GLA - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Member of the Executive Committee
- Secretary of the Executive Committee
- Associate in the Entertainment & Media Practice Group at Greenberg Traurig
Alana is an associate in the Entertainment & Media Practice Group at Greenberg Traurig. She focuses her practice on complex entertainment, media, and intellectual property transactions with an emphasis on the licensing of music, videos, and other entertainment content. She also counsels clients on innovative ways to incorporate entertainment content into a broad array of media, including, but not limited to, film, radio, television programs, mobile applications, video games, and social media platforms. Prior to joining Greenberg Traurig, Alana was a member of the Technology, Privacy and IP Transactions group at another top law firm in Atlanta. It was during her time at her first law firm that Alana began working with GLA in order to get experience in Atlanta's entertainment industry. She has been volunteering with GLA ever since.
Outside of work, Alana enjoys exploring Atlanta's music scene, running, and spending time with her family and friends.
Alana received her J.D. from Harvard Law School and her B.A. in Political Science from Stanford University with Phi Beta Kappa distinction.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Executive Committee
Job Titles:
- Attorney
- Member of the Executive Committee
Amy B. Cheng is an attorney at Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough, LLP where she focuses her practice in the areas of labor and employment, business litigation, and white collar defense and government investigations. Additionally, she is active in the Atlanta Bar Association, Georgia Coalition Against Domestic Violence, and Georgia Asian Pacific American Bar Association.
Outside of work, Amy enjoys trying new restaurants and blogging about food on her instagram handle, @hungrysouthernesq!
Job Titles:
- Member of the Executive Committee
Andy Weeks practices trademark law at The Coca-Cola Company . While attending law school, Andy was a member of the Managing Board, Editorial Board, and Articles Election Committee of the Georgia Law Review, a research assistant to Dean Peter B. Rutledge, and a recipient of the ABA-Bloomberg BNA Award for Excellence in the Study of Intellectual Property Law. He served as a judicial intern in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia, and an intern in the Appellate Division of the Georgia Public Defender Standards Council in Atlanta, Georgia. He graduated from the University of Georgia School of Law summa cum laude, Order of the Coif.
Prior to launching his legal career, Andy was a high school teacher at the Notre Dame School, an all-girls high school in New York, New York, where he taught art and advanced placement art history for over six years. He was a graduate teaching assistant at the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York, and a middle and high school teacher at The Preuss School UCSD, a charter school for low income, highly motivated students in La Jolla, California, where he taught art and art history. Andy is an accomplished artist with a national exhibition record including solo and group exhibitions.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Executive Committee
- Associate With Parker
Anne is a litigation associate with Parker, Hudson, Rainer & Dobbs LLP where she focuses on complex commercial disputes before federal and state courts. Anne represents clients in a variety of business and intellectual property litigation contexts, including those involving trade secrets, restrictive covenants, trademarks, copyrights, and unfair competition. Before joining Parker Hudson, Anne served as a law clerk to the Honorable Orinda D. Evans in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia.
Anne entered the University of Georgia School of Law with a background in Classical Languages, Art, and Architecture, gained through study and travel at Davidson College. A passion for art, law, and antiquity led Anne to intern during law school with the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. In addition to her GLA work, Anne serves on the advocacy committee of the Lawyers' Committee for Cultural Heritage Preservation. Outside work, Anne and her husband love to travel and taste new foods.
Job Titles:
- Attorney
- Member of the Executive Committee
Becki Lee is an attorney at IHG Hotels. Becki focuses her practice on copyright and trademark counseling. Becki's practice involves trademark and copyright prosecution and enforcement, IP licensing, domain name enforcement, anti-counterfeiting efforts, Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) matters, cannabis-related trademark matters, rights of publicity, and various entertainment law issues. Becki has represented clients in disputes in federal district court and in front of the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (TTAB). Becki is on the Executive Committee of the Atlanta IP Inn of Court. During law school, Becki won Best Brief at the Cardozo BMI Moot Court Competition. She also was an intern at GLA in 2012 and has stayed active with the organization ever since.
Before law school, Becki worked in the entertainment industry for 10 years as a publicist, marketer, and event planner. She also owned her own music-focused public relations firm, so she has firsthand knowledge of the challenges involved in starting and running a creative business.
