News Article

SEATTLE -- Womble Carlyle attorneys Jack Hicks and Cy Johnson have been invited to speak at an international conference on nanotechnology.

Hicks and Johnson are among the speakers scheduled to participate in the Society for the Study of Nanoscience and Emerging Technologies Conference, to be held Sept. 8-11 at the University of Washington in Seattle. Johnson and Hicks will participate in a round table discussion on "Nanoscience Patents Needs Assessment: Where Are We And Where Do We Go From Here?" Hicks will present a paper of the same title co-authored with Womble Carlyle attorney Greg Grissett and Dr. Bernard Brown, a Womble Carlyle summer associate. Johnson will discuss issues in structuring nanotech companies based on a paper co-authored with Womble Carlyle attorney Jennifer Avriett.

Johnson and Hicks are the only attorneys scheduled to speak at the conference, which attracts researchers and academics from universities and industries all across the world.

The Society for the Study of Nanoscience and Emerging Technologies seeks to promote open intellectual exchange towards the advancement of knowledge and understanding of nanotechnologies in society.

Jack Hicks is a respected patent attorney with more than 20 years' experience, Jack also holds a master's degree in mechanical engineering, and is an adjunct professor at Elon University School of Law. He has extensive experience representing clients with patent matters relating to emerging technologies. He has represented universities, research facilities, start-up ventures and established businesses in such fields as aerospace, specialty textiles, pharmaceuticals, life sciences, petroleum and electronics. Jack is the Managing Member of Womble Carlyle's Greensboro, N.C., office.

Cy Johnson has represented individuals and companies in structuring start-up businesses for more than 20 years, and has helped emerging technology companies raise the funds needed for success. Cy has substantial experience in assisting businesses in raising capital through private offerings. He also provides on-going legal counseling concerning issues facing growing businesses and handles mergers, acquisitions, sales and restructuring for his business clients. He practices in the firm's Charlotte, N.C., office, and serves on Womble Carlyle's Firm Management Committee. Cy's publications include authoring the North Carolina Limited Liability Company Forms and Practice Manual (Data Trace Publishing Company, Third Ed., 2004).

Jennifer Avriett has a wide-ranging corporate and securities practice, with a particular emphasis on transactional work. She assists privately held clients ranging from large corporations to small start-up businesses with such matters as mergers and acquisitions, divestitures and corporate governance.

Greg Grissett is a patent attorney in Womble Carlyle's Greensboro office. He holds bachelors and masters of engineering degrees in textile sciences. Before joining Womble Carlyle, Greg was the Intellectual Property Manager for Freudenberg Nonwovens L. P., North America.

Dr. Bernard Brown is a rising third-year law student at Elon University School of Law. He holds his Ph.D. in biochemistry from Wake Forest University, as well as degrees in chemistry and zoology.

Womble Carlyle - Innovators at Law

A full-service business law firm, Womble Carlyle ranks among American Lawyer magazine's list of the 100 leading firms in the country and is a top law firm for companies doing business in the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic states.

The firm is a recipient of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund Corporate Leadership Award, making Womble Carlyle the first law firm ever to receive the highest honor given to a business organization in recognition of its support of the Fund and its 45 member educational institutions.

The firm also is the first law firm to be awarded the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve Freedom Award, which is the highest recognition given by the U.S. government to employers for their support of employees who serve in the National Guard and Reserve.

Founded in 1876, Womble Carlyle operates in six states and the District of Columbia with more than 500 attorneys in eleven offices located in Atlanta, GA; Greenville, SC; Charlotte, Greensboro, Raleigh, Research Triangle Park, and Winston-Salem, NC; Washington, DC; Tysons Corner, VA; Baltimore, MD; and Wilmington, DE. Womble Carlyle is located in the Southeast and mid-Atlantic regions, and serves clients nationally and globally.