Blog Post

In a recent decision, the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals addressed the First Amendment implications of federal debt-collection automated calls. More specifically, the court analyzed the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (the “TCPA”), a law which protected such calls as an exemption to its general prohibition against calls to personal phones using an automated telephone dialing…
Read MoreWhat’s better than a cold glass of lemonade in the summer sun? With summer upon us, lemonade stands are in the news once again. Texas passed a law permitting the sale of lemonade or other nonalcoholic drinks at stands on private property. How does North Carolina handle lemonade stands? Previously discussed by Lord & Lindley,…
Read MoreA class action lawsuit was filed in the United States District Court with the Eastern District of North Carolina against Pyxus International, Inc. (“Pyxus”). The lawsuit focuses on those persons who acquired shares in Pyxus between June 7, 2018 and November 8, 2018, a period which coincides with steep drops in the company’s share price. …
Read MoreIn another case distinct from last week’s shipwreck blog post, salvage company Intersal, Inc. (“Intersal”) seeks to overturn a decision in favor of the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources (the “NCDNCR”), the Secretary for the NCDNCR, the State of North Carolina, and the now-dissolved non-profit company Friends of Queen Anne’s Revenge (“FQAR”). …
Read MoreThe plaintiffs in Frederick L. Allen and Nautilus Productions, LLC v. Roy A. Cooper, III,, et al., a four-year civil lawsuit over the rights to video and photographic footage of the recovery of the wreckage of the Queen Anne’s Revenge (the ship captained by the infamous pirate known as Blackbeard), recently filed a petition for…
Read MoreAt the time of her death last year, it was believed that Aretha Franklin died intestate, or without a will. In the absence of a will, state intestacy laws determine how estate assets will be distributed. However, three handwritten wills were recently discovered in the famed singer’s home. If one or more of these documents…
Read MoreThe recent North Carolina Court of Appeals decision in Weishaupt-Smith v. Town of Banner Elk represents North Carolina’s first appellate ruling interpreting Rule 38(b) of the North Carolina Rules of Appellate Procedure, which provides the second of three (3) categories in which substitution of a party to a dispute on appeal is permitted. Although this…
Read MoreThe recent North Carolina Court of Appeals decision in LaMarre v. Martinez addresses an action to quiet title between parties to a real property transaction. Specifically, the court provides guidance for determining the applicable statute of limitations. Actions to Quiet Title In North Carolina, an action to quiet title may be brought to…
Read MoreJohn Singleton entered Hollywood in a truly historic fashion. Not only was he the first African American to be nominated for an Oscar for Best Director for his debut film Boyz N the Hood, but he did so at the age of 24, making him the youngest ever nominee for the category. Sadly, Singleton’s career…
Read MoreFamed rock singer, Tom Petty, passed away in 2017. Nearly two years later his widow, Dana York Petty, and his daughters from a previous marriage, Adria and Annakim Petty, remain embroiled in a legal dispute over the musician’s estate. In the petition filed with the probate court in Los Angeles, California, Dana asserts her authority…
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