Lawyers / Professionals

 
Corby Cochran Anderson       
Partner
Bank of America Corporate Center
100 North Tryon Street, Suite 2900
Charlotte, North Carolina 28202-4011
T: 704.343.2225
F: 704.373.8935
canderson@mcguirewoods.com
 

Ms. Anderson's practice focuses on commercial litigation, intellectual property, franchising, and media law. She has represented business clients in trials and appeals involving trademark and copyright claims, trade secret claims, and contract and business tort disputes. She has defended clients in class action litigation over the administration of franchise advertising funds, the calculation of insurance benefits, and the syndication of limited partnerships in the cable television industry. She regularly counsels clients on intellectual property, advertising and franchising matters. Her work for media clients includes the defense of libel actions in North Carolina, Mississippi and Ohio courts, as well as cases involving subpoenas and access to public records.


Representative Matters
  • Advise clients including regional retailers, franchisors and publishers on trademark, copyright, and advertising issues.
  • Represented a major financial institution seeking to halt a competitor's trademark infringement in nationally televised bankcard commercials.
  • Defended a franchisor in a nationwide class action over the administration of franchise advertising funds.
  • Represented a national software company in litigation against a prospective business partner involving copyright and trade secret disputes related to software for performance measurement in health care industry.
  • Represented international power plant manufacturers in a fraud and breach of contract dispute in federal court in Florida over the construction of a power plant in Pakistan.
  • Defended a Southeastern grocery chain in a lawsuit in federal court in Texas filed by a company that provided "mystery shopper" services, alleging copyright infringement and theft of trade secrets.
  • Represented the 25th largest school system in the nation in copyright and trademark matters, including protecting trademark rights, negotiating license agreements and publishing contracts, and advising on IP issues related to Internet use and curriculum materials.
  • Defended an Indiana-based insurer in class action litigation in federal court in South Carolina over the calculation of insurance benefits.
  • Represent various national franchisors in federal courts in North Carolina seeking injunctive relief against franchisees for trademark infringement and related claims.
  • Represented a Jordan-based manufacturer and distributor of food products and its North Carolina affiliate in a trademark, trade dress, and false advertising lawsuit filed in federal court in North Carolina against an Illinois distributor of Middle Eastern foods.
  • Defended a major motion picture distributor in a copyright infringement lawsuit filed by an author who claimed his manuscript was the basis for the movie "He Got Game."
  • Represented a niche-market maker of canine treats in a federal lawsuit to enforce its trademark rights against a major manufacturer of pet products.
  • Defended a South Carolina-based video distributor in lawsuits in Massachusetts and Indiana over licensing issues, copyright infringement, and trademark infringement and dilution.
  • Represented a Kansas-based cooling tower manufacturer in a federal lawsuit in Florida involving trademark infringement and business defamation disputes with a competitor based in Calcutta, India.
  • Defended a general partner in a class action over the syndication of limited partnerships in the cable television industry.
  • Represented a national investment bank in consolidated securities fraud litigation in Oklahoma.

Practices & Industries
Honors
  • Named One of the "Best Lawyers in America," Woodward/White, Inc., 2010-2011
  • Named One of North Carolina's "Legal Elite," Business North Carolina, 2010

Previous Experience
  • Member, Helms Mulliss & Wicker, PLLC, Charlotte, North Carolina
  • Appointed Special Master to resolve discovery disputes in Boeing Co. v. United States, a major government contract case.
  • Law Clerk, U.S. Court of Federal Claims
  • Reporter, Editor, Publisher, The Bureau of National Affairs, Inc. and Buraff Publications

Publications
  • "The Initial Interest Confusion Doctrine: A Powerful Protection Against Infringement," ABA Franchise Law Journal
  • "Franchising & Distribution Currents," ABA Franchise Law Journal
  • "The Antitrust Risks of Information Sharing," ABA Franchise Law Journal
  • "Confidential Sources and Public Figure Libel Plaintiffs: The Jewell Case Offers Good Guidance for the Media," Southern Newspaper Publishers Association
  • "Wiretapping: What Happens When Private Conversations Take a Public Turn," Southern Newspaper Publishers Association
  • "Rosa Parks v. Outkast: Right of Publicity Versus the First Amendment," ABA First Amendment and Media Litigation Newsletter
  • "When the Police Knock at Your Door: Newsroom Search Warrants," Southern Newspaper Publishers Association
  • "Media Law Resource Center's 50-State Survey of Libel Law," Chapters on 4th Circuit and North Carolina Law
  • "North Carolina Considers Right of Publicity Statute," North Carolina Bar Association's Sports & Entertainment Law Newsletter
  • "Racing Was Built Here, Racing Lawyers Belong Here," North Carolina State Bar Journal
  • "The Mecklenburg Bar Revue: Give Them an Audience and They Milk It So Hard It Moos," North Carolina State Bar Journal

Speaking Engagements
  • "Protecting Your Famous Marks Against Trademark Dilution," ABA Franchise Forum Presentation and Paper
  • "Anatomy of a Franchise Lawsuit," North Carolina Bar Association Presentation and Paper
  • "Legal Issues for Writers," The North Carolina Writers' Network

Professional Affiliations
  • Mecklenburg County Bar
    • Board of Directors, 2003-2006
    • Publications Committee, CLE Committee (former member)
  • American Bar Association
    • Franchise Law Journal, Editorial Board
    • First Amendment and Media Litigation Committee (former member)
  • North Carolina Bar Association
    • Committee on Trademarks, Copyrights, and Trade Secrets, IP Section
    • Committee on Franchising, Business Law Section
  • North Carolina Association of Women Attorneys

Civic Affiliations
  • College of Arts & Sciences Advisory Council, University of North Carolina at Charlotte
  • Board of Directors, Executive Committee, Programs Chair, Kids Voting
 

EDUCATION

University of Virginia School of Law, Charlottesville, Virginia, J.D., 1994

College of William & Mary, Williamsburg, Virginia, B.A., magna cum laude, 1976

 
 

ADMITTED

North Carolina 1994