Raleigh Partner Kelly Brewer and Senior Counsel Benjamin Williams recently obtained a complete defense verdict on behalf of their clients, a former pastor and his family-run ministry, after a two-week jury trial in New Hanover County Superior Court in Wilmington, North Carolina.
The plaintiff, a local branch of an international Christian denomination, sued its former pastor and his family-run ministry for fraud related to a real estate transaction in 2012. In the transaction, both the church and the family-run ministry received one parcel of property from the seller at closing. The church contended that it had purchased both parcels and that the defendants concealed the fact that the family-run ministry held title to its parcel for nearly eleven years. In contrast, the defendants argued that the church was aware and had agreed prior to closing that the family-run ministry would take title to its parcel.
After deliberating for approximately 90 minutes, the jury returned a unanimous verdict in favor of GRSM’s clients, finding that the pastor and his family-run ministry did not defraud the church.
This successful outcome reflects the depth of experience and strategic insight offered by GRSM’s Raleigh team, which routinely handles complex disputes and delivers favorable results for its clients.