Maya Simmons Rogers to Speak at CLE on Advising Directors and Officers on Corporate Governance7/17/2017  On Thursday, August 17, 2017, Maya Simmons Rogers, managing partner of the law firm Simmons Rogers, LLC, will present, along with attorneys Nefertara Clark, managing partner at Clark and Clark Law Group, LLC, John M. Gross, general counsel for Taylor English Duma LLP, and others at the National Business Institute’s (NBI) Continuing Legal Education (CLE) Seminar entitled “A Primer on Advising Directors and Officers on Corporate Governance” at the Cobb Galleria Centre in Atlanta, GA. Maya Simmons Rogers was invited to present because of her work with businesses, nonprofits, and their respective officers and directors.
The CLE will examine the duties and obligations of directors and officers and the liabilities associated with their roles. During the CLE, Maya Simmons Rogers will present on the “Fundamentals of Nonprofit Governance” and “Fiduciary Duties Under State Law: Nature and Scope.” She will provide invaluable tips and insights into how attorneys can be knowledgeable advisors of potential risks to their clients, help them identify issues proactively, and recommend policies and practices to minimize liability and maximize effectiveness. This CLE is designed for attorneys but founders, directors, officers, managers, presidents, vice presidents, accountants and paralegals will also benefit from the seminar. Those who attend the CLE will learn: 1. The baseline obligations of directors and officers; 2. How to keep their clients in compliance by fully understanding powers, duties, and liabilities under state law; 3. How to prepare their clients to safeguard against governance issues by examining top liabilities, including compensation issues, business transactions, intellectual property, contracts, and more; 4. How to stay up to date on initiatives, regulatory actions and new standards that affect tax-exempt organizations; 5. How to analyze the best practices and protocols for self-protection of directors and officers; and 6. Ways to gain a better understanding of Directors and Officers liability insurance, commonly referred to as D&O insurance, and exclusions to be wary of. Since 1983, NBI has been a national provider of continuing legal education and training. NBI is dedicated to providing practical, continuing legal education courses taught by experienced practitioners, so that attendees are equipped with information they can apply to their daily practice. To learn more about the seminar and register to attend, visit the NBI page here.  April Rose Blake and Lola Jae We are long overdue for a client spotlight and what better way to fix the problem than spotlighting one of our new outside general counsel clients: April Rose Blake. As a new resident of the metro-Atlanta area and a entrepreneur to the core we were destined to meet. A native of Jackson, Mississippi and a U.S. Army veteran, she came to the city with a passion and a drive that inspires everyone she comes in contact with. As a result of her determination and drive, she is ready to introduce her baby to the world. We are proud to announce the grand opening of My Swanky Pooch - A Luxury Pet Spawtique in Alpharetta, Georgia. The grand opening will be held at the retail store on April 22, 2017 from 11 am - 3 pm. Lola Jae, My Swanky Pooch's official brand ambassador, can't wait to meet you and your fur babies. What is My Swanky Pooch? My Swanky Pooch is an upscale dog boutique that sells designer dog clothes, unique pet accessories, and luxurious pet furniture. They even offer embroidery services. At My Swanky Pooch, every pooch is special and deserves to be treated as such. It is a beautiful place where you can shop for (and with) your beloved fur baby. The spawtique even has dressing rooms so you can try the swanky wear on your fur baby in the store. Whether you are looking for organic bath and body products for your pet, pet umbrellas, Atlanta sports gear for your fur baby, fashionable carriers or clothes; My Swanky Pooch has you covered. They even offer custom Gucci and Louis Vuitton apparel for your pet.  During the grand opening event, My Swanky Pooch will offer a "pawesome" art activity for fur babies and pet parents alike, paw polish, and stencil art for pets. There will also be a photo booth to capture the memories along with treats for everyone during this fur family event. As an extra treat, Cousins Maine Lobster Truck will be on site during the grand opening and My Swanky Pooch will buy a lobster roll for the first 50 customers who spend $75 or more during the grand opening event. If you can't make it, you can always shop online at www.myswankypooch.com. For more information, you can email them or follow them online for all of the latest news:  As you prepare to register your mark, you have to decide if you are going to register a standard character drawing, also known as a word mark, or a special form drawing, also known as a design mark.