Becki has two young kids, two dogs, and one spouse, and lives in Decatur. Becki plays the drums when she gets a chance. In 2020, Becki published a children's book about intellectual property called Do You Draw Pictures?.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Executive Committee
Bing is Advisory to the General Counsel of Georgia Institute of Technology. She serves as a trusted internal advisor and provides insight to the General Counsel on all functions of the organization. She counsels faculty and staff on a variety of legal and policy matters relevant to the University. Her current practice focuses on intellectual property, false claims act, federal grants, investigations, and litigation matters. Bing obtained her J.D. from Georgia State University School of Law. She is a member of the National Association of College and University Attorneys (NACUA), the Society for International Affairs (SIA), and the Georgia Asian Pacific American Bar Association (GAPABA). On behalf of seven Atlanta major universities, Bing also serves on the Governing Board of the Office of the Inspector General for the City of Atlanta.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Executive Committee
Job Titles:
- Member of the Executive Committee
- Associate Counsel for Genuine Parts Company
Brent M. Radcliff is Associate Counsel for Genuine Parts Company ("GPC"). He is responsible for developing, maintaining and enforcing GPC's intellectual property rights worldwide; negotiating, documenting and providing strategic direction on IP and technology transactions; collaborating with commercial business units, technology, branding, and marketing to promote the discovery, development, management and protection of new ideas; building stakeholder relationships, in particular with intellectual property authorities and professional associations; training internal clients on IP and its implications on various functions within the organization; and providing general legal support on related matters arising in day-to-day operations.
Prior to joining GPC, he served as an attorney for a national firm where he concentrated on brand management, intellectual property counseling, litigation, and enforcement. Before that, Brent worked for several years inside the US Patent and Trademark Office and Customs and Border Protection on IP matters.
Outside of work he has served in leadership positions for several bar associations including the Washington Bar Association, National Bar Association, U.S. Intellectual Property Alliance, and International Trademark Association, finding ways to create programming for the training and betterment of fellow attorneys and education of the community at-large. He also serves on the Advisory Board of the Georgia Lawyers for the Arts and the Board of Directors for KidsGym USA, an organization which aims to provide life skills to children in the Metro Atlanta area through gymnastics. Brent holds a Juris Doctorate and Bachelor's degree from Howard University.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Executive Committee
Job Titles:
- Member of the Executive Committee
- Partner at Ballard Spahr
Charley is a partner at Ballard Spahr in the Intellectual Property department. Charley leads the patent group's Electrical, Software and Business Methods team. His practice encompasses patent, copyright, trademark, and trade secret litigation; patent prosecution; client counseling; and opinion work. Charley is a member of Ballard Spahr's Pro Bono Committee and part of the firm's retail group.
Charley received his J.D. from Mercer University, a M.S. degree in Bioinformatics from the Georgia Institute of Technology, and a B.B.A. in Computer Information Systems from Mercer University. Outside of work, Charley enjoys spending time with his wife and two children.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Executive Committee
- Treasurer of the Executive Committee
Charlotte is Trademark Counsel for The Coca-Cola Company, where she provides support for numerous global brands. On any given day, her responsibilities include providing strategic advice regarding the selection and clearance of new product names, overseeing the expansion of brands into international markets, negotiating license and coexistence agreements, and communicating with consumers and fans regarding brand use.
Prior to joining Coca-Cola, Charlotte was an attorney at Jones Day, where she represented clients in intellectual property and false advertising cases, managed global trademark portfolios, and advised on a variety of copyright and right of publicity issues.
A South Carolina native, Charlotte graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a B.A. in English and obtained her law degree from the University of Georgia, where she was an Articles Editor for the Georgia Law Review. Additionally, Charlotte is a member of the International Trademark Association and the IP Section of the State Bar of Georgia. Outside of work, Charlotte enjoys traveling with her fiancé Dulane, spending time with her nieces and nephew, wine tasting, and exploring Atlanta's restaurant scene.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Executive Committee
Job Titles:
- Member of the Executive Committee
Chloe was born and raised in Miami, Florida, where her love and appreciation of the arts was fostered from an early age through museum visits and concerts with her family. Chloe earned a bachelor's degree in Art History from the University of Florida before moving to Athens to study law at the University of Georgia. In law school, she interned at GLA, was Chair of the Business Negotiation Team, President of the Equal Justice Foundation, and a Notes Editor of the Georgia Journal of International and Comparative Law.
