Anne Baroody

Overview

Anne is an associate in the firm’s Litigation practice group. She focuses on complex commercial disputes and litigation before federal and state courts, the United States Trademark Trial and Appeal Board, and alternative dispute resolution bodies. While Anne’s prior clerkship experience helps her adeptly navigate federal and state courts, she also works hard to find pre-litigation and negotiated solutions for her clients.

Anne enjoys guiding clients in numerous industries through commercial, unfair competition, and branding disputes. Her matters often involve trade secrets, restrictive covenants, business torts, deceptive practices, trademarks, franchise systems, marketing, contract disputes, employment discrimination, and consumer protection statutes, such as the TCPA. In every matter, Anne channels her analytical style and attention to detail to develop and highlight the strengths of her client’s case.

Experience

Represented a large financial services institution in a series of lawsuits with a major competitor that involved allegations of corporate raiding, misappropriation of trade secrets, and alleged violation of restrictive covenants. The competitor of our client and a former employee initiated a lawsuit in state court, seeking a temporary restraining order to prevent our client from enforcing certain restrictive covenants. The firm removed the case to federal court and successfully defeated a motion to remand when the federal court found that the competitor had fraudulently joined an affiliate of our client in an effort to defeat diversity jurisdiction. The competitor then withdrew its motion for temporary restraining order and instead filed a motion for preliminary injunction. The firm then asserted several counterclaims against the competitor and former employee, defending the enforceability of the restrictive covenants and asserting trade secret claims, tort claims, and claims for breaches of the covenants. After some discovery, the competitor and former employee withdrew their motion for preliminary injunction, and the case resulted in a substantial settlement in favor of our client.
Represent two entrepreneurs in defense of claims for alleged misappropriation of trade secrets, misuse of confidential information, trademark infringement, and related claims. The case involves new, cutting-edge technology relating to small satellites (cube satellites) and the internet of things. The firm obtained summary judgment for our clients on several claims, including on the plaintiff's claims for trademark infringement, breach of contractual client and employee non-solicits, and violation of the Georgia computer systems protection statute.
Served as lead counsel on behalf of a national broker/dealer client in a series of FINRA arbitrations arising out the departure of multiple employees following the client's sale of its wealth division. The firm filed individual arbitrations to recover amounts owed by the former employees and defended against their various employment-related counterclaims. The firm was successful in recovering over $16 million for the client and defeating more than $17 million in claims against the client.
Defend national clinical lab testing company against claims of race, age, color, sex, national origin, and disability discrimination and retaliation brought by senior level current employee. Following dismissal of some claims, we were able to resolve remaining claims through lower-cost settlement.

Presenter, Hot Topics in Financial Services Litigation in 2019, CLE for major financial institution. Presented latest developments in Telephone Consumer Protection Act litigation and compliance
Co-author, "Proving Damages in an Emerging Industry: Lessons From Waymo v. Uber," ABA Section of Litigation Intellectual Property Committee Newsletter (May 2019)

Areas of focus

Alternative Dispute Resolution
Appellate Litigation
Business Torts & Unfair Competition
Commercial Disputes
Financial Services Litigation
Franchise Disputes
Intellectual Property & Restrictive Covenants

Education

University of Georgia School of Law (J.D., summa cum laude, 2014) Georgia Law Review (Managing and Editorial Boards); Appellate Litigation Clinic; Order of the Coif
Davidson College (B.A., cum laude, 2009) Phi Beta Kappa

Accolades

Recognized in Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch for Appellate Practice (2021)
Selected as a Georgia Super Lawyers "Rising Star" in Business Litigation by Super Lawyers magazine (2018, 2019, 2020) (top 2.5% of attorneys in Georgia 40 years old or younger or in practice 10 years or less)
Winner of the Andrew P. Vance Memorial Writing Competition - Hosted by the Customs and International Trade Bar Association and Brooklyn Law School
Winner of the LCCHP Student Writing Competition - Hosted by the Lawyers’ Committee for Cultural Heritage Preservation