Category: Business Law

Are you opening, buying, selling, or rebranding a dental practice? If you want a more marketable name for your dental office, you may be able to use an assumed business name, commonly called a DBA, in addition to your legal entity name.

The North Carolina Court of Appeals recently confirmed that noncompete agreements must be carefully tailored to the employee, the employer’s legitimate business interests, and the specific restrictions being imposed in Southeastern Regional Physician Services v. Scott.

In North Carolina, winning a lawsuit does not automatically mean the losing party must pay the winner’s attorneys’ fees.

Even a harmful statement is not necessarily actionable. In North Carolina, many defamation claims fail because of defenses such as truth, opinion, privilege, and timing. Evaluating those defenses early is often just as important as analyzing the statement itself.

Some defamatory statements are so serious that North Carolina law presumes harm automatically. These cases can be especially important for businesses because false accusations involving criminal conduct, dishonesty, or professional incompetence may create much stronger claims than ordinary reputational disputes.

To win a defamation case in North Carolina, a plaintiff must prove four things: a false statement of fact, about the plaintiff, communicated to a third party, that caused reputational harm. If even one element is missing, the claim usually fails.

Defamation in North Carolina is a false statement of fact that harms your reputation. Not all negative statements qualify—opinions are generally protected, truth is a defense, and businesses should evaluate carefully whether a claim is actually actionable before pursuing litigation.

An intent-to-use trademark lets you reserve your name now – but you must eventually show real use to secure full protection.