Chloe now practices as a real estate attorney at McLain & Merritt, P.C. in Buckhead. She lives in Morningside with her fiance, Mason, and enjoys going to concerts, trying out new restaurants and exploring Atlanta with the family dog, Manney.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Executive Committee
Job Titles:
- Member of the Executive Committee
Job Titles:
- Member of the Executive Committee
David Kelly represents technology companies in intellectual property matters, including counseling, licensing, litigation, contested Patent and Trademark Office (PTO) cases, and appeals. Appreciated for his candor and responsiveness, David is tenacious in protecting and defending his client's IP rights.
David counsels clients on a range of IP issues and helps manage and protect their valuable IP. And he vigorously defends his client's IP rights, having successfully litigated matters involving patents, trademarks, trade secrets, false advertising, unfair competition, contracts, and anti-trust.
David serves as lead trial counsel for clients in federal district courts throughout the United States, as well as in contested cases before the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office. He is also an experienced appellate advocate, arguing cases before both the Federal Circuit and the Patent and Trial Board.
Additionally, David manages his clients' foreign and domestic patent and trademark portfolios, handling prosecution, licensing, and enforcement. He routinely provides opinions on patent validity and freedom to operate, and has conducted dozens of intellectual property due diligence reviews.
David is also dedicated to pro bono work. Recently, he helped secure an inmate's compassionate release from prison after serving nearly 30 years for a crime committed when he was just a teenager.
A noted thought leader, David has authored dozens of articles, provided commentary in leading business publications, and given dozens of presentations on patent law issues and legal writing.
David was named a ‘Rising Star' in IP by Georgia Super Lawyers for four years and was one of only a handful of lawyers selected in 2014 by the Daily Report magazine as a ‘Rising Legal Star Under 40.'
An avid hiker and backpacker, David has hiked several sections of the Appalachian Trail and hopes one day to hike all 2,200 miles of the trail.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Executive Committee
Joe has been practicing intellectual property law for over 20 years and is currently a partner at Taft, Stettinius & Hollister. Joe counsels clients in all areas of patent law and his practice primarily focuses on biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, chemistry, biosimilars, cannabis, medical
marijuana and medical devices including dental products. For several years, Joe's practice has focused on the generic drug industry. Prior to entering law, he served on the faculty of the Wake Forest University School of Medicine. Joe is a graduate of the University of North Carolina School of Law, Loyola University Chicago (Ph.D., Pharmacology) and the University of Southern California (B.S., Biological Sciences).
Besides providing pro bono work to the arts community through the GLA, he also sits on the board of the A5 Volleyball Club, the premier junior club volleyball organization in the Southeast for both girls' and boys' volleyball.
In his spare time, Joe plays the guitar and can often be found on hiking trails the world over his wife of 25+ years, Dr. Barbara Bennett.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Executive Committee
- Pacific Law
Eli is the Managing Attorney of Pacific Law Group's Peachtree City office, where he closes residential real estate deals. Prior to his transition into transactional law, he worked as a civil litigator for more than 3 years, resolving real estate, insurance, and transportation disputes.
Eli received his Bachelors of Landscape Architecture and Political Science in 2011 from The University of Georgia and his JD in 2015 from Emory University School of Law. While at Emory, he enjoyed a fantastic semester-long externship with GLA under Meredith, which prepared him for future galas where Meredith would inevitably say, "Pony up." He is currently pursuing a Masters in Industrial-Organizational Psychology from UGA.
