http://www.wcsr.com/eventsEvent Feedhttp://www.wcsr.com/events/how-will-healthcare-reform-impact-employers-health-insurance-plans-bill-whitehurst-jill-benson-explain-at-june-4th-discussionTue, 04 Jun 2013 08:00:00 EDTGREENSBORO, N.C.—The Affordable Care Act promises sweeping changes to nearly every aspect of the U.S. healthcare system. So how will healthcare reform impact employee benefits and employer-sponsored health insurance policies?Womble Carlyle attorneys Bill Whitehurst and Jill Benson will address this topic in a joint dialogue with local business owners and human resources professionals. Attendees will have an opportunity to ask questions unique to their businesses and health plans. This discussion is provided by the North Carolina Association of Staffing Professionals (NCASP).  The Healthcare Reform Discussion takes place from 4-5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, June 4 and will be held at the Starmount Country Club in Greensboro. HR professionals, employee benefits personnel and business owners are invited to attend. The cost is $20.Click here to register for the Healthcare Reform Discussion.Bill Whitehurst provides legal guidance in the design, implementation and administration of retirement, welfare and executive compensation plans, including incentive and deferred compensation arrangements, supplemental retirement plans, and equity based compensation arrangements. He has extensive experience with Ownership Succession Planning, including Employee Stock Ownership Plans (ESOPs), and the unique issues they raise.  Bill has counseled tax-exempt organizations, including hospitals and health care providers, in employee benefits matters, particularly retirement planning and executive compensation issues in mergers, affiliations and divestitures.Jill Benson is an experienced labor and employment litigator who represents employers in a wide range of labor and employment issues, including: Wage and hour claims (Fair Labor Standards Act and state wage and hour laws); Leave of absence issues, including Family Medical Leave Act, military leave and paid time off concern; Anti-discrimination disputes, including those involving Americans with Disabilities Act claims, as well as claims involving alleged discrimination on the basis of race, gender, religion or age; Trade secrets and employee non-compete cases; and Whistleblower retaliation claims. She practices in Womble Carlyle’s Greensboro, N.C. office.http://www.wcsr.com/events/steve-bell-to-talk-best-practices-for-law-firm-marketers-at-lma-dc-eventFri, 17 May 2013 12:00:00 EDTWASHINGTON, D.C.—Womble Carlyle Chief Client Development Officer Steve Bell will be among the speakers in a May 17 panel discussion on “How Leading Law Firm Marketers Are Positioning Their Firms and People to Succeed.” The conversation is presented by the Legal Marketing Association’s Capital Chapter and is aimed at chief marketing officers (CMOs) and directors of business development. Discussion topics will include:Creating a culture to earn client’s loyalty and keep them close;The vital role diversity plays both internally and in client engagements;Using marketing intelligence to create better pitches and stronger client relationships;Developing and executing a strong and cohesive brand;Best practices in business development; andHow to use social media to your advantage.Other panelists will include Ellen Musante, Director of Marketing and Business Development at Milbank Tweed Hadley & McCloy; Mark Greene, Chief Business Development Officer at Waller Lansden Dortch and Davis; and Nathan Darling, Chief Business Development & Marketing Officer at Beveridge & Diamond, P.C. Tim Delaney, Director of Business Development at Wilmer Hale, will moderate the panel discussion.The discussion on “How Leading Law Firm Marketers Are Positioning Their Firms and People to Succeed” takes place from noon-2 p.m. EST on Friday, May 17 and will be held at the offices of Arent Fox LLP, 1717 K Street, NW, in Washington, D.C. Click here for more information or to register.Follow Steve Bell on Twitter at @SteveMBell, and follow the LMA Capital Chapter at @LMA_DChttp://www.wcsr.com/events/beth-jones-patrick-allen-to-give-legal-update-to-college-hr-professionalsFri, 17 May 2013 12:00:00 EDTWINSTON-SALEM, N.C.