Golden Globes: Time Is (Not) Up (Yet)
The 2018 Golden Globe Awards highlighted the national movement against sexual harassment with a multitude of actors and activists speaking out on the topic. Celebrities, many of who appeared in solidarity wearing black, seized on the movement’s momentum, pledging meaningful change. The #metoo movement and the resulting “Time’s Up” initiative have underscored the urgency of the movement and seem to underlie an opportunity to define and desist sexual harassment in our country. Laura Dern eloquently described a future where “we …
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ABA Tech Show
Why we are going to the ABA Tech Conference in Chicago Today’s law firm clients are smart, fast-moving and tech savvy. They have an unprecedented amount of information at their fingertips and often come to law firms armed with their own legal research and case strategies. Clients not only expect an attorney with outstanding legal skills, they expect a superb level of client services from the law firm infrastructure that support client matters. In response, some law firms are increasingly …
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Laura Noble honored at Charlotte’s Legal Elite Reception
For the fourth consecutive year, Laura Noble was named Business North Carolina Legal Elite. Last week, the publication held an elegant reception at the Mint Museum in Charlotte to honor this year’s winners. The recognition as 2017 Legal Elite in Employment Law is especially rewarding as The Noble Law Firm has been expanding into workplace legal representation for both businesses and employees throughout the state. “While I truly appreciate the recognition of an award that …
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2016 – A Year in Review
At the end of each year, I take the time to reflect on our service to the community and how we help move North Carolina forward for employees and businesses. I am truly grateful for the trust placed in us by our clients. Countless times over the year we offered advice and counsel to help our clients navigate the often tricky waters of federal and state employment law. However, many of our clients come to us in a time of …
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An Inside Look into Executive Equity Compensation, with Tim Ferguson
We sat down with our own Tim Ferguson at The Noble Law to discuss some of the strategies top-earning executives use to negotiate their equity-based compensation. Tim’s background includes negotiating equity compensation disputes, contracts, structuring debt and equity financing, advising on control disputes, as well as analyzing stock options in litigation dispute. He shared some insights into improving negotiated executive compensation with us. Do you have a burning question regarding executive compensation issues? Please post a comment below and we’ll …
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Personal Texts on Company Devices
Let’s say you have a personal iPhone and a company-issued iPhone. On your work phone, you enter the same personal iCloud username and password you use on your personal iPhone so you can listen to your music library on either one. One day, you start up a text conversation with a co-worker on your personal iPhone. You’re both talking about this woman you work with named Kate, and because it’s a private conversation, you use some pretty insulting, derogatory, and …
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Even Legal Off-Duty Marijuana Use Can Get You Fired
Marijuana legalization is a hot topic in the United States these days and has presented some interesting new questions in the workplace. Increasingly, states are legalizing or decriminalizing private use of marijuana while the federal government continues to prohibit its use and sale under the Controlled Substances Act. At the intersection of federalism and employment law is a novel question in search of an answer: Can an employer in a state that has legalized marijuana terminate an employee in that …
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Employment Law Guest Lecture: An Overview of Federal and State Discrimination Laws
Laura Noble, Principal of the Noble Law Firm provided an employment law guest lecturer on June 16, 2015 for North Carolina State University Department of Management, Innovation and Entrepreneurship. The attorneys role-played different scenarios addressing hiring and firing issues and offered an overview of Federal and State Discrimination Laws. Students actively participated in the lecture by asking questions using the Turning Point “clicker” questions.
Summary of Unemployment Eligibility and Benefits in NC
In 2013, the North Carolina General Assembly drastically cut benefits for individuals who lost their jobs. Here are a few things you should know about the unemployment insurance benefit in North Carolina if you have recently become separated from your employer and are considering filing a claim for benefits: Prerequisites File a claim for unemployment benefits Must have been paid a minimum amount of wages based on your individual situation preceding the filing of the claim Register for work Eligibility You are …
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Intentional Infliction of Emotional Distress at Work
North Carolina recognizes torts for both negligent and intentional infliction of emotional distress. However, North Carolina courts have instructed that North Carolina law does not permit an action for negligent infliction of emotional distress by an employee against an employer because the Workers’ Compensation Act preempts all claims for negligent injury by employees against employers. Intentional infliction of emotional distress (“IIED”), however, is in a class of torts called intentional torts. This means that a plaintiff must prove that the …
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