The Court denied Defendant’s motion to dismiss Plaintiff’s unfair and deceptive practices claim. It rejected the argument that the matter before the Court was simply a private dispute which did not implicate the consuming public or the general marketplace, and was therefore not "in commerce."
The Court held that the statute reaches "derivative claims arising out of fraudulent activities relating to the manner in which a business conducts its “regular, day-to-day activities, or affairs . . . .” It further held that plaintiff, in its derivative action, had alleged fraud and various breaches of the duties of good faith, loyalty, and due care, stating "North Carolina courts have consistently held that allegations of fraud or a breach of fiduciary duty will support a separate claim for unfair or deceptive trade practices."