—Womble Carlyle attorneys Beth Jones and Patrick Allen will speak at the North Carolina Chapter of the College and University Professional Association for Human Resources (CUPA-HR) Spring Drive-In Conference. The May 17 event will focus on employment law/legal issues, compensation, recruitment and related topics, and will be held at Wake Forest University. Jones will provide a general legal update to CUPA-HR members, including Title IX training and policy requirements, new changes for I-9 and E-verify compliance, and retaliation. Allen will discuss “Health Care Reform-Pay or Play Rules Applicable to Colleges & Universities.” Beginning in 2014, employers with an average of at least 50 full-time employees become subject to the “employer shared responsibility” or “pay or play” rules of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. These rules impose an excise tax on employers who fail to offer certain coverage to full-time employees if at least one full-time employee receives a premium tax credit or cost share reduction for coverage in an Exchange established pursuant to the ACA rules. Allen’s presentation will address recently-released IRS guidance regarding whether an employee is full-time and whether coverage is affordable. He also will discuss issues specific to colleges and universities, such as determining whether adjunct faculty will be considered full-time employees.  Beth Jones is a member of Womble Carlyle’s multi-disciplinary Education Team and practices primarily in the areas of employment and education law. She concentrates her practice on providing effective counseling and compliance assistance to enable her clients to manage human resources-related risks proactively. Jones has a significant background in representing institutions of higher learning in faculty, administrative and staff employment issues unique to the academic world. Patrick Allen provides legal guidance in the design, documentation and administration of qualified and nonqualified retirement plans and welfare benefit plans. He also assists clients with respect to compliance with COBRA and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). In addition, Allen assists clients in correcting form and operational defects in their qualified retirement plans and in obtaining favorable settlements for companies who have disputes with the Internal Revenue Service.http://www.wcsr.com/events/privacy-in-practice-webinar-series-eric-breisach-ted-claypoole-to-discuss-customized-approaches-to-privacyWed, 08 May 2013 08:00:00 EDTPrivacy practices aren’t a one-size-fits-all solution. What works for a giant corporation may not be the best option for a mid-market company. Womble Carlyle Privacy and Data Protection Team attorneys Eric Breisach and Ted Claypoole discussed different types of privacy exposures and non-traditional approaches to minimizing exposures while maximizing the value of the data at an upcoming Webinar. The presentation took place on Wednesday, May 8 and had been approved for CLE credit by the International Association of Privacy Professionals. Areas discussed included: Privacy by designInteractive and behavioral advertisingCustomer profilesEmployee privacy andHealth information compliance. “The Myth of ‘Best Practices’: Meaningfully Limiting Privacy Exposures, Customized For Your Company” is part of Womble Carlyle’s Privacy in Practice Webinar series, presented on the second Wednesday of each month. Click here for a complete list of upcoming webinar topics. There is no cost to attend, but registration is required. Click here to register for “The Myth of ‘Best Practices’: Meaningfully Limiting Privacy Exposures, Customized For Your Company.” For more information, please contact Katie Tedrow at KaTedrow@wcsr.com or (202) 857-4502.Eric Breisach, CIPP/US has counseled clients for nearly two decades on privacy and data security matters, including developing strategies for maximizing the value of consumer information while minimizing financial exposures and remaining fully compliant with business and legal requirements. He works with clients to develop practical and meaningful protections for personal and confidential information in vendor and other third-party service provider agreements, which are often the weak links in any data security program.  Ted Claypoole is a senior member of Womble Carlyle’s Intellectual Property Practice Group and leads the firm's Privacy and Data Protection Industry Team. He negotiates and prepares data management, business process outsourcing and ecommerce agreements for his clients. Ted routinely talks to business and legal associations across the country on data security issues and is a frequent author on the topic.http://www.wcsr.com/events/the-secrets-of-memory-leading-neuroscientist-dr-stuart-zola-to-headline-womble-carlyle-thought-leader-speaker-seriesTue, 07 May 2013 08:00:00 EDTThe human mind remains one of the world’s greatest mysteries. Dr. Stuart Zola has been one of the worlds’ foremost researchers into how memory works and how diseases such as Alzheimer’s rob people of their memory. Dr. Zola will headline Womble Carlyle’s Thought Leader Speaker Series, to be held Tuesday, May 7 in the firm’s Atlanta office. The event begins at 5:30 p.m. with a cocktail reception, followed by a 6:30 p.m. presentation and Q&A with Dr. Zola. Dr. Zola is the director of the