Tracy Cummings

Experience

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  Brooks, Pierce, McLendon, Humphrey & Leonard, LLP

  Jan 1993 - Jan 1997

  Legal Assistant

  Provided support to two Partners specializing in labor and employment and corporate and securities law, respectively, including word processing of briefs, motions, interrogatories, affidavits, proposals, speeches and general correspondence; gathered information, reviewed and summarized depositions; drafted position statements; preparation of litigation notebooks and trial documents; preparation of corporate documents such as promissory notes, loan and security agreements; organization of legal files; legal research; preparation of bills and expense reports; written and verbal communication with clients. Show less

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  LifeStyle Furnishings International Inc.

  Jan 1998 - Jan 2002

  Certified Paralegal

  Provided legal support to legal department of $2 billion corporation; maintained corporate records, minute books and Secretariat database for over 100 domestic and foreign subsidiaries and legal entities; drafted and reviewed correspondence, resolutions, security and loan agreements, promissory notes, offers to purchase and contracts of sale, listing agreements and other legal documentation; managed intellectual property portfolio (over 2,000 trademarks); worked with various divisions regarding trademark, patent and copyright matters; assisted in responding to office actions; prepared applications for registration, renewals, declarations, statements of use and extension requests; prepared and obtained documents for legalization; performed trademark and patent searches and prepared summaries of findings; researched prior art; worked with outside U.S. and foreign counsel; performed UCC searches and prepared filings using CT Advantage software; calculated preference claims for bankruptcy cases; coordinated activities of outside counsel and reviewed legal bills; broad transactional experience, including due diligence and data room preparation, legal research, real estate transactions, securities, bonds and corporate finance. In early 2001, was selected as part of a small team of corporate officers and staff responsible for the sale of substantially all of LifeStyle's operating businesses and assets in a period of less than twelve months, and handled the collection, assembly and indexing of due diligence materials, drafting and revision of disclosure schedules, preparation of closing documents and numerous other tasks in connection with these transactions, all of which occurred virtuously simultaneously. Show less

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  International Textile Group (formerly Burlington Industries, Inc.)

  Jan 2002 - Jan 2005

  Corporate Paralegal - Vice President of BI Properties I Inc.

  Performed a variety of complex law-related tasks under the direction of the company's in-house attorneys; reviewed and drafted confidentiality, independent contractor, assignment and settlement agreements; maintained contracts database; coordinated board meetings; prepared minutes and other meeting materials; maintained corporate records and minute books; prepared and filed for incorporation, qualification and dissolution of subsidiaries; managed intellectual property database (1,000+ trademarks); gathered information, prepared and filed trademark and renewal applications, declarations of use, and affidavits; reviewed office actions and drafted responses; performed trademark and patent searches and reported findings; researched prior art; ordered and reviewed full trademark searches; prepared and obtained documents for legalization; worked with outside U.S. and foreign intellectual property counsel; reviewed Official Gazettes for potential conflicting trademarks; prepared and filed copyright applications; acted as Secretary of company's Technology and Patent Review Committee (Innovations Awards Program); drafted and audited trademark and patent license agreements to confirm licensee's compliance with trademark usage, territory, quality control, royalty and other requirements; prepared quarterly royalty reports; coordinated and assisted with transaction due diligence and closing activities, including collection and indexing of data room information, preparation of closing documents and other tasks; assisted in commercial real estate transactions (drafted purchase agreements, bills of sale, lease assignments, deeds, affidavits, closing checklists and statements; prepared closing binders); worked with title companies and surveyors; assisted in immigration matters by conducting interviews with new foreign employees; gathered information and worked with outside counsel to prepare and file visa applications. Show less

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  Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough

  Jan 2005 - Jan 2011

  Senior Intellectual Property Paralegal

  Provided support to intellectual property attorneys specializing in trademarks, patents, copyrights, and litigation; prepared and filed U.S. and international trademark applications, renewal applications, affidavits of use and incontestability, powers of attorney and responses to office actions; maintained clients' domestic and foreign trademark portfolios; reviewed Official Gazette and watch notices for potential trademark infringement; corresponded with foreign counsel; monitored foreign trademark practices and procedures; docketed trademark deadlines (IP Master); performed trademark clearance searches. Show less

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  Constangy, Brooks & Smith, LLP

  Jan 2005 - Jan 2005

  Paralegal

  Provided support to two Partners specializing in employment and labor law; gathered and organized client documents, prepared pleadings, discovery responses, subpoenas, witness and deposition outlines, settlement agreements and trial documents; attended hearings, interviewed witnesses, reviewed and summarized depositions; prepared and filed state and federal court documents via electronic case filing; maintained CompuLaw Vision database; calculated and docketed all case deadlines; reviewed client data for affirmative action plan development; determined problem areas and reconciled data; calculated geographic recruitment areas and internal feeder pools; conducted t-test and rank sum analyses on compensation data; performed impact ratio analyses of applicants, hires, promotions and terminations; identified areas of potential adverse impact; prepared affirmative action plans; performed legal research via Westlaw; maintained law library; corresponded with clients, co-counsel and opposing counsel. Show less

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  Babcock & Wilcox Nuclear Energy, Inc.

