If your business sells alcohol in North Carolina, now is the time to renew or register your Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) retail permit. Failure to complete this process on time could result in penalties, increased costs,...more
3/5/2025
/ Alcohol Beverage Control ,
Business Licenses ,
Compliance ,
Filing Deadlines ,
Late Fees ,
Licensing Rules ,
North Carolina ,
Penalties ,
Permits ,
Regulatory Authority ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
Retail ,
State and Local Government
In an interactive case study during Ward and Smith’s annual Employment Law Symposium, the attorneys shared practical strategies for managing safety concerns and employee health, navigating the Pregnant Worker’s Fairness Act,...more
Budgets and Elections -
The state budget for Fiscal Year 2025-26 is likely to be another record-breaker, advised Whitney Campbell Christensen, a government relations attorney who served as president of the North Carolina...more
11/1/2024
/ Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Diversity and Inclusion Standards (D&I) ,
Dress Codes ,
Employees ,
Employment Policies ,
Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) ,
Heat Exposure ,
Minimum Salary ,
OSHA ,
Political Expression ,
Salaried Employees ,
State Budgets ,
State Labor Laws ,
Wage and Hour ,
White-Collar Exemptions ,
Workplace Hazards
Buncombe County's Environmental Health Supervisor Felissa Vazquez met with local restaurant owners at 12 Bones Brewing on the morning of October 8, 2024, to answer questions and advise them on how to reopen their businesses...more
Agritourism is now a vital part of the agricultural economy in North Carolina. More and more farmers are turning to agritourism as a way to diversify and balance their revenue streams....more
On April 23, 2024, the Federal Trade Commission ("FTC") narrowly voted (3-2) to issue a final rule banning almost all non-compete agreements nationwide. The rule is set to take effect 120 days after it is published in the...more
4/25/2024
/ Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Employment Contract ,
Federal Bans ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Final Rules ,
FTC Act ,
Non-Compete Agreements ,
Non-Disclosure Agreement ,
Non-Solicitation Agreements ,
Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NOPR) ,
Restrictive Covenants ,
Trade Secrets
During Ward and Smith’s annual Employment Law Symposium, three attorneys provided insights on a fictional construction company's reaction to a serious job site accident. In the session, the attorneys shed light on key issues...more
11/2/2023
/ Employee Definition ,
Employee Handbooks ,
Employee Training ,
Employees ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Policies ,
Hostile Environment ,
Human Resources Professionals ,
Independent Contractors ,
Labor Regulations ,
OHSA ,
Reasonable Accommodation ,
Reporting Requirements ,
Substance Abuse ,
Workplace Communication ,
Workplace Injury ,
Workplace Romances ,
Workplace Safety
As many of you know (and, perhaps, some do not) – the North Carolina ABC Commission recently canceled retail permits for businesses that had not yet completed their annual renewal, which was due April 30th....more
This week, the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) posted warning letters to five hemp companies for, in the words of the FDA, "illegally selling products containing cannabidiol (CBD)." The warning letters and additional...more
The employer/employee relationship is among the most regulated.
There are many (some argue too many) federal and state laws that govern how employers may and may not treat applicants and employees....more
Receiving a letter from the North Carolina Medical Board (the "Board") that a complaint has been filed against you is distressing.
It often provokes a mix of emotions, ranging from anger to worry; however, it is a...more
We recently provided timely updates on new tax provisions, electronic discovery, lobbying issues, and ADA compliance during Ward and Smith's 2021 Virtual In-House Counsel Webinar.
The following article highlights...more
1/27/2022
/ Accessibility Rules ,
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) ,
Capital Gains Tax ,
Corporate Taxes ,
e-Discovery Professionals ,
Electronically Stored Information ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Income Taxes ,
Lobbying ,
Lobbying Disclosure Act ,
Political Contributions ,
SALT ,
Tax Liability ,
Tax Planning
Any spirit raising is a welcome one during the time of COVID.
As attorneys representing breweries, wineries, distilleries, retailers, and countless other businesses working within the hospitality industry across North...more
10/28/2021
/ Alcohol Beverage Control ,
Beer ,
Beverage Manufacturers ,
Breweries ,
Distilleries ,
Liquor ,
Restaurant Industry ,
Retailers ,
State Legislatures ,
Wine & Alcohol ,
Wineries
This is the first in a series of articles summarizing key topics discussed at Ward and Smith's Fall Employment Law Update Webinar.
Mandatory vaccinations, harassment and retaliation charges, and guidance and enforcement...more
President Biden directed the United States Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration ("OSHA") to issue an Emergency Temporary Standard ("ETS") requiring that all employers with more than 100 (100+)...more
The federal "Families First Coronavirus Response Act of 2020" ("FFCRA" or the "Act") became law on March 18, 2020. It was enacted into law the way in which all federal statutes are: it was adopted by Congress and then...more
The CDC's Order comes as other eviction moratoria and eviction protections provided at the federal, state, and local levels have expired or are set to expire. For example, the eviction moratorium provided by the Coronavirus...more
9/9/2020
/ CARES Act ,
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Eviction ,
Financial Distress ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Landlords ,
Moratorium ,
Public Health ,
Relief Measures ,
Rent ,
Rental Property ,
Tenants
Today, the Supreme Court of the United States ("SCOTUS") decided in Bostock v. Clayton County, Georgia that the protections of Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act ("Title VII") extend to individuals who are discriminated...more
6/16/2020
/ Altitude Express Inc v Zarda ,
Bostock v Clayton County Georgia ,
Civil Rights Act ,
EEOC v RG & GR Harris Funeral Homes ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Gender Identity ,
Hiring & Firing ,
LGBTQ ,
SCOTUS ,
Sex Discrimination ,
Sexual Orientation ,
Sexual Orientation Discrimination ,
Title VII ,
Transgender
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 entitlements...more
Several Ward and Smith attorneys provided updates on some of the fastest-changing areas of employment law during the firm’s 2019 Employment Law Symposium....more
8/19/2019
/ Cannabidiol (CBD) oil ,
Competition ,
Cost-Sharing ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Contract ,
Employment Policies ,
Former Employee ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Marijuana ,
Medical Marijuana ,
No-Match Letters ,
Non-Compete Agreements ,
Pregnancy Discrimination ,
Reasonable Accommodation ,
Restrictive Covenants ,
Symposium
The cannabidiol ("CBD") industry is exploding today.
Hemp and hemp-derived CBD were classified as Schedule I controlled substances under the Controlled Substances Act of 1972 ("CSA") until the passage of the Agriculture...more
5/14/2019
/ Alcohol Beverage Control ,
Beverage Manufacturers ,
Breweries ,
Cannabidiol (CBD) oil ,
COLA ,
Controlled Substances Act ,
Decriminalization of Marijuana ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Federal Food Drug and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA) ,
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ,
Hemp ,
Interstate Commerce ,
Marijuana ,
Marijuana-Infused Edibles ,
Schedule I Drugs ,
TTB ,
Wine & Alcohol
Agritourism continues to grow in North Carolina as residents and visitors look to explore and strengthen the connection between farm and table.
In the western part of the state, options span from flower and produce farms...more
Summer is upon us. The great outdoors beckons. There are trails to hike and rivers to paddle. Summer travel is in full swing and summer camps have opened their gates.
If you are fortunate enough to be embarking on...more
On December 22, 2017, the President signed into law the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which reduces the federal excise tax on brewers for years 2018, 2019, and 2020. A detailed description of how the new law reduces brewers' excise...more
Much press has been given to recent efforts in Congress to reform the federal tax code. The House and the Senate have each proposed their own bills to amend the tax laws, and congressional leaders are fervently trying to...more