You might be wondering, what is the difference between the two drawings? For starters, a standard character drawing consists solely of words, letters, or numbers and protects the wording itself. While a special form drawing protects a specific design which could include colors, words, special drawings/characters, etc. A standard character drawing/word mark, protects only the registered word, without regards to any particular font, style, size, or color. Because a standard character drawing/word mark protects the word in any format, it provides the broadest protection for its owner. According to the United States Patent and Trademark Office ("USPTO"), in order to qualify as a standard character drawing/word mark, the mark must have the following characteristics: • No design element; • No stylization of lettering and/or numbers; • Any letters and words in Latin characters; • Any numbers in Roman or Arabic numerals; and • Only common punctuation or diacritical marks. A special form drawing/design mark, on the other hand, is for everything else. If your mark includes a particular style of lettering, particular color(s), special designs, pictures, etc., with or without words, you do not qualify for a standard character drawing/word mark and must file a special form drawing/design mark. There are lots of rules that apply when filing a special form drawing/design mark. For example, if color is not a feature of the special form drawing/design mark, then a black-and-white drawing should be filed. Many brands register both a word mark and a design mark because they protect different things. As you develop your intellectual property strategy for your business, be sure that you consider what needs to be protected and how you can protect it. For more information on trademarks, checkout our blog, visit the Trademark section of the USPTO, and/or contact your favorite attorney.  You finally came up with the perfect name and/or logo for your brand but can you use it? Did you check to see if someone already trademarked your brilliant idea?
Even if your exact idea is available, have you checked to see if it is similar to someone else's trademark. You can't use your mark if there is a "likelihood of confusion". What is likelihood of confusion? Essentially, likelihood of confusion exists when (1) the marks of the parties are similar and (2) the goods and services associated with the marks are related in such a way that people are likely to believe they are from the same source. To determine if your new name or logo is confusing, you have to look to see if the mark looks like, sounds like, has a similar meaning, or creates a similar overall commercial impression to the registered mark. For example, if your name is "The Mane Tamer" for natural hair products and someone else has registered "The Main Tamer" for chemical perms then you should probably pick another name. Why? Because these names look alike, sound alike when spoken, and arguably have similar meanings. Which means the first element in the likelihood of confusion test has been met. The second element deals with the goods and services being sold. Since the names are for related products, remember the goods or services don't have to be identical to be confusing, then the name you chose "The Mane Tamer" is probably going to fail the second element likelihood of confusion test too. As such, your application for a trademark will be rejected by the United States Trademark and Patent Office ("USPTO"). Even if the USPTO did not find a conflict during their initial review, the owner of "The Main Tamer" would oppose and contest your mark and cause your application for the trademark "The Mane Tamer" to be rejected. If your name "The Mane Tamer" was in reference to horse grooming, then the likelihood of confusion would be significantly reduced and you would stand a better chance of being able to register your mark. You're a problem solver and you want to keep your name, so perhaps you are thinking you can just use the name without registering it. Wrong! Even if you don't file for a trademark, if you use the name on your natural hair products, the owner of "The Main Tamer" trademark could sue you for trademark infringement. In order to avoid all of these unpleasantries, when you are selecting a trademark for your business, be careful not to select one that causes a likelihood of confusion with another trademark. How do you do that? By performing a search for similar marks that are used on related goods and services before adopting your trademark. This is called a "clearance search" and involves searching federal and state trademark registration databases. It also involves a search for unregistered common law trademarks by searching the Internet for similar marks being used for goods and services related to yours. If you don't know how to perform a clearance search a trademark lawyer can assist you. It is much easier and cheaper to do the search before you waste resources building a brand only to later find out you can't use it and have to spend even more resources rebranding. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE  Simmons Rogers, LLC Announces Contract With Governor’s Office of Transition, Support and Reentry
