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With so many of our friends and family in the hospitality business, this blog explores potential legal doctrines that may serve as a basis for defending business owners against breach of contract and breach of lease claims by vendors and commercial landlords. Of course, it is our overwhelming hope that this crisis will be short-lived […]
While the internet has increased the availability of forms and instruction and “virtual” lawyers, there are certain times and places where only an actual lawyer will do. There could be many an article written about the errors or omissions in documents drafted through forms off the internet by individuals or principals in a corporation, because […]
If you have ever negotiated a real estate or commercial contract, you’re likely familiar with the term “liquidated damages.” Liquidated damages are, in short, a sum that a party agrees to pay in the event he breaches a contract. Stated differently, the parties can agree up front how much the breaching party will owe the […]
The rules implementing statewide mediated settlement conferences in North Carolina generally require litigants to attend a pre-trial mediated settlement conference and typically a case management order establishes a deadline for completion of the conference. Parties are free to decide how close to the deadline (or early) that the conference will be scheduled. There is a […]
Our firm routinely handles claims by contractors, lenders, and property owners involving construction defects, delays, and contract disputes. Many times, parties to a construction loan or development agreement modify the terms of the original agreement. The terms of these modifications—and how they affect the parties’ obligations—are often disputed. A recent opinion from the North Carolina […]
What to Expect in North Carolina Foreclosure Proceedings Whether you are a homeowner or a judgment creditor with a lien on real property, understanding the foreclosure process is critical, as it affects your rights as either a debtor or a creditor. North Carolina is a “power of sale” state, meaning that foreclosure proceedings are ultimately […]
Reciprocal Attorneys’ Fees Provisions in Business Contracts We have previously discussed the scenarios in which prevailing parties in litigation can – and cannot – recoup their attorneys’ fees. Unfortunately, the law is not particularly generous in allowing parties to recover their fees and costs. Because there is one aspect of the relevant law that continually […]
Issues surrounding the execution and validity of powers of attorney can dramatically impact litigation, especially when a party is adjudicated incompetent. When this happens, questions about the validity of the document inevitably arise, and occasionally the motives of the agent acting on behalf of an incapacitated party come into question. It doesn’t help that the […]
Restrictive covenants are a set of tools that employers sometimes utilize to prevent employees from competing with them after termination of their employment. One of the most common restrictive covenants used by an employer is a “non-compete clause.” An evaluation of the enforceability of a non-complete clause necessarily involves a balancing of interests. On the […]
Many clients are surprised to learn that obtaining a judgment is not the end of the story in litigation. Even lawyers fall into the trap of celebrating a large verdict or favorable judgment before a judgment is actually collected. The often disappointing reality, particularly in commercial litigation, is that a judgment is sometimes only the […]