Yerkes National Primate Research Center, a position he began in 2001. The center's research programs are seeking ways to develop vaccines for infectious and noninfectious diseases, such as AIDS and Alzheimer's; increase understanding of progressive illnesses, such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's; and much more. Dr. Zola’s own research focuses on memory formation, consolidation and retrieval. He is perhaps best known for developing an animal model of human amnesia in nonhuman primates that conclusively identified brain structures critical to memory function. His research has contributed significant insights into the memory loss in humans that results from head trauma and characterizes progressive diseases, such as mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and Alzheimer’s. Dr. Zola currently is studying patients who have MCI as a way to identify those who later may be affected by Alzheimer’s. Click here to register for the Womble Carlyle Thought Leader Speaker Series event with Dr. Stuart Zola. There is no cost to attend, but registration is required. Devised and created by Womble Carlyle Attorney Sandy Smith, the Thought Leader Speaker Series brings in top business innovators for candid discussions. Previous events have featured Tom Cunningham of the Federal Reserve Bank, BB&T CEO Kelly King social media expert Jim McManus, Georgia Power President/CEO Paul Bowers and former Microsoft executive Scott Oki. If you have questions, please contact Kay Newman at (404) 888-7497 or knewman@wcsr.com.http://www.wcsr.com/events/jim-hoffman-to-speak-at-association-of-life-insurance-counsel-annual-meetingTue, 07 May 2013 08:00:00 EDTAMELIA ISLAND, FLA.—Womble Carlyle attorney Jim Hoffman spoke at the Annual Meeting of the Association of Life Insurance Counsel, a voluntary membership organization of the General Counsel and Chief Litigation Counsel for most major life insurance carriers.  The Annual Meeting was held May 5-7, 2013 and celebrated the organization’s 100th Anniversary. Hoffman's presentation was entitled “Stranger Originated Life Insurance—What a Difference 100 Years Makes!” The conference took place at the Ritz-Carlton in Amelia Island, Fla.STOLI has been around for a long time, and the roots of the English Common Law have helped shape and guide courts in making the current and ever-changing case law. Despite technological advances, more sophisticated products, and more refined underwriting techniques, the evils identified 200 years ago by Parliament and 100 years ago by the U.S. Supreme Court continue to plague the industry today. This session provided an update on the state of today’s STOLI case law, and it included a look back at the origins of STOLI, when the ALIC was still in its infancy.Hoffman and Jackson Price prepared a white paper to be submitted before the meeting. Contact either attorney via email to obtain a copy of the white paper.Jim Hoffman is an experienced business litigator who counsels financial services companies on all issues affecting their operations, including the development, sale, underwriting, administration, and claims related to high value offerings in life insurance, annuities, and securities products. He practices in Womble Carlyle’s Charlotte office.http://www.wcsr.com/events/jill-benson-to-present-webinar-on-the-new-form-i-9Tue, 07 May 2013 08:00:00 EDTStarting May 7th, employers will be required to use the revised Form I-9 to document the identity and work authorization of all new hires.  Womble Carlyle Labor & Employment attorney Jill Benson lead a Webinar on the revised Form I-9 to address recent changes to the Form and potential pitfalls employers should avoid when completing the Form. The Webinar took place at noon on Thursday, May 9th, and was hosted by the North Carolina Association of Staffing Professionals (NCASP).  Benson was joined in the presentation by Star-Michelle Smith, Vice President of Human Resources at Intellect Resources. Click here to read Jill Benson’s recent client alert on the new Form I-9.Jill Benson is an experienced labor and employment litigator who represents employers in a wide range of labor and employment issues, including: Anti-discrimination disputes, including those involving Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (race, color, national origin, sex, religion), Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA); retaliation claims; wage and hour claims (Fair Labor Standards Act and North Carolina Wage and Hour Act); leave of absence issues, including Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA), military leave and paid time off concerns; employment agreements, including protection of trade secrets and enforcement of non-compete agreements. Benson practices in Womble Carlyle’s Greensboro, N.C. office.http://www.wcsr.com/events/recap-sanjay-beri-todd-harris-talk-startups-strategy-and-funding-with-modev-membersThu, 02 May 2013 08:00:00 EDTWASHINGTON, D.C.