ATLANTA, GA — Simmons Rogers LLC and its managing partner, Maya Simmons Rogers, recently announced a contract from the Governor of Georgia’s Office of Transition, Support and Reentry ("GOTSR"). The firm – in conjunction with Robert E. Keller, a former Clayton County, Ga. District Attorney – will assist the office in composing, clarifying and updating the policies and procedures of state agencies as they relate to reentering citizens. Read more about the GOTSR here. “We are excited about the opportunity that has been entrusted to our firm and we look forward to doing meaningful work on behalf of the Governor’s Office of Transition, Support and Reentry. We believe the decision to hire us is a testament to our work ethic and work product. Through this contract, we hope to help state agencies develop policies and procedures that will impact returning citizens in a positive way, reduce recidivism and forever transform Georgia into a safer, stronger state,” Rogers said. About Simmons Rogers, LLC: Simmons Rogers, LLC helps businesses and individuals navigate the inevitable legal mazes of life. The firm provides a wide range of professional legal services to businesses and individuals, not just in Atlanta, but throughout the State of Georgia and beyond. “We take pride in providing the quality of service and the level of representation you would expect from a large law firm at small firm rates,” Simmons Rogers said. About Maya Simmons Rogers: Ms. Rogers has created policies and procedures for private sector businesses and non-profits over the past decade. She spent several years working for local and national law firms based in Atlanta before launching Simmons Rogers, LLC. Read more here. About Robert E. Keller: Mr. Keller has nearly four decades of experience with Georgia’s criminal justice system. He has served as a Clayton County, Ga. District Attorney, on the Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles and is the former Deputy Director of GOTSR. For more information about Simmons Rogers, LLC please visit our website. You may also contact the firm by phone at (404) 445-8146 or by e-mail at [email protected]. Our very own attorney, Maya Simmons Rogers, was featured on Atlanta Legal Experts Radio, a weekly internet radio show hosted by Emily Rowell on Buckhead Business RadioX. During the show Mrs. Rogers was able to share valuable information about the firm and participate in a round table discussion on transitioning from a large law firm to a small/solo practice. The Atlanta Legal Experts Radio show reaches out to attorneys and associates in the legal field and provides much needed information revolving around the most relevant topics in today’s legal world. Their guests consist of attorneys who are experts in their field, representatives from local legal associations, and a mix of legal professors, authors, and speakers to provide the audience with a resource of beneficial information. The show airs weekly on Tuesdays at 8 AM Eastern. Click here for more information on the show. |
Simmons Rogers, LLCSimmons Rogers, LLC is a full- service civil law firm based in Atlanta, Georgia. We provide legal services as well as mediation and arbitration services, to businesses and individuals throughout the state of Georgia and beyond. Archives
January 2018
Categories
All
This blog is not intended to be a complete explanation of the law. Its purpose is to inform, not to advise on any specific legal problem or legal rights. If you have specific questions regarding any topic in this blog, you are encouraged to consult the Atlanta based law firm of Simmons Rogers, LLC or an attorney licensed in your
state. |
RSS Feed
Simmons Rogers, LLC
4045 Orchard Rd SE, Suite 210 Smyrna, Georgia 30080 Phone: 404-445-8146 Fax: 404-445-8226 E-mail: [email protected] |
LEGAL DISCLAIMER
The information on this website is for informational purposes only and is not legal advice. Use of this website does not create an attorney-client relationship between you and Simmons Rogers, LLC. You should not act upon the information within this website without seeking advice from a lawyer licensed in your own state or country. You should not send any confidential information to Simmons Rogers, LLC until and unless a formal lawyer-client relationship has been established in writing. Unless you have received such written confirmation, we will not consider any correspondence you send us as confidential. |
© 2013-2018. All Rights Reserved. Simmons Rogers, LLC
Attorney Advertising. The choice of a lawyer is an important decision and should not be based solely upon advertisements.
Privacy Policy
Attorney Advertising. The choice of a lawyer is an important decision and should not be based solely upon advertisements.
Privacy Policy