Paul Sheridan (1965 – 2019)
It is with profound sadness and a great sense of loss that the law firm of Hannah Sheridan & Cochran announces the passing of our friend and law partner, Paul A. Sheridan. Paul ended his struggle with brain cancer on…
LIEN LAW REMINDER
Effective Monday, October 1, 2018, additions passed by the North Carolina General Assembly in 2017 kicked in. These changes deal exclusively with the Lien Agent aspects of the lien law and are designed in part to try to improve the…
RECOUPING ATTORNEYS’ FEES IN LITIGATION
One frequent question we receive is whether you can recoup your attorneys’ fees spent pursuing or defending a lawsuit. The well-established rule in North Carolina is that each party bears its own costs of litigation, unless a statute specifically awards…
BEWARE OF YOUR CONTRACT TERMS
The North Carolina Court of Appeals recently took up the issue of construction defects in the case of Cannizzaro v. Set in Stone, Inc., COA18-594, 19 February 2019 (unpublished). Plaintiff, Ms. Cannizzaro, contracted with Defendant, Set in Stone, Inc., to…
Salinas: A Federal Circuit Court Decision Linking a General Contractor to Unpaid FLSA Overtime Benefits Owed to Subcontractor Employees
North Carolina’s federal appellate circuit court issued a 2017 employment law decision which is causing ripple effects in the construction industry concerning the way general contractors structure their subcontractor relationships. In Salinas v. Commercial Interiors, the 4th Circuit issued a…
HSC 2.0—NEW YEAR, NEW OPPORTUNITIES, FRESH START
By now, many who receive the HSC newsletter are aware that 2018 proved to be a year of challenges and transitions for this law firm. We weathered those storms and are working through 2019 with a positive outlook about the…
Welcome and Farewell
October 2018 has been a time of change for our law firm. Hannah Sheridan & Cochran, LLP is pleased to announce the arrival of Emily Anne Buttrick and Bethany Sneed as part of our team. At the same time, we…
The Value of Community
This past week served as a reminder of the value of community. First, define community. In this case, there are several communities. There is community within the walls of our office where the five of us are family. Then, there…
Tort Claims Act: What Happens When the State is Negligent?
By: Paul A. Sheridan Many of our clients deal with municipal, county, and State agencies on a regular basis as part of their day to day business transactions. Occasionally an individual or business can sustain an injury as the result…
The Value of a Professional Attorney
The practice of law represents a constant lesson in human nature. Clients oftentimes visit with us amid difficult personal and financial situations. Our job is to counsel our clients through tough times and provide them with logical options for the…
The Long and Winding Road of Bankruptcy
As the economy appears to be settling into what we can only presume is the new normal, once again contractors and subcontractors are, from time to time, filing petitions in the bankruptcy court. A few years ago, everyone was filing…
Protecting Your Rights: Equipment Supplier Tips
Did you ever consider the challenges which can arise when the equipment you supply has wheels or tracks and is mobile? For rental equipment suppliers, the provisions of Articles 2 and 3 of North Carolina General Statutes Chapter 44A and…
Who Owes the Debt? North Carolina Guaranties and Suretyship
Confusion often exists as to the differences between the multiple types of guaranty agreements and suretyship agreements in North Carolina. Although subtle differences can dictate when the liability of a party may be triggered, they do share some initial similarities. …
Whistleblower Claims are Increasing – Beware!
In the past, many whistleblower claims arose out of simple revenge. A fired or aggrieved employee seeking retribution against his employer for a termination or demotion. Today, however, people are reporting complaints at an ever-increasing rate under a variety of…
IDENTIFYING PARTIES IN UCC FINANCING STATEMENTS
Effective July 1, 2013, identification of an individual who is party to a UCC-1 Financing Statement changed. Gone are the days of listing the debtor as “Joe Smith.” Now, you must use the name as it is indicated on the…