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Practice Areas
BMLS has a diverse litigation and administrative law practice. Our
attorneys represent clients in matters as varied as serious personal
injury claims, business and commercial disputes, land use, zoning and
other regulatory matters and state and federal appeals.
Click on a practice area listed below to learn more:
Business and Commercial Litigation
The lawyers at BMLS have experience in handling business and commercial
litigation and disputes in a wide range of areas including:
- Commercial Contracts
- Employment Contracts
- Franchise Disputes
- Noncompete Agreements
- Real estate transactions
- Construction Disputes
- Unfair and Deceptive Trade Practices
- Zoning/Land Use Disputes
The lawyers at BMLS are available for consultation on any matter
involving a business or commercial dispute.
Personal Injury Litigation
The lawyers at BMLS have extensive experience in handling personal
injury claims ranging from automobile collisions and tractor-trailer
wrecks to medical and professional negligence, products liability and
wrongful death.
Our medical negligence experience includes handling cases involving
hospital errors, medication mistakes and surgical failures. Our
products liability experience is equally diverse with BMLS lawyers
having litigated cases where people were seriously injured by products
such as defective automobiles, poorly designed nail guns, dangerous
prescription drugs and diet supplements and malfunctioning garden
tractors.
The lawyers at BMLS work hard to understand the impact a serious
injury has on the life of an individual and his/her family. The
personal and legal issues involved are equally important to us.
Administrative and Regulatory Matters
Businesses and individuals operating in a variety of industries are
subject to extensive and complicated regulations, must have permits
or licenses, and must comply with government oversight at the federal,
state and local levels. We counsel our clients about regulatory
requirements, help develop compliance programs, advocate on their
behalf during the legislative and rulemaking processes, assist in the
procurement of necessary permits, and appeal adverse agency decisions
when necessary. We have extensive knowledge and experience in
rulemaking and contested case proceedings before the North Carolina
Office of Administrative Hearings, various other state agencies and
commissions, professional licensing boards, and city and county
jurisdictions throughout North Carolina. Gray Styers is former Chair
of the Administrative Law Section Council of the North Carolina Bar
Association, regularly writes and teaches on Administrative Law
topics and has been listed in "North Carolina Super Lawyers" in the area
of Administrative Law and in "The Best Lawyers in America" in the field
of Energy Law.
Nursing Home Abuse and Neglect
The firm has extensive experience litigating claims of nursing home
abuse and neglect. It has litigated numerous nursing home cases
across the state of North Carolina. One of the first firms in North
Carolina to concentrate a large portion of its practice in the area
of nursing home litigation, its lawyers are considered leaders in the
field of nursing home litigation and were among a small group of
lawyers who founded the nursing home litigation section of the North
Carolina Academy of Trial Lawyers. It has successfully handled cases
involving choking, strangulation, wandering, decubitus ulcers, falls,
and medication errors, among others.
NC Utilities Commission Proceedings
Blanchard, Miller, Lewis & Styers represents regulated utilities
that provide telecommunications, natural gas distribution, and
water/wastewater services, as well as stakeholders who have an interest in
electric industry regulation. We are one of the few firms in North Carolina
with an active utilities practice in all four of these areas. We practice
regularly before the North Carolina Utilities Commission and are
knowledgeable of its governing statutes, regulations, and procedures. Our
attorneys also attend national and regional utilities regulation conferences
to keep abreast of the fast-changing environment in which our clients
operate.
Professional Discipline
Part of the firm's administrative practice includes the representation
of professionals before licensing and disciplinary boards. Members of
the firm have represented professionals before the North Carolina
Medical Board, the North Carolina State Bar, the North Carolina Real
Estate Commission, North Carolina State Board of Electrical Contractors
Examiners, and other trade and professional organizations. The firm
also advises and represents applicants for licensure before these and
similar organizations.
NC ABC Commission Matters
The firm has extensive experience representing wholesalers, breweries,
wineries, and on- and off-premise retailers in matters involving the
franchise law, permitting, and enforcement brought before the North
Carolina ABC Commission. The firm also provides representation to
alcoholic beverage industry members in litigation, zoning and other
land use matters before local governments, as well as rulemaking and
the legislative process.
Campaign and Election Finance Law
Being very familiar with North Carolina campaign finance regulations,
we can assist clients in establishling political action committees and complying
with the requirements governing campaign contributions and expenditures
by those committees. These requirements include the regular filing of
accurate and complete disclosure reports.
Land Use Planning and Zoning
Our firm represents landowners and project developers seeking rezonings,
variances, conditional use permits, or other development approvals by city
or county departments, boards, and commissions. We review and evaluate
local ordinance requirements, negotiate with public officials and planning
staffs to resolve disagreements and create win-win solutions, coordinate
community outreach and public relations strategies, and present cases at
public hearings before local boards to procure the required approvals for
projects. At each step of the real estate development process, we assist
our clients in navigating through regulatory and political maze so that
concepts and site plans can become bricks and mortar. Gray Styers has been
listed in "The Best Lawyers in America" in the field of Land Use Law.
State and Federal Appeals
The firm has an active and diverse appellate practice. The lawyers
have argued and briefed matters in the United States Court of Appeals
for the Fourth Circuit, the North Carolina Supreme Court, and the North
Carolina Court of Appeals, and have briefed cases in the United States
Supreme Court and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia
Circuit. These cases cover a wide spectrum of subjects, including
complex business disputes, serious personal injury, constitutional
issues, utilities commission appeals, and the death penalty. The firm
appreciates referrals from other lawyers to appeal or defend appeals of
trial verdicts or appropriate pretrial matters.
Criminal Defense and Federal Grand Jury Investigations
The firm accepts selected serious criminal matters in state or federal
court, ranging from white collar and business crimes to drug offenses.
The firm also provides representation to businesses and individuals who
are targets, subjects, or under subpoena in federal grand jury investigations.
The firm also does court-appointed postconviction death penalty representation.
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