• Blog Post

    Jilted North Carolina Spouse wins $8.8 Million over Wife’s Affair

      Last week a Superior Court judge in Durham, North Carolina awarded Keith King $8.8 million dollars in damages against Francisco Huizar III, a man who had an affair with King’s wife.  This verdict is the result of North Carolina’s alienation of affection and criminal conversion laws.  A remnant of English common law, causes of action for alienation of affection and criminal conversion allow a spouse to recover damages when a third party interferes with the relationship and causes deprivation of affection, frequently seen in cases of adultery.   At trial Keith King showed that he and his wife, Danielle, were happily married from 2010 until 2015.  In 2015, Danielle…

  • Blog Post

    Resolving Legal Disputes Through Mediation

    In our ongoing series of posts about arbitration, an increasingly popular form of private dispute resolution across the United States.  This week, we will discuss another prevalent system for resolving legal disputes outside of the public court system, mediation. Although arbitration and mediation both use independent third-parties to resolve legal disagreements, there are many differences between the two forms of alternative dispute resolution.  Arbitration is a privatized version of a trial.  In arbitration, the parties present evidence and testimony to persuade the arbitrator that they are entitled to certain relief under the law.  Mediation, on the other hand, is essentially an ongoing settlement negotiation.  A mediator does not decide which…

  • Firm News

    Happy May!

    It’s hard to believe we have been in our new location for a month!  We made the move from our previous location on McDowell Street to a beautiful converted historic home in Fourth Ward and are enjoying all the charm the area has to offer. The new space also provides us with plenty of room to grow! There are six offices available for lease, and we look forward to meeting potential tenants. If you are interested in renting one or more of the offices, please give us a call at 704-457-1010. This week the firm enjoyed attending the Mecklenburg County Bar’s Law Day Luncheon. We are proud to have had…

  • Blog Post

    Recorded Conversations: What Kanye West, Kim Kardashian, and Taylor Swift Can Teach Us

    Kanye West and Kim Kardashian are not law professors, but in their latest public feud with pop-star extraordinaire Taylor Swift, they are providing an interesting example of the legality of recorded conversations as well as their admissibility in civil court.   The Feud   Putting aside the inception of the feud (“Imma let you finish…”) and the back and forth since then, the most recent chapter began when Kanye West released his song “Famous” earlier this year with lyrics referencing Taylor Swift: “I feel like me and Taylor might still have sex / I made that bitch famous.”  West claims that he obtained Swift’s consent for the lyrics during a…