John Branch of Shanahan Law Group discusses private property rights with Smithfield Kiwanis Club
SMITHFIELD, N.C. — John Branch, an attorney with Shanahan Law Group in Raleigh, addressed 25 members of the Kiwanis Club in his hometown of Smithfield on Thursday, May 29. Branch discussed private property rights in North Carolina, specifically focusing on the ramifications of the U.S. Supreme Court’s controversial 2005 ruling in Kelo v. City of New London. In that case, the Court ruled that the city of New London, Conn. could use the power of eminent domain to seize private homes for economic development including selling seized property rights to private developers. Prior to the Kelo decision, governments could only use eminent domain to seize private property for a public use such as a school or road.
“Far too few North Carolinians are aware of the scope and impact of the Supreme Court’s ruling in the Kelo case,” said Mr. Branch. “I want to help the North Carolinians understand how this case could potentially impact their private property rights.”
John Branch was born in Atlanta, Ga. and grew up in Smithfield, N.C. He completed his undergraduate degree at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC) in 2001 and earned his Juris Doctorate at the UNC School of Law in 2004. Branch is a member of the North Carolina State Bar and is admitted to practice in all North Carolina state courts, the federal district courts of North Carolina and the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. His practice centers on areas of civil litigation including business, employment and intellectual property litigation. Branch is also the president of the Triangle Chapter of the Federalist Society.
Shanahan Law Group is a boutique law firm in Raleigh, N.C. that offers a full range of business and litigation services. The firm’s practice areas include complex business litigation, business formation and exit strategies, licensing and distribution, agribusiness, employment law, white collar criminal defense, trusts and estates and government representation. For more information, call 919-856-9494 or