NC Fiduciary Litigation Commentary

Lord & Lindley - Lawyers in Charlotte NC

Piercing the Corporate Veil in North Carolina

January 16, 2020

In North Carolina, as in all states, a shareholder or owner of a business is generally not personally liable for the debts of the business.  Additionally, Business A is generally not liable for the debts of Business B, even if the two businesses are associated entities.  However, a recent North Carolina Court of Appeals decision…

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Settlement Puts Stop to “we Can’t Stop” Copyright Infringement Lawsuit

January 9, 2020

Musician Miley Cyrus, record label RCA Records, and songwriter Michael May (a/k/a Flourgon) settled the parties’ dispute over Cyrus’s hit song “We Can’t Stop.”  Flourgon alleged Cyrus’s hit unlawfully infringed copyrighted material in his previously recorded song “We Run Things.”  What does the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976 (the “Copyright Act”) provide regarding music, and…

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Tortious Interference With Expected Inheritance

December 5, 2019

North Carolina recognizes a cause of action for tortious inference with expected inheritance.  This cause of action can be confused with tortious interference with prospective economic advantage, which occurs in the context of a contract or potential contract. Conversely, tortious interference with expected inheritance occurs in the context of a will or estate, rather than…

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Epic Games Employee Allegedly Leaks Epicly Secret Details About Fortnite Chapter 2

October 31, 2019

North Carolina-based Epic Games filed a lawsuit over the alleged leak of secret information related to Fortnite Chapter 2.  The company claims employee Ronald Sykes violated the terms of a non-disclosure agreement by sharing information related to the new game, including new game-play features and a virtual map of the fictional game universe, prior to…

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Do I Need to Respond to This Subpoena?

October 24, 2019

A subpoena is a very useful tool for gathering information in civil litigation.  They are also used in other contexts, such as by the United States Congress (for example, the congressional subpoena issued to Rudy Giuliani).  A civil subpoena is a document provided to an individual or entity compelling that individual or entity to do…

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Duke’s Mayonnaise Trademark Dispute

October 16, 2019

Duke’s Mayonnaise can trace its roots to 1917 in Greenville, South Carolina.  Founder Eugenia Duke developed a recipe for mayonnaise to add to sandwiches she sold to soldiers fighting in World War I.  Eventually, the sandwich shop became an independent business – the Duke Sandwich Company – and Duke’s mayonnaise continued to be produced by…

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Fraud Claims and the Rule 9 Heightened Pleading Standard

September 26, 2019

  What is Fraud?   Fraud is broadly defined as an intentional misrepresentation or concealment of material fact made with intention and calculation to deceive, causing the other party to be deceived and, as a result, harmed.   Elements   In North Carolina, a civil claim of fraud has five essential elements. A false representation…

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A Primer on Construction Liens

September 19, 2019

  What is a Construction Lien?   The construction industry is largely governed by contracts.  A property owner contracts with a general contractor to make improvements to the real property; the general contractor contracts with subcontractors to perform the various tasks required to make such improvements (e.g., grading, bricklaying, etc.); the general contractor and/or the…

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Interpretation Of a Will: What Do Per Capita and Per Stirpes Mean?

September 12, 2019

The North Carolina Court of Appeals recently released an opinion in the matter Brawley v. Sherrill.  The parties were disputing the interpretation of a will, which provided per capita distribution of estate assets to the testator’s children, but per stirpes distribution to her grandchildren.  What do these terms mean, and how do they work together…

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Nicholas Sparks Sued for Defamation

August 15, 2019

Renowned author Nicholas Sparks is currently being sued by the former headmaster of the New Bern, North Carolina school founded by Sparks.  Saul Benjamin alleges Sparks defamed him by telling parents of the students that Benjamin suffered from mental health problems.  What is defamation, and how is it proved in court?   (Benjamin also alleges…

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