is a partner with Conn Kavanaugh Rosenthal Peisch & Ford, LLP. He is a technology transaction attorney who counsels clients regarding legal and strategic business issues associated with complex transactions and outsourcing engagements from the bid stage through contract execution. Mr. Schaffner's practice focuses on artificial intelligence, large language models, cloud computing, SaaS, privacy and data security, information technology, software development, systems implementation, business process transactions, integrated facilities management, third party logistics, and licensing. He also advises clients regarding intellectual property, information technology, and privacy issues in M&A transactions, including performing due diligence and negotiating contractual terms for those items in purchase agreements. Mr. Schaffner's representative information technology transactions include the outsourcing of IT infrastructure services and support, managed network services, network security services, application development and maintenance, and telecommunications services. His representative business process sourcing transactions include ERP deployments, the outsourcing of finance and accounting functions, human resource/employee services, and international employee relocation services. Mr. Schaffner has also represented clients in custom software development agreements, semiconductor chip manufacturing agreements, technology and pharmaceutical licenses, end user license agreements, website development/terms of service agreements, and content/distribution agreements. He has represented clients in a variety of industries with an emphasis on financial services, consumer products, manufacturing, hospitality, health care, energy, mining, and space. Mr. Schaffner earned his B.S. and M.B.A. degrees from University of Buffalo, his M.S. degree from University of Rochester, and his J.D. degree from Cornell University.

is senior counsel with Shumaker, Loop & Kendrick, LLP in Charlotte, North Carolina. As an attorney with extensive experience in data privacy, cybersecurity, and AI governance, he helps businesses and individuals manage complex legal challenges, from privacy compliance and AI adoption and development to data breach response. A certified information privacy professional and certified AI governance professional, Mr. Focht addresses the unique challenges posed by emerging technologies and evolving privacy laws and regulations, empowering his clients to innovate securely and responsibly. His practice focuses on providing strategic guidance to businesses navigating the complexities of ensuring that the creation, development, and adoption of new technology complies with legal obligations - a fast-moving target in today's world, including advising clients on compliance with key regulatory frameworks, such as the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act (HITECH), and emerging laws like the EU AI Act and new state-level privacy laws. Mr. Focht works closely with business leaders and internal teams to develop and implement policies, procedures and notices, negotiate data processing agreements, manage data breach responses, and ensure secure international data transfers. He frequently helps his clients draft technology-related contracts, develop privacy-by-design and secure-by-design systems, and conduct vendor audits to ensure compliance with evolving privacy and cybersecurity standards. Combining his deep understanding of legal compliance with his tech-savvy approach, Mr. Focht assists in the development of AI platforms, mobile applications, Software as a Service (SaaS) products, and online platform design and operation, collaborating with engineers and product teams to ensure seamless integration of legal frameworks into product development. Mr. Focht earned his BA degree from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and JD degree from Wake Forest University School of Law.

is a shareholder with Kirton McConkie PC in Salt Lake City, Utah. He assists companies, entrepreneurs, and investment funds in international and domestic commercial transactions. He has extensive experience guiding clients to creative and pragmatic solutions in their mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, financings, and foreign direct investments. His global clientele spans Asia, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and the Americas. Mr. Bench has worked and consulted in the U.S., Asia, and South America, and he is fluent in Chinese and Cantonese and is working toward Spanish fluency. He is passionate about diving deep into cutting-edge industries and difficult markets to make sense of the chaos in those fast-paced and often murky legal environments. He represents a variety of manufacturers, brokers, and retailers in their global supply chain structuring and restructuring projects, typically involving China or nearshoring away from China to Southeast Asia and Latin America. Mr. Bench has particular interest and expertise in emerging technologies, such as generative artificial intelligence (AI) and blockchain. He represents founders who are developing AI tools for a range of industries and use cases across consulting, marketing, education, customer service, and middleware to automate AI processes. His blockchain experience encompasses layer-2 blockchain developers, international DAO communities, NFT artists and studios, metaverse companies, and celebrity brand influencers. He is a sought-after speaker and writer for national and global organizations on U.S. and international business development. Mr. Bench has written over 150 blog posts and articles and presented on various business and legal topics over 80 times on four continents. He serves on various boards and dedicates time to mentoring entrepreneurs and students through several nonprofit organizations. His contributions have earned him recognition as a top author on Lexology and accolades from various industry groups as a prominent lawyer. Most recently, Mr. Bench was named to Utah's Legal Elite 100 and described as "an excellent attorney but also a thought leader in two very different industries: international business and blockchain."

is a partner with Burr & Forman LLP's general commercial litigation and intellectual property groups. She represents institutional clients and individuals in a broad range of litigation matters, including contract disputes between businesses, disputes between franchisors and franchisees, financial services matters involving retail banks, credit card companies, and mortgage originators or servicers, disputes relating to distributorship, manufacturing, license, and warranty agreements, and operating agreement and shareholder disputes. Ms. Mathews also regularly represents clients in intellectual property litigation, including patent, trademark, copyright, and trade secret matters. Her patent experience involves a wide variety of technologies, such as devices for remotely communicating with and controlling electronic apparatuses, programmable light timers, work gear and tools, medical devices, and sporting goods and equipment. Ms. Mathews' trademark and copyright practice focuses primarily on the food and beverage, retail clothing, and music industries. Her intellectual property practice also extends to patent, trademark, and copyright prosecution, maintaining intellectual property portfolios, policing intellectual property rights, and assisting in franchise due diligence. Ms. Mathews is licensed to practice law in Alabama, Florida and North Carolina. She has represented clients in federal district courts in Alabama, California, Florida, New York, North Carolina and Texas. Ms. Mathews also represents clients in USPTO and US Copyright Office matters. She has been listed in The Best Lawyers in America® for her commercial litigation practice since 2023.

is the founder and CEO of New Beginnings Family Law, P.C., where her main areas of practice are divorce, child custody, parental alienation, mediation, adoption, and surrogacy. Prior to opening her own practice, she worked in the Circuit Court of Jefferson County Domestic Relations Division as a law clerk for the Honorable Ralph A. Ferguson, Jr., and in the firm of Shaw-Anderson, LLC. Ms. James earned her B.A. and M.B.A. degrees from the University of Alabama at Birmingham, and her J.D. degree from the Birmingham School of Law. She is admitted to practice in Alabama and before the U.S. Supreme Court. Ms. James is also a board-certified family law trial advocate, having received her board certification from the National Board of Trial Advocacy. She is a member of the Alabama State Bar; and the American, Morgan County and Huntsville-Madison County bar associations. Ms. James has previously been recognized as Female Entrepreneur of the Year in 2020 by the Catalyst Center for Business and Entrepreneurship in Huntsville, Alabama. Her firm was chosen as the Professional Services Business of the Year in 2020 by the Huntsville-Madison County Chamber of Commerce. Her firm is consistently recognized as one of the Best Places to Work in Huntsville, Alabama and recently received the designation of Best Place for Working Parents.