Eli is passionate about learning how people, business, and technology can serve one another to improve and grow the workplace. When he's out-of-office and the classroom, Eli enjoys spending time with his wife (a fellow Emory Law graduate), finding space in the yard for more plants, and biting off more than he can chew in other home renovation projects.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Executive Committee
- Warner Media, Llc
Job Titles:
- Member of the Executive Committee
- Associate in the Labor & Employment Section at Troutman Pepper Hamilton Sanders LLP
Emily Schifter is an associate in the Labor & Employment section at Troutman Pepper Hamilton Sanders LLP. She represents clients in a variety of labor and employment-related matters, including employment discrimination, leave, disability accommodation, and wage and hour litigation. Additionally, she counsels employers on many aspects of employment law and human resources issues, such as employee handbooks, policies and training and drafts agreements and restrictive covenants for a variety of circumstances, including as part of mergers and acquisitions,.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Executive Committee
- Vice President of the Executive Committee
- Marketing Counsel at Warner Media
Jane is Sr. Marketing Counsel at Warner Media. Prior to that, she was outside counsel for global marketing and international licensing for The Coca-Cola Company and in-house marketing counsel for the International Olympic Committee and the American Cancer Society. She has a BA in French and Economics from UGA and a Masters degree and JD from GSU. Jane serves as Secretary of GLA's board. Jane also serves on the boards of Terminus Modern Ballet Theatre and the Art Farm at Serenbe, as well as on the advisory council of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. Jane has served on the boards of the Galloway School, the Georgian Chamber Players, the Georgia Court Appointed Special Advocates for Children, The Atlanta Lawyers' Orchestra, and on the vestry of St. Dunstan's Episcopal Church. Jane's husband is a partner in the environmental firm of Kazmarek, Mowrey, Cloud and Laseter and is a painter. They have twins at George Washington University. She is an avid supporter of the arts in Atlanta and enjoys adventure travel with her family.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Executive Committee
- Entertainment Counsel at WarnerMedia
As Entertainment Counsel at WarnerMedia, Jasmine is a strategic partner delivering consumer-centric brand partnership opportunities aligned with WarnerMedia's renowned talent, iconic characters, resounding storytellers and premium brands that drive full-funnel ad partner results. Her work focuses on the protection, maintenance, exploitation, and enforcement of copyright, trademark, and publicity rights, including negotiating and drafting brand and content license agreements, and counseling clients on copyright, trademark, publicity rights, and entertainment-related issues.
She graduated from Florida State University with degrees in Media Communication Studies and English (Editing, Writing, and Media), prior to attending Emory University School of Law. Recognizing the convergent climate of media and technology, she was eager to join Georgia Lawyers for the Arts as an intern in 2014. She went on to represent Emory School of Law in the National Transactional Law Meets competitions and was awarded Best Draft and Best Negotiation.
Jasmine takes pride in sharing her knowledge with others. She started Jasmine Johnson Law in 2018 to equip creatives and entrepreneurs with legal tools they need to scale their business. She released a free e-book, QUICK GUIDE TO BUSINESS PLANS, to help clients develop a business plan to generate a lucrative business.
A devoted community leader, she co-founded Women that Bloom, Inc., a non-profit organization committed to catalyzing personal and professional growth of women becoming powerhouses in their fields. The organization offers grants, scholarships and networking support to women nationwide. She also sits on the board of Georgia Lawyers for the Arts, a nonprofit organization that provides legal assistance and educational programming to creators.
Johnson's keen ability to connect information to people and has a penchant for helping others.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Executive Committee
Job Titles:
- Member of the Executive Committee
- President of the Board
John is a partner at Troutman Pepper, focusing his practice on Intellectual Property litigation. He is a first-chair trial attorney with twenty-seven years of experience in major cases in federal and state trial and appellate courts. He has represented a variety of corporations and individuals throughout the United States and is a veteran of litigation and strategic counseling involving a wide range of substantive issues. John's practices touches almost every aspect of intellectual property, allowing him to address the full breadth of his clients' litigation and counseling needs.
John's trial experience includes first-chair jury trials, bench trials, arbitrations, and contested evidentiary and injunction hearings ranging from cases for Fortune 500 clients, to large international concerns, to closely-held businesses and individuals. He also has extensive experience with opposition and cancellation proceedings before the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, as well as all aspects of domain name and ICANN's Uniform Dispute Resolution Policy practice before administrative panels and other tribunals.
