu…

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…

Servicing SBA Loans During the COVID-19 Crisis

Written By Lance P. Martin

With COVID-19 shutting down whole swaths of the economy, the SBA has issued a notice to SBA 7(a) Lenders and 504 Certified Development Companies (CDCs), reminding them of their unilateral authority to provide borrowers wit…

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…