Firm president Joe McGuire has been practicing business litigation with McGuire, Wood & Bissette, P.A. since 1978. His recent work has focused on contract disputes, municipal liability, shareholder rights, governance of limited liability companies, trade secrets, covenants not to compete, unfair and deceptive trade practices, insurance coverage, business fraud and property disputes. Representative clients include The City of Asheville, Buncombe County and Historic Biltmore Village.Appellate Decisions:Timber Integrated Investments, LLC v. Welch, 2014 N.C. LEXIS 736 (N.C. App. 2014)(Unpub).Rutherford Plantation, LLC v. The Challenge Golf Group of the Carolinas, LLC, 2014 N.C. LEXIS 22 (2014)(application of the anti-deficiency statute).Williams v. Humphreys, 744 S.E.2d 496, 2013 N.C. App. 513 (N.C. App. 2013)(Unpub.)(physician liability for medical negligence).McClure v. County of Jackson, 185 N.C.App. 462,648 S.E.2d 546 (2007)(county's liability for unlawful removal of chair of local airport authority).Smith v. Jackson County Board of Education, 168 N.C.App. 452, 608 S.E.2d 399 (2005)(school board's liability for coach's misconduct with student).VisionAir, Inc. v. James, 167 N.C.App. 504, 606 S.E.2d 359 (2004)(injunctive relief for misappropriation of computer trade secrets).Layman v. Alexander, 343 F.Supp.2d 483 (W.D.N.C. 2004)(sheriff's liability for detention officers' indifference to arrestee's medical needs).Doyle v. Asheville Orthopedic Associates, 148 N.C.App. 173, 557 S.E.2d 577 (2001), rev. denied, 355 N.C. 348, 562 S.E.2d 278 (2002)(employer liability for constructive discharge of physician employee).Millar v. Reliastar Life Ins. Co., 157 F.Supp.2d 645 (W.D.N.C. 2000)(arbitrability of insurance dispute).Prentiss v. Allstate Ins. Co., 7 F.Supp.2d 514 (W.D.N.C. 1999)(constitutionality of provision of state driver incentive plan).D'Alessandro v. Westall, 972 F.Supp. 965 (W.D.N.C. 1997)(municipal liability for high speed police pursuit).Toms v. Lawyers Mutual Liab. Ins. Co., 104 N.C.App. 88, 408 S.E.2d 206 (1991), cert. denied, 330 N.C. 618, 412 S.E.2d 95 (1992)(insurer duty to defend under professional liability policy).Mountain Federal Land Bank v. First Union National Bank, 98 N.C.App. 195, 390 S.E.2d 679, cert. denied, 327 N.C. 141, 394 S.E.2d 178 (1990)(enforceability of bank's standby letter of credit).Leasing Service Corp. v. Crane, 804 F.2d 828 (4th Cir. 1986)(well drilling company's liabilities under equipment lease).Stines v. Willyng, Inc., 81 N.C.App. 98, 344 S.E.2d 546 (1986)(enforceability of park easement described in developer's plat).Land-of-Sky Regional Council v. County of Henderson, 78 N.C.App. 86, 336 S.E.2d 653 (1985)(county's liability for share of regional council's budget).Joe has been named among Business North Carolina’s Legal Elite and as a North Carolina Super Lawyer for several years. He is the vice-president of the Harry C. Martin American Inn of Court. He has received the Circle of Excellence Award from Leadership Asheville Forum and the Distinguished Leadership Award from the National Association for Community Leadership. The Joseph P. McGuire First Year Seminar on Critical Thinking at UNC-Chapel Hill was named after him. Joe received the Citizen Lawyer Award from the North Carolina Bar Association in June of 2014.Joe is currently a member of the boards of Leadership Asheville Forum, the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Association of Asheville and Buncombe County, the Trustees of Central United Methodist Church and Lenoir-Rhyne University. He has previously chaired the Brevard College Board of Trustees, the Board of the Center for Diversity Education at UNC-Asheville, the Buncombe County Library Board, the Board of Trustees for the WNC Conference of the United Methodist Church, and Building Bridges.