Prior to joining Troutman Sanders in 1995, John was an associate in the Litigation Section at Winston & Strawn LLP in Chicago, Illinois. He received his Juris Doctor degree from Vanderbilt University and his Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of Notre Dame. John enjoys hiking, backpacking, running, and other outdoor activities.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Executive Committee
Job Titles:
- Managing Partner of Finnegan 's Atlanta
John Livingstone is the managing partner of Finnegan's Atlanta office. John is a first-chair trial lawyer focusing on complex pharmaceutical, chemical, and biotechnology patent litigation and proceedings before U.S. district courts, the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC), the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. John is a native of the Southeast, has lived in Atlanta for over 20 years, and was a resident in Finnegan's Tokyo office for four years.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Executive Committee
Job Titles:
- Member of the Executive Committee
Josh earned his BA at the University of Florida and his JD at the University of Michigan. Now, at Barnes & Thornburg Josh focuses on creating and preserving value in IP assets through aggressive enforcement and protection of IP rights. He has represented numerous companies in high-stakes patent, trademark, and copyright litigation. In addition to litigation work, Josh has experience negotiating and drafting IP licenses, assignments, and coexistence agreements. He has also assisted clients with the prosecution of trademark and copyright registrations.
Josh also has extensive experience in advertising litigation and counseling. He has defended clients against false advertising claims brought between competitors, and by consumers individually and as a class. In addition, Josh routinely advises clients on claim creation and substantiation to help minimize the risk of litigation.
Josh is married to Jennifer Kalb - something he is thankful for every day - and has two amazing kids, Fisher and Sydney, who actually make waking up early on the weekend enjoyable.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Executive Committee
Julie enjoys practicing law to support artists and creatives in the advancement of their careers and to ensure that their works are respected and protected.
Julie received her Juris Doctor degree from Emory University School of Law with a certificate in Transactional Law and Skills and is admitted to practice law in the State of Georgia. She graduated magna cum laude from UGA with a B.A. in Political Science and a minor in Music and Philosophy.
Julie has worked at ASCAP, Live Nation Entertainment, The Coca-Cola Company, and with several solo practitioners. She is an active member of the National Association of Record Industry Professionals (NARIP) board. Julie served as a legal extern for GLA during law school, later became Director of Volunteer Services, and now serves on GLA's Advisory Board. Julie is currently SaaS Legal, Corporate Counsel at Brightree LLC, and Director of Marketing for D. Gonzalez Law Group, LLC presents Letterbox Legal. In addition, Julie is the Principal Attorney and Owner of Julie K. Roach, Esq., LLC. Julie loves seeing live music and has played alto saxophone for over 15 years.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Executive Committee
Katherine A. Gruner is a licensed attorney with expertise in contract drafting and negotiation, as well as intellectual property law, branding, and new business counseling. She studied Biology and Spanish at Hiram College and earned her Juris Doctor and Masters of Law in IP from the University of Akron. Katherine began her legal career as a patent attorney with Pearne & Gordon LLP in Cleveland, Ohio where she gained extensive experience writing legal opinions relating to pharmaceutical patent documents, as well as drafting responses to USPTO Office Actions in patent and trademark cases. Since entering the legal profession, Kae has enjoyed leading public seminars on topics relating to business, contract law, innovation & patents, trademark law, and other legal issues often encountered by inventors and entrepreneurs.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Executive Committee
Job Titles:
- Member of the Executive Committee
Job Titles:
- Member of the Executive Committee
Job Titles:
- Member of the Executive Committee
Job Titles:
- Member of the Executive Committee
- Senior Associate in the Trial Practice Group at King & Spalding
Lohr Beck is a Senior Associate in the Trial Practice Group at King & Spalding. Her practice focuses on commercial litigation with an emphasis on antitrust matters, purported class actions, and matters with complex e-discovery issues.
Lohr grew up on an angus beef farm in North Carolina before getting her undergraduate degree from The George Washington University and attending Emory University School of Law. She lives in Candler Park with her boyfriend Nick and two very spoiled Manx kitty cats (they are born without tails!) named Bibby and Aurora. In her free time, she enjoys traveling, eating ice cream, and reading in her 2 ½ foot above ground swimming pool.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Executive Committee
Job Titles:
- Member of the Executive Committee
Maha is an attorney in the Technology, Privacy, and Cybersecurity group at Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton LLP. She focuses her practice on intellectual property protection and transactions, technology licensing and procurement, strategic alliances, business process outsourcing, cloud computing, data analytics, and managed services. Prior to joining Kilpatrick Townsend, Maha was an intellectual property attorney in the Atlanta office of a national law firm where she focused her practice on complex patent and trademark matters, including prosecution, enforcement, due diligence, and invalidity and non-infringement opinions. She enjoys combining her intellectual property experience with her contract drafting and negotiation skills to regularly advise clients on the risks and opportunities presented by intellectual property-focused business transactions. Over the span of her career, Maha has represented clients ranging from startups to multinational corporations in various technology sectors and industries, including biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, healthcare, life sciences, medical and mechanical devices, cosmetics, consumer products, software, and telecommunications.