—MoDev returned to Womble Carlyle’s Washington, D.C. office on May 2nd for its monthly StartUp LunchEach month, MoDev members will have access to a free lunch and rock solid advice on startup structures, strategies and funding from some of the region’s best minds and networked pros. We'll invite investors, strategists and others to join the conversation each month. All subjects related to startups are on the table including but not limited to: Business structure & incorporation, shares and shareholders, funding methods and strategy, intellectual property & trademarks, privacy and terms of use, mergers and acquisitions.At this session, Womble Carlyle attorneys Sanjay Beri and Todd Harris moderated a discussion on “Startups, Strategy and Funding.”Sanjay Beri’s practice focuses primarily on technology licensing, specifically monetizing clients’ intellectual property assets in the high-tech and software industries. He counsels a variety of clients in high-tech, software, medical device, satellite, mobile, healthcare and Internet industries regarding the structuring and negotiation of their technology-related deals and commercial exploitation of their intellectual property assets.Todd Harris focuses his practice on commercialization of intellectual property rights in information technologies and digital media, including software and content licensing, Internet-based businesses, university-based and federal lab-based technology transfer, international IT services outsourcing, and strategic commercial relationships such as software distribution channels and OEM agreements. He advises clients on monetizing their proprietary technologies, structures and negotiates their commercial deals, and counsels companies and investors regarding intellectual property aspects of financings and mergers.Womble Carlyle connects tech clients with resources, investment and strategic partners. Working across our 14 offices in the Mid-Atlantic, Southeast and Silicon Valley, we have relationships with companies and capital sources and we put that network to use for our clients. Contact attorney Todd Harris (tharris@wcsr.com or @ToddOnTech on Twitter) for more information.http://www.wcsr.com/events/les-is-more-womble-carlyle-announces-silicon-valley-chapter-sponsorship-of-licensing-executive-societyWed, 01 May 2013 08:00:00 EDTSILICON VALLEY, CALIF.— Womble Carlyle is pleased to be an Annual Sponsor of the Licensing Executives Society (LES) Silicon Valley Chapter.   As a LES-SVC sponsor, the firm will be participating in the LES-SVC 13th Annual Meeting on Wednesday, May 1 at Hewlett Packard Global Headquarters in Palo Alto, Calif. Presenters at the event will include:   Jim Marggraff, Chairman and CEO at Livescribe, and the inventor of the LeapFrong FLY Pentop computer and creator of the LeapPad Learning System. Audrey Yap Su Ming, founder and IP leader of Yusarn Audrey in Singapore. Dan Wahlig, Global Services Senior Consultant for Control Risks, an international risk consultancy.   Click here for more information on the LES-SVC Annual Meeting.http://www.wcsr.com/events/us-rep-howard-coble-to-headline-womble-carlyles-nc-intellectual-property-cleWed, 01 May 2013 08:00:00 EDTGREENSBORO, N.C.—Intellectual Property is one of Womble Carlyle’s mainstay practices, and some of the firm’s top IP and patent attorneys will be sharing their knowledge at the firm’s North Carolina Intellectual Property CLE. The event, which is aimed at in-house general counsel and other corporate decision-makers who have IP responsibilities, takes place May 1 at the Joint School of Nanoscience and Nanoengineering in Greensboro. U.S. Rep. Howard Coble (R-N.C.) will be the keynote speaker for the event. Rep. Coble is the Chair of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property and the Internet. Other discussions include: “Patent Reform: How will sweeping new laws impact you?” with Volvo Trucks attorney Martin Farrell and Womble Carlyle attorneys Bob Rhodes and Jessica Gorczynski. Jack Hicks will moderate the panel discussion.“International IP Enforcement: Opening Markets Abroad and Protecting Innovation Across Borders” by Jack Hicks.“Minimizing Legal Exposure – From Contractual Disclaimers to IP Insurance: How You Can Limit your IP Liability” by Christopher Bolen.“Internet Domain Names and Trademark Clearinghouse: Are you Protecting your Brands?” by Tiffani Otey.“Abusive Patent Litigation: Patent Troll Toolkit: Managing The Legal Risk” by Jeff McFadden and John Morrow. For more information, please contact Meri Mulalic at (336) 747-6607 or memulalic@wcsr.com Course planners are Jack Hicks—(336) 574-8050 or jhicks@wcsr.com and Bob Rhodes—(336) 574-8040 or brhodes@wcsr.com.  