The North Carolina Bar Board of Legal Specialization recently honored intellectual property attorney Angela Doughty and Ward and Smith alum Matt Cordell.
Angela was named the recipient of the 2019 Sara H. David Excellence Award while Matt received the 2019 James E. Cross Jr. Leadership Award during the Annual Specialists Luncheon on May 17 in Raleigh.
The Sara H. Davis of Excellence Award is given each year to a certified specialist who exemplifies excellence in his or her daily work as an attorney, and special consideration is given for a long proven track record of handling challenging matter successfully, for sharing knowledge and experience with other lawyers, and high ethical standards.
Angela has been a trademark specialist since 2013. She has participated in the North Carolina Bar Association Intellectual Property Law Section since 2007, and has served in various positions including committee chair and council member, and worked on the executive committee in officer positions including secretary, treasurer, vice-chair, and chair. She worked with the North Carolina State Bar and Bar Association to create her specialty committee, on which she served from 2012-2018, and she was one of the first individuals certified in her specialty area. Additionally, Angela has spoken at various events for lawyers and has been recognized by clients and peers with numerous other awards. Most recently, Managing Intellectual Property magazine selected Angela as an "IP Star" for North Carolina for 2019.
The James E. Cross Jr. Leadership Award is given to a specialist who has taken an active leadership role in his or her practice area through presentations at CEL seminars, scholarly writings, and participation in groundbreaking cases. Matt is the author of dozens of blogs about cutting edge issues in his field, and he is a frequent speaker at CLE and other educational events, including being a guest presenter at Ward and Smith's 2018 In-House Counsel Seminar.
Matt founded and chairs the Privacy and Information Security Specializations Committee of the North Carolina State Bar, the first specialization committee of its kind in the U.S. He currently serves as general counsel for VF Corporation.