Maha received her J.D. from Mercer University and her M.S. and B.S. degrees in Biology from Georgia State University.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Executive Committee
Job Titles:
- Member of the Executive Committee
- Artist
Marc, "MJ," is a painter of contemporary mixed-media and representational abstract works on canvas and wood panel. His compositions are a fusion of color, texture, and movement achieved through the application of oil/acrylic paints, crushed Pau'a seashell, recycled glass, marble dust, copper, paper, and Lauhala, an indigenous Hawaiian fiber.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Executive Committee
Job Titles:
- Member of the Executive Committee
Job Titles:
- Member of the Executive Committee
- Partner
Matthew Howell is a partner with Alston & Bird's Intellectual Property Litigation Team and focuses his practice on all areas of intellectual property litigation and counseling, with an emphasis on patent litigation and chemical, biological and pharmaceutical arts. Matthew has litigated patents in a wide variety of technologies, including e-commerce and software applications, computer telephony integration, cable modems and set-top boxes, footwear, logistics systems, video games, check processing systems and paper towel dispensers.
Matthew has represented clients in federal and state courts across the country and before the International Trade Commission, Federal Circuit and Patent Trial and Appeals Board. He has significant experience with both enforcing and defending his clients' intellectual property rights.
Matthew also has a robust pro bono practice, working closely with organizations such as the Atlanta Volunteer Lawyers Foundation, Georgia Legal Services Program, Pro Bono Partnership of Atlanta and other pro bono clients. He currently serves on Alston & Bird's Pro Bono Committee.
In 2003, Matthew received his B.A. in physics from Washington University in St. Louis, and in 2007, he received his J.D. from Duke University School of Law.
Job Titles:
- Executive Director
- Member of the Executive Committee
- Executive Director of Georgia Lawyers for the Arts
Since 2013, Meredith Ragains has served as the Executive Director of Georgia Lawyers for the Arts. Meredith oversees legal services, education programs, and community relations for the statewide organization. Her duties also include long-range planning, budgetary controls, fundraising, and personnel supervision.
Prior to her work at GLA, Meredith was a litigator for 12 years at Robins Kaplan where she was in the Commercial Litigation practice group. In 2009, the State Bar of Georgia awarded Meredith its Pro Bono Project Award for her outstanding work with pro bono clients.
Meredith graduated from Emory University and Mercer Law School. After law school, Meredith clerked for the Honorable G. Ernest Tidwell of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia. In addition to her work at GLA, Meredith is an adjunct professor at Emory Law School where she teaches contract drafting, and she regularly guest lectures at the Georgia State University College of Law on intellectual property-related topics.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Executive Committee
- Associate at Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton
Michelle is an associate at Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton . Michelle's practice focuses on trademark and copyright litigation, prosecution, and enforcement. Prior to law school, Michelle worked as a standards and practices editor for television programs and movies. She received her BA in Journalism from Elon University, her JD from Georgia State University College of Law, and worked as an extern for Georgia Lawyers for the Arts during law school. During law school, Michelle also served as an associate articles editor of the Georgia State University Law Review and as a graduate research assistant in the school's Center for Intellectual Property.
Michelle is active in the Atlanta legal community, serving as a member of the IP Inn of Court, a member of the IP Section of the Georgia Bar Association, and a member of Georgia State University's Law Alumni Council. Outside of her legal practice, Michelle enjoys traveling, exploring Atlanta's restaurant and music scenes, running, and spending time with her family and friends.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Executive Committee
Job Titles:
- Member of the Executive Committee
Job Titles:
- Member of the Executive Committee
- Professor in Practice
Nicole Morris is a Professor in Practice and Director of the TI:GER (Technological Innovation: Generating Economic Results) program at Emory University School of Law. TI:GER is an innovative partnership between Emory and Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) that brings together graduate students in law, business, science, and engineering to work on ways to take innovative ideas from the lab to the marketplace. As a Professor in Practice, her areas of expertise include patent law, patent litigation, patent prosecution, IP licensing, and strategy.