About the Speakers U.S. Rep. Howard Coble (Congress) has represented North Carolina’s 6th District in Congress since 1985. In 2012, Rep. Coble won his 15th term of office, capturing 61 percent of the vote. The Greensboro native serves on the House Subcommittee on Intellectual Property, Competition and the Internet. Before his election to Congress, Rep. Coble practiced law. He served as an Assistant Guilford County and Assistant U.S. Attorney, as well as in private practice. Rep. Coble also is the former Secretary of the North Carolina Department of Revenue and a former member of the North Carolina House of Representatives. Rep. Coble served more than 27 years in the U.S. Coast Guard and Coast Guard Reserve. He is a graduate of Guilford College and earned his law degree from the University of North Carolina. Martin (Marty) Farrell (Volvo) is the senior patent attorney for Volvo Trucks North America and Mack Trucks, Inc. He also has significant responsibilities for other technology areas of Volvo’s North American operations, including Volvo Penta marine and industrial engines, Volvo Construction Equipment, and Volvo Road Machinery. Marty previously worked in-house at Michelin Corporation, and also has experience in private practice. He is agraduate of the StevensInstitute of Technology and Vanderbilt University School of Law and has more than 20 years of patent law experience. Christopher Bolen (Womble Carlyle) is the Co-chair of Womble Carlyle’s Intellectual Property Practice Group, and has more than 25 years of experience in intellectual property matters. Christopher regularly advises technology- and knowledge-based companies on developing and implementing intellectual property strategies. He has extensive experience guiding companies in protecting and commercializing their technology and brands. Jessica Gorczynski (Womble Carlyle) guides clients through patent searches, reviews, and the preparation and prosecution of patent applications before the United States Patent Office. She also assists clients with patent non-infringement and patentability opinions. Her clients include pharmaceutical companies, chemical and polymer manufacturers, research universities, and life sciences companies. Before practicing law, Jessica earned a Ph.D. in chemistry from the University of Virginia. A licensed patent attorney with more than 20 years of experience, Jack Hicks (Womble Carlyle) has considerable experience helping companies prepare and prosecute patents in international venues, particularly in Europe and in Asia. Hicks spent the summer of 2010 working at the European Patent Offices in Germany and the European Union’s Designs Department in Spain. At both institutions, he worked on eLearning modules intended to help US clients pursue targeted and cost-effective intellectual property protection throughout Europe. Hicks has particular patent experience in the global aerospace, nanotechnology and home furnishings industries. Jeff McFadden (Womble Carlyle) helps companies, particularly technology-based businesses, acquire and protect IP assets. Jeff’s experience includes guiding companies through disputes initiated by patent trolls, with a focus on helping clients solve these problems in the simplest, most cost-effective manner possible. John Morrow (Womble Carlyle) currently chairs Womble Carlyle’s intellectual property litigation group, where for the past 17 years he has focused his practice on handling all aspects of patent infringement, trademark infringement, unfair competition, copyright infringement, trade secret misappropriation, false advertising, and antitrust lawsuits.  John has served as first and second chair in state or federal courts sitting in North Carolina, Nevada, Wyoming, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Massachusetts, Ohio, New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Georgia, South Carolina, Utah, and Virginia.  Tiffani Otey (Womble Carlyle) assists clients in all aspects of trademark protection, from selection of an available trademark, to protection of that mark under the applicable federal and common laws, to enforcement of that mark against infringements and unauthorized uses. She represents clients before the United States Trademark Office and the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board. Since 1966, Bob Rhodes (Womble Carlyle) has been instrumental in the acquisition and registration of many hundreds of patents and trademarks. In addition, he has served clients and assisted general and corporate counsel by offering opinions concerning the validity and infringement of patents, serving as an expert witness at trial, negotiating complex licenses, handling numerous pieces of litigation, and counseling hundreds of clients as to how to best position themselves to protect their interests in the marketplace.