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2025 USPTO Fee Changes Disproportionately Impact Hemp Businesses

Written By Erica B. E. Rogers

Effective January 18, 2025, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) enacted a new trademark fee structure that affects fast-paced industries more than others, most notably, the hemp and cannabidiol ("CBD") in…

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Understanding Trade Secret Misappropriation: A Guide for In-House Counsel

Written By Alexander C. Dale, Gavin B. Parsons, and Mark S. Wigley

Ed. Note: This is the second in a series of articles taken from Gavin Parsons' CLE presentation for the North Carolina Bar Association's Antitrust and Complex Business Dispute CLE Program presented on Thursday, January 30,…

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Preserve or Perish: The North Carolina Supreme Court Reinforces Rule 50 Specificity in Vanguard Pai Lung v. Moody

Written By Chris S. Edwards

In Vanguard Pai Lung, LLC v. Moody, No. 15A24 (N.C. Mar. 21, 2025), the Supreme Court of North Carolina delivered a cautionary message for every trial lawyer: to preserve an issue for a motion for judgment notwithstanding …

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Trade Secret Protection in 2025: What In-House Counsel Need to Know

Written By Gavin B. Parsons, Joseph A. Schouten, and Ryan K. Simmons

Ed. Note: This is the first in a series of articles taken from Gavin Parsons' CLE presentation for the North Carolina Bar Association's Antitrust and Complex Business Dispute CLE Program presented on Thursday, January 30, …

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Basic but Important Considerations for Corporations—Both For-Profit and Non-Profit: Understanding Director and Officer Liability Insurance

Written By Gavin B. Parsons and Amy H. Wooten

Insurance commonly referred to in the insurance industry as "directors and officers" or "D&O" insurance is insurance that is payable to directors and officers of a corporation, or to the corporation itself, as indemnif…

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Understanding Liability Waivers for Equine Activities in North Carolina

Written By Kristin D. Mitcham

A person's participation in equine activities, such as horseback riding, training, and competitions, involves certain inherent risk due to the foreseeability of harm that could occur when interacting with a horse. In Nort…

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