Marcus W. Trathen

Marcus Trathen's practice is concentrated in the fields of communications law, utilities regulation, mass media, the Internet, intellectual property, and legislative representation. In this practice, he devotes a substantial amount of time on issues such as telecommunications regulation, media and the First Amendment, the Internet law and regulation, broadcast licensing and regulation, municipal regulation and licensing, regulatory certification and compliance, and intellectual property licensing. He practices primarily before the North Carolina Utilities Commission, the Federal Communications Commission, and local governments.

Honors & Awards

• Listed in The Best Lawyers in America (Woodward/White) in First Amendment Law, 2008-2011

Professional & Community Activities

• Member, Advisory Board for International and Area Studies, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 2001-05
• Chairman, Class of 1938 Endowment Committee, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 1995-2004
• Member, Federal Communications Bar Association
• Member, American Bar Association
• Member, North Carolina Bar Association

Articles, Publications & Speeches

• Co-Author, Survey of North Carolina Privacy and Related Claims Against the Media, Libel Defense Resource Center, 1997-present
• University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Law School Festival of Legal Learning, Recent Developments in Internet, Privacy, and Business Communications Law, February 2006, February 2007, February 2008, February 2009, February 2010
• University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Law School Festival of Legal Learning, Recent Developments in Internet and Telecommunications Law, February 2003, February 2004, and February 2005  
• Author, Reporter's Privilege Compendium: A Guide to State and Federal Law Concerning News Media Subpoenas, June 2002, The Reporter's Committee for Freedom of the Press
• The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Journalism and Mass Communications, Electronic News Academy, "Libel and Privacy Review for Reporters and Editors," June 2003
• The Internet and E-Commerce, "Regulatory Convergence: The Regulatory Treatment of Internet Services and Applications," August 2000
• North Carolina Library Association Annual Meeting, "Intellectual Freedom in Cyberspace: the Good, the Bad, the Ugly," September, 1999
• Greensboro Bar Association Foundation, Greensboro Public Library Foundation Continuing Legal Education Program, "Terrorism, Identity Theft, the Internet, and Libraries," January 2006

Seminars & Speaking Engagements

• Brooks Pierce Attorneys Present at UNC Festival of Legal Learning