  Jan 2011 - Jan 2015

  Senior Paralegal

  Provided support to Assistant General Counsel, Senior Counsel and Chief Intellectual Property Counsel; reviewed and drafted complex legal documents including commercial, non-disclosure, independent contractor, license and assignment agreements, pleadings, meeting minutes, corporate resolutions and general correspondence; prepared and filed trademark, patent and copyright applications and subsequent filings, such as declarations of use, renewals, assignments, Information Disclosure Statements, Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) filings; reviewed marketing materials for proper trademark use, and performed trademark and patent searches; assisted with litigation, ethics and compliance, and regulatory compliance matters; performed due diligence and assisted in closing transactions; maintained legal files and contracts database; conducted legal research and assisted with special projects. Show less

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  Sealed Air Corporation

  Oct 2015 - Sept 2016

  Senior Paralegal, Global Trademark Portfolio Manager

  Maintained trademark portfolio (13,600+ trademarks); managed filing of U.S. and foreign trademark applications, statements of use, extension requests, affidavits, renewals, oppositions, responses to office actions, assignments and related documents; corresponded with foreign counsel regarding trademark matters; managed and maintained trademark docketing system (CPI); conducted and analyzed trademark searches, prepared clearance reports, and reviewed trademark watch notices for potential infringement; provided guidance to marketing and corporate communications regarding proper use of trademarks. Show less

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  Sonoco

  Oct 2016 - Feb 2019

  Legal Operations Manager and Senior Corporate Paralegal

  Provided support to the Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary in a broad range of legal matters, including corporate governance, complex corporate transactions, litigation, commercial real estate and acquisition matters; conducted due diligence; drafted and reviewed legal documents; coordinated and drafted responses to document productions; managed legal hold notices; created processes and practices to improve the day-to-day efficiency and effectiveness of the legal team to facilitate change and control costs; prepared and monitored legal budget, including projected costs and financial reporting; identified and implemented legal department tools to streamline new or existing practices; managed design, rollout, and training for new systems; provided ongoing support for the development of contract templates; analyzed existing processes for matter management, including allocation of matters to internal and external resources and tracking throughout matter life cycle; maintained global entity management system, including corporate records and minute books for all U.S. and foreign subsidiaries; prepared resolutions, minutes and materials for board of directors and committee meetings; supported treasury department with banking resolutions, incumbency certificates and internal subsidiary cash management actions; tracked compliance requirements. Show less

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  Dole Food Company

  Feb 2019 - Jul 2019

  Senior Paralegal

  Provided legal support to Vice President, General Counsel, Corporate Secretary and division counsel; responsible for corporate compliance of over 200 domestic and foreign subsidiaries; prepared and filed annual reports, incorporation, qualification, merger and dissolution documents; prepared materials for board meetings; drafted resolutions, meeting minutes and maintained minute books; maintained worldwide subsidiary database used by legal, tax, finance, accounting and risk management departments; prepared, distributed and monitored approval status of notices of Fundamental Corporate Change alerting corporate as to significant proposed changes with regard to subsidiaries and affiliates; reviewed notices with tax department at year-end to determine changes requiring IRS reporting; assisted in real estate matters; gathered information and prepared reports related to gifts and charitable contributions, Foreign Corrupt Practices Act compliance and lobbying disclosures; prepared disclosure schedules and ancillary documents in merger and acquisition transactions. Show less

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  Health First

  Jul 2019 - now

  Responsible for providing legal support and assistance to the Executive Vice President, Chief Legal Officer and Board of Trustees of Health First (including all subsidiaries and related entities) by managing the process by which the Company complies with its governance framework as well as federal and state licensure requirements. Assists with licensure matters, including compiling data to support various licensure applications and submission of changes during licensure period; drafts and files applications, renewals and responses to omission notices in a timely manner; tracks and monitors applications; prepares governance documents including bylaws and amendments for Health First and all affiliates and reviews same to ensure compliance; prepares organizational documents including, but not limited to, articles of incorporation, amendments, dissolutions, mergers, annual reports and fictitious name registrations and timely files same with the Department of State, Division of Corporations; prepares for, attends and records all board and committee meetings of Health First and all of its for-profit and non-profit affiliates; maintains corporate records; and performs legal research. Show less Supported the Senior Vice President and General Counsel, System Vice President, Associate General Counsel and Chief Privacy Officer in providing guidance and services to Health First and its affiliated entities; reviewed complex contracts; prepared and filed articles of incorporation, amendments, annual reports, fictitious name registrations, and merger and dissolution documents; drafted legal documents including, but not limited to, pleadings, discovery requests and responses, litigation hold notices, consulting agreements, non-disclosure agreements, amendments, assignments, notices of termination, affiliation agreements, settlement agreements, engagement letters, bylaws, board resolutions and board and committee meeting minutes; maintained corporate minute books; assisted in compliance, risk management, transactional, employment, real estate, probate, bankruptcy, immigration and intellectual property law matters; reviewed marketing materials for compliance and proper trademark usage; served as Administrator for Legal Tracker matter management and e-billing system; responded to questions and troubleshooting of issues; conducted due diligence and legal research and drafted legal memoranda of findings. Show less

  • Coordinator of Corporate Governance, Licensure and Regulation

    Aug 2020 - now

  • Senior Corporate Paralegal

    Jul 2019 - Aug 2020