By William Joseph Austin Jr., Of Counsel North Carolina is both an at-will state and a Right to Work state. The two phrases are sometimes conflated and confused. Each refers to a distinct and separate legal doctrine. There is one point of intersection nevertheless that will be discussed in this paper. The at-will rule is a common law doctrine that …

By William Joseph Austin Jr., Of Counsel There, in the very title of this article is the first and fundamental conundrum, can we, should we, call it a “Christmas party”? Boldly I say yes. There is certainly a school of thought that, for the sake of inclusiveness and sensitivity to diversity, would rename the event generically and perhaps even put …

In 1979, James W. Narron and John P. (“Jack”) O’Hale established the law firm that would later become Narron O’Hale & Whittington, P.A. Since that time, the original partners have guided the firm’s expansion to 13 attorneys and more than 20 staff members, becoming a premier Eastern North Carolina law firm. Effective November 1, 2018, Narron, O’Hale & Whittington, P.A. …

The county in which an action is filed and litigated is referred to as the venue. One of the initial determinations made by a plaintiff’s attorney is in which county to file. Where does the plaintiff want it to be filed? Where can it be filed? Where should it be filed? All of these are important questions. Likewise, defense attorneys …

Negotiations have broken down, and the parties are not close to reaching an agreement. Soon, one party will file a complaint and, in turn, start down the road to trial. Once a complaint has been filed, is trial the only option? Fortunately, the answer is no. Civil actions may be settled immediately after the complaint is filed,on the courthouse steps …