If Companies Profit in North Carolina, They Should Litigate Here
By Adam J. Langino, Esq.
If Companies Profit in North Carolina, They Should Litigate Here
In 2025 and 2026, I had the honor of being elected to serve as Chair of the Product Liability, Class Action, and Mass Tort Section of the North Carolina Advocates for Justice. The North Carolina Advocates for Justice is a nonpartisan association of legal professionals dedicated to protecting people, preventing injustice, and promoting fairness. With more than 2,000 members, the organization works to level the playing field for those who cannot fight for themselves and to champion their causes in the courts and the legislature.
Over the course of the past year, I had the pleasure of organizing many free seminars for our members. Notably, we hosted presentations on how to hold Keller accountable in product liability claims and how to hold Amazon accountable in similar matters. Automated vehicles and poorly made consumer products are among the most significant hazards facing American families today. I was proud to help bring top-notch speakers to our membership on these important issues.
As many of you know, my name is Adam Langino, and I am the founder of Langino Law PLLC in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. I am licensed in North Carolina and Florida and have been practicing since 2006. My practice includes a range of product liability matters, including motor-vehicle-related claims and cases involving consumer products such as child seats, toys, children’s products, home goods, and other dangerous products.
In 2026, I am presenting to the lawyers of the North Carolina Advocates for Justice on some of the most important cases decided in the fields of product liability, class action, and mass tort during the past calendar year.
From a legal standpoint, the most significant North Carolina decision of the past year may be PDII, LLC v. Sky Aircraft Maint., LLC, 925 S.E.2d 28, 36 (N.C. Ct. App. 2025). In that case, the North Carolina Court of Appeals held that when a foreign corporation—that is, a corporation organized outside North Carolina—obtains a certificate of authority to conduct business in North Carolina, it consents to general personal jurisdiction in the state. At present, the decision is stayed while the North Carolina Supreme Court reviews whether the Court of Appeals correctly decided the issue. If the decision is upheld, it would be a significant benefit to North Carolina families. Too often, when a corporation’s product harms a North Carolinian or a North Carolina family, that corporation argues that it is unfair to litigate the claim here—even when it is registered to do business in North Carolina, sold the product here, profited from the North Carolina market, and caused serious harm here. Large corporations would rather protect their profits than face accountability in the communities where their products caused injury. They frequently argue that, although their products are sold and used here, they should not have to defend those cases here. The practical effect is to make it harder for injured families to pursue meaningful legal recourse. Hopefully, the North Carolina Supreme Court upholds the Court of Appeals’ decision and preserves for families the opportunity to seek justice against corporations that place dangerous products into North Carolina communities.
Under the reasoning of the Court of Appeals, when an out-of-state business registers to do business in North Carolina in order to profit from North Carolina consumers, it is agreeing to the legal consequences of that registration—including general personal jurisdiction in this state. The corporations challenging that rule argue that, even though they make money here, they should not have to defend lawsuits here. That position is difficult to take seriously. Large corporations routinely rely on boilerplate and fine print in consumer agreements to limit responsibility and avoid accountability. Yet when the fine print governing their own registration requires them to litigate in North Carolina, they suddenly claim that such terms are unfair. Corporate America is often quick to enforce fine print against ordinary people, but too often resists the same principle when it requires accountability in return.
Based on my latest review, I do not see that this case is currently set for argument or decision by the North Carolina Supreme Court. Still, practitioners across the state—and the corporations that profit from selling products here while arguing they should not have to litigate here—are closely watching to see whether the Supreme Court of North Carolina will stand with its citizens over outside corporate interests.
It is my hope that the North Carolina Supreme Court rules in favor of the residents and citizens of this great state.
Contact Langino Law PLLC
As many of you know, I am licensed to practice law in both North Carolina and Florida. My office is located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, and I handle claims across the state. My practice focuses on catastrophic injury and wrongful death claims in North Carolina and Florida. A significant part of my practice also involves consumer products and defective products that harm families. I also handle truck collision cases and other negligence matters involving motor vehicle crashes that cause serious injury or death. For a free consultation, I can be reached at 888-254-3521 or through the contact page at https://www.langinolaw.com/contact.