Title: Diamond Candles, LLC v. Winter, et al

State: north-carolina

Issuer: North Carolina Supreme Court

Document:

IN THE SUPREME COURT OF NORTH CAROLINA 
2021-NCSC-59 
No. 399A20 
Filed 11 June 2021 
DIAMOND CANDLES, LLC 
 
 
v. 
JUSTIN 
WINTER; 
BAKER 
BOTTS, 
LLC; 
BRIAN 
LEE; 
SYMPHONY 
COMMERCE; and HENRY KIM 
 
Appeal pursuant to N.C.G.S. § 7A-27(a)(3) from an order and opinion on 
defendants’ Rule 12(b)(2) and Rule 12(b)(3) motions to dismiss entered on 12 March 
2020 by Judge James L. Gale, Special Superior Court Judge for Complex Business 
Cases, in Superior Court, Person County, after the case was designated a mandatory 
complex business case by the Chief Justice pursuant to N.C.G.S. § 7A-45.4(a). Heard 
in the Supreme Court on 18 May 2021. 
 
Miller Law Group, PLLC, by W. Stacy Miller, II, for plaintiff-appellee. 
 
Gordon & Rees, by Robin K. Vinson and Allison J. Becker, for defendant-
appellants. 
 
 
PER CURIAM. 
 
¶ 1 
 
Upon consideration of the affidavits and evidence tendered to the trial court by 
Symphony Commerce and Henry Kim (defendants) and plaintiff Diamond Candles, 
the allegations in the complaint that are not controverted by defendants’ affidavits, 
the trial court’s findings of fact, and the arguments of counsel, we conclude that there 
DIAMOND CANDLES, LLC V. WINTER, ET AL. 
2021-NCSC-59 
Opinion of the Court 
 
 
 
is substantial record evidence supporting the trial court’s finding of personal 
jurisdiction over defendants in this matter and that the trial court did not abuse its 
discretion by denying defendants’ motion to dismiss for improper venue and 
defendants’ motion to stay under the doctrine of forum non conveniens. Thus, we 
affirm the trial court’s order and opinion on defendants’ Rule 12(b)(2) and Rule 
12(b)(3) motions to dismiss entered on 12 March 2020 as it relates to defendant-
appellants Symphony Commerce and Henry Kim. 
AFFIRMED.1 
                                            
1 The order and opinion of the North Carolina Business Court, 2020 NCBC 17, is 
available at https://www.nccourts.gov/assets/documents/opinions/2020%20NCBC%2017.pdf.