Section News

Sections Fill Fall With Seminars, Luncheons
December 2007

The Technology Law Section, chaired by John Hutchins, held its first quarterly CLE luncheon of the 2007-08 Bar year on Sept. 25 at the The Buckhead Club in Buckhead. Aaron Danzing, assistant U.S. attorney and Larry Kunin of Morris, Manning and Martin spoke on the topic "Your Computer Has Been Hacked: What Are Your Remedies?" The pair discussed a review of the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, the Stored Communications Act and the Georgia Computer Systems Protection Act.

The Litigation Committee, chaired by Brad Groff, of the Intellectual Property Law Section, chaired by Todd McClelland, presented "Underwater Devices Dries Up? Life After In re Seagate," a panel discussion with speakers James Ewing IV, Kilpatrick Stockton LLP; Steve Wigmore, King & Spalding LLP; Bernie Zidar, McKesson Technology Solutions; and Daniel Kent, Fish & Richardson, PC.

On Oct. 5 the Creditors' Rights Section, co-chaired by Jan Rosser and Harriett Isenberg, hosted its annual CLE luncheon at Maggiano's Little Italy restaurant in Buckhead. This year's topic was "The Real Scoop on Garnishments and Levies During 2007," with speaker John Swann of Freisem, Macon, Swann & Malone PC. More than 55 attorneys and their guests were in attendance.

On Nov. 14, the Entertainment & Sports Law Section, chaired by Lisa Moore, hosted a quarterly CLE luncheon at Shout! restaurant. The program, titled "In Your Home, At Your Desk & On Your Phone: Filmed Content Deals for TV, Internet and Mobile," featured speakers Michael Quigley and Scott Moran, both of Turner Broadcasting, and Gina Henschen and Kim Morrise, both of The Weather Channel.

At the November meeting of the Board of Governers, the Bar's 40th section was approved—Franchise and Distribution Law Section.  The purpose of the section is to promote the education and best practices of franchise and distribution law among Bar members. Perry McGuire of Douglasville will serve as the acting chair for the remainder of the 2007-08 Bar year. To join the section, please contact Section Liaison Johanna Merrill at johanna@gabar.org.

Update From the Sections
Georgia State's College of Law and College of Business Presented First Intellectual Property Legends Awards Oct. 17, submitted by Kathryn Wade

The Georgia State University College of Law and J. Mack Robinson College of Business hosted the Inaugural Intellectual Property (IP) Legends Awards Luncheon on Oct. 17 at the Four Seasons Hotel in Atlanta, with approximately 225 in attendance. The State Bar of Georgia's IP Law Section was a co-sponsor of this year's event. The first recipients of the IP Legends Awards were Miles Alexander, partner at Kilpatrick Stockton LLP; S. Truett Cathy, founder and chief executive officer of Chick-fil-A; and Sandy Evans, former chief IP counsel for BellSouth. The IP Legends Award will be given yearly, recognizing individuals who have made significant contributions in the area of intellectual property, both in the business and legal arenas. In addition, IP Legends Award recipients are individuals who have served as role models for their peers, subordinates, and future members of the intellectual property community, have displayed the highest level of ethics in their careers, and have had a positive impact on their communities.
 
"In the U.S. and around the world, our rapidly evolving, knowledge-based economy is dependent on intellectual capital and driven by ideas and innovation," explained Scott Frank, president of AT&T Intellectual Property and a founding member and chair of the Georgia State College of Law Intellectual Property Advisory Board and past chair of the Bar's IP Law Section. "Intellectual property is one of the primary components of the intangible, conceptual assets in business, which today account for approximately 75 percent of the value of most publicly traded companies. So naturally, there is a strong connection between IP law and success in business."

Derrick Stanley is the section liaison for the State Bar of Georgia and can be reached at derricks@gabar.org.