Prior to joining the Emory faculty, Nicole was the former Managing Patent Counsel at The Coca-Cola Company and was responsible for the development and implementation of the Company's global patent strategy and providing day-to-day advice and counseling to business stakeholders.
Nicole received her B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Northwestern, her M.S. in Chemistry from University of Michigan, her law degree from the University of Minnesota, and is a registered patent attorney. She has over twelve years of experience practicing patent law in large and mid-sized law firms and has represented clients in patent and trademark litigation matters, as well as patent prosecution matters. She also worked as an engineer for six years with 3M and Eli Lilly and has over twenty years of experience working with consumer products and technology commercialization.
Nicole is a frequent speaker on innovation, technology commercialization, and patent law topics including patent strategy, IP licensing, and the role of corporate counsel in patent transactions. She is heavily involved in the IP community as a member of the American Intellectual Property Law Association (AIPLA), Atlanta IP Inn of Court, Atlanta Bar Association, National Bar Association IP Section, a board member of Georgia Lawyers for the Arts, and Minority In-House Counsel Association. In 2013, Professor Morris was awarded the 2013 "Rising Star Corporate Counsel Award from the Atlanta Business Chronicle and featured in the August 2013 issue of Corporate Counsel magazine.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Executive Committee
- Founder and Managing Attorney of Beardsley
Pearson Beardsley is the founder and managing attorney of Beardsley, P.C., a small firm focused on representing clients in business transactions and a variety of other corporate matters. He has been involved in the legal community by serving as a member of the Disciplinary Panel of the State Bar of Georgia (Investigative Panel) since 2011, and as a board member and volunteer for various nonprofit organizations. Pearson received his Bachelors of Arts in English, magna cum laude, from Vanderbilt University in 1997, where he was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. He received his Juris Doctorate from Washington & Lee University School of Law in 2001.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Executive Committee
In his role at Turner Broadcasting, Pete leads a team that handles legal affairs for Turner Classic Movies, truTV and Turner Studios, providing strategic legal and business affairs advice with respect to the development, production, clearance, and multi-platform distribution of hundreds of hours of original programming annually. His responsibilities include leading the negotiation and drafting of production and distribution related agreements, overseeing rights and clearance issues and helping to manage production and talent related claims and disputes. In addition, Pete is the Vice Chair of the Copyright Committee for the State Bar of Georgia's Intellectual Property Section and an Adjunct Professor of Entertainment Law at the University of Georgia School of Law. Pete is also on the Active Living Board for the city of Decatur. Prior to joining Turner, Pete was an associate in the Litigation Group at Troutman Sanders LLP, where he handled litigation for clients in the sports and entertainment, finance, and pharmaceutical industries. He received his JD from the University of North Carolina and his BS in Finance from the University of South Carolina. Outside of work, Pete enjoys having adventures with his family, watching his kids participate in their various activities and playing soccer.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Executive Committee
Job Titles:
- Attorney
- Member of the Executive Committee
- Butler Prather LLP
Ramsey is an attorney at Butler Prather LLP. Ramsey represents individuals and businesses in a variety of practice areas, including False Claims Act litigation, business torts, and personal injury matters. Before joining Butler Wooten & Peak, Ramsey practiced law for several years in the healthcare group at King & Spalding LLP, where he represented healthcare entities-such as hospital systems, skilled nursing facilities, and long term care pharmacies in False Claims Act lawsuits, civil litigation proceedings, administrative matters, and government investigations.
Ramsey graduated from Tulane University Law School, magna cum laude, in 2010. While in law school, Ramsey served as editor-in-chief of the Tulane Law Review and was elected to the Order of the Coif.
