CED Member Spotlight: Alston & Bird LLP

For more than a century, the full-service law firm Alston & Bird LLP has provided excellence in a variety of practice areas, earning them such accolades as placement in Fortune magazine's "100 Best Companies To Work For" for 10 consecutive years and employing 120 lawyers listed in Best Lawyers in America 2009. The firm's Triangle practice has found a niche in intellectual property, and is a part of the firm's intellectual property practice, which is one of the largest of any general practice firm in the U.S.

About Alston & Bird's Raleigh Office

Alston & Bird employs 900 attorneys and 2,000 people overall throughout the U.S. Their practice areas range from antitrust to wealth planning. The firm's roots date back to 1893, and it has experienced significant growth through expansion and mergers (including the 1997 merger with Bell, Seltzer, Park and Gibson that established the Raleigh office). The attorneys in the Raleigh office concentrate their practice in intellectual property - patent work, specifically targeting biotechnology, chemical and pharmaceuticals, mechanical, medical devices and more. The office boasts a tax practice with the former associate chief counsel (corporate) of the Internal Revenue Service.

A Vision For Biotech Growth
Alston & Bird, through members such as Murray Spruill, chair of the firm's Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Patent Group and managing partner of the Raleigh office, recognizes the value in nurturing the area's bustling biotechnology sector. "It is important to ensure that biotech flourishes not only in Research Triangle Park, but throughout North Carolina," said Spruill. To that end, the firm has partnered with CED to help promote the industry through the Biotech 2009 conference and other efforts. "We have aligned with CED because it is a leader in our community, as well as throughout the country, by attracting industry experts to the area" said Spruill. "We hope our combined efforts can help promote and encourage our growth in biotech."

Alston & Bird LLP is a long-time CED member and supporter. In addition to contributing to both Innovation to Impact campaigns at the major benefactor and supporter levels respectively, the firm is a perennial sponsor of CED's conferences and programs. Most recently, Alston & Bird was the headline sponsor at CED's Biotech 2009 conference.

It's Tax Time - Where Are Your Receipts?

There is a new CED member company that may be able to help you during tax time. Shoeboxed, a Durham based start up, offers a free web site where you can store and organize all your receipts and business cards. The company has a receipt mail-in program through which Shoeboxed will scan your receipts, extract the data, and make it available through a secure website. Once there, you can export your data in various formats including QuickBooks, Quicken, Excel, and CSV for use in accounting, bookkeeping, or CRM applications.

If you need a little more assistance, there are many companies within CED's membership that have tax expertise. Among them: Boyce Furr and Company LLP; Dixon Hughes, PLLC; Grant Thornton LLP; Hughes Pittman & Gupton, LLP; PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP; Nelson & Company P.A.; and Thomas, Knight, Trent, King and Company.

Pappas Ventures Raises $96 Million for Fourth Fund

Pappas Ventures, an RTP-based venture capital firm that focuses on the life sciences industries, has raised $96 million, nearly half its $200 million goal, for its fourth investment fund. The firm invests in biotechnology, specialty pharmaceuticals, drug delivery, medical devices and related ventures with a mission of bringing promising technologies to commercial application - from concept to commerce.

Pappas Ventures is a long time CED member and supporter. In addition to contributing to CED's Innovation to Impact campaign at the supporter level, the firm is a perennial sponsor of CED's Venture and Biotech conferences. Currently, Eric Linsley, a partner at the firm, is serving as a steering committee member for CED's Medtech 2009 conference and a CED board member.