Following law school, Ramsey served as a law clerk to the Honorable William H. Pryor Jr. on the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit and to the Honorable Lance M. Africk on the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Executive Committee
Job Titles:
- Member of the Executive Committee
- Northern Trust Wealth Management
Job Titles:
- Member of the Executive Committee
Job Titles:
- Member of the Executive Committee
Job Titles:
- Member of the Executive Committee
Job Titles:
- Member of the Executive Committee
Sean is a registered patent attorney and the Legal & Contracts Manager at Masten Space Systems. He earned his JD, cum laude, from the University of Florida and his B.S. in aerospace engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology. Sean is active in the Atlanta intellectual property community, serving as a member of the board of the Georgia Intellectual Property Alliance, the Georgia Tech Intellectual Property Advisory Board, the Georgia Bar IP Section Patent Committee, and the Atlanta Bar IP Section board. Outside of his legal practice, Sean is a radio analyst for the Georgia Tech Football Radio Network and enjoys hiking, martial arts, and spending time with his family.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Executive Committee
Job Titles:
- Member of the Executive Committee
- Partner at Capstone IP Law
Susan is a partner at Capstone IP Law and a trusted advisor to her clients of all scale on their trademark, copyright, social media, and advertising transactions, prosecution, enforcement, and litigation matters. Her clients comprise many diverse industries, including technology, banking and finance, manufacturers, healthcare, government, entrepreneurs, real estate developers, energy resources, apparel and fashion companies, musicians, social media companies, and consumer retail and product companies.
Susan provides collaborative, practical, and actionable counsel to her clients on their trademark, copyright, and trade secret transactions, prosecution, enforcement, and litigation. She also advises clients on complex domestic and international intellectual property law disputes, social media, online legal disputes, as well as right of publicity and advertising law.
Susan earned both her Bachelor and Juris Doctor degrees from the University of Oklahoma, was a Visiting Scholar at Emory University School of Law in Atlanta, at Columbia Law School in New York, and at Max Planck Institute for Intellectual Property in Munich, Germany, and earned her LLM from the University of California, Berkeley. Additionally, she served on the Editorial Board of several academic journals, received the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (German Research Foundation Scholarship), was a member of the Order of Barristers, and won the National Best Brief award at the Saul Lefkowitz Moot Court Competition.
Susan is committed to giving back to her community through volunteering her time to working with pro bono clients. Susan has volunteered time to working with a military veteran develop and protect its trademark and copyright portfolio. In addition to serving on the Advisory Board for Georgia Lawyers for the Arts, Susan volunteers more than fifty hours of time each year to helping local artists protect and enforce their IP rights, and navigate all manner of agreements. Susan also dedicates time to working with families who have children with disabilities enforce their Reasonable Accommodation Requests under the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Executive Committee
Suzanne practices in Atlanta with boutique litigation firm, Lawrence & Bundy LLC. Her practice focuses on business litigation and intellectual property matters including trademark registration, licensing and enforcement, and franchising. Outside of work, Suzanne's passion shows in her garden, lovingly restored to 1930s verdant splendor, and planted near-exclusively with Georgia natives, pollinators, and seed plants for migrators and back-yard birds. Suzanne is also-quite surprisingly to all who know her-an avid Six Flags enthusiast.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Executive Committee
Job Titles:
- Member of the Executive Committee
- Founding Partner at Conway Eader
Ted Eader is a founding partner at Conway Eader and focuses in IP issues related to start-ups and small to mid-size businesses. Ted has experience registering and litigating Patents and Trademarks as well as negotiating license agreements. After receiving an undergraduate degree in chemistry from Ole Miss, Ted attended the University of Georgia Law School before moving to Atlanta.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Executive Committee
Trey is an attorney with the firm of Meunier Carlin & Curfman LLC. His legal practice encompasses all aspects of intellectual property law with a focus on litigation. He represents a wide range of clients, including large public entities, as well as multinational corporations. Trey also represents clients before the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (TTAB), having been involved in both cancellation and opposition proceedings. Trey also advises clients on U.S. and foreign patent prosecution in the mechanical, medical device, and engineering fields. He assists in preparing product clearance, invalidity, and non-infringement analyses and opinions. Trey has partnered with Georgia Lawyers for the Arts for several years and provides pro bono services in the areas of intellectual property law.
Trey received his J.D. from the Cumberland School of Law at Samford University, graduating Magna Cum Laude and third in his law school class. Trey also served as the Managing Editor to the Cumberland Law Review, where his comment was published. Trey graduated Magna Cum Laude from Vanderbilt University with an undergraduate degree in Civil Engineering and minors in Psychology and Engineering Management. Trey grew up in LaFayette, Georgia, and attended The Baylor School in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Executive Committee