Title: 1) Attorney; 2) North Carolina Representative; 3) Attorney Reviewer
Company: 1) Waterside Legal Services; 2) Futuro Houses; 3) Consilio LLC
Location: Wilmington, North Carolina, United States
Judy M. Payne, attorney at Waterside Legal Services, North Carolina representative at Futuro Houses and attorney reviewer at Consilio LLC, has been recognized by Marquis Who’s Who Top Lawyers for dedication, achievements, and leadership in legal services.
With over three decades of professional legal experience, Ms. Payne has built a successful career, working on major cases that have garnered significant press coverage. Previous roles include director of contracts and licensing at Bucky USA in 2019, reviewer at Strategic Legal Solutions in 2015 and subject matter expert in intellectual property at the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) in 2009. She was a registered in-house counsel at ILOG from 2008 to 2009, director of contracts management at Ingres from 2007 to 2008, corporate counsel at SEVEN Networks in 2005, and contract negotiator at Advent Software in 2003. Earlier in her career, she held roles as intellectual property counsel at Mobility Network Systems from 2001 to 2003, manager of legal affairs at DigitalPersona from 1999 to 2001, manager of legal services at HQ Network Systems from 1997 to 1999, and law clerk at Jacobsen and Colfin P.C. in 1992.
Ms. Payne has been an active community member for years, serving on the City of Raleigh Arts Commission from 2019 to 2021. She was appointed as president of the Boylan Heights Neighborhood Association in 2019 and served as both board adviser and secretary for the NC Industrial Hemp Association from 2016 to 2020. She also volunteers for environmental causes and other organizations such as Audubon and Cucalorus Film Festival. Ms. Payne also contributed to the AllThingsOpen Conference from 2016 to 2020.
Ms. Payne earned a Bachelor of Arts in French and speech-communication from North Carolina State University in 1986. A certificate from the Institute on International Law in Paris, sponsored by the University of San Diego School of Law and focusing on trademark was completed during pursuit of a Juris Doctor from Washington and Lee University School of Law that she completed in 1989. At Washington and Lee, she participated in a third-year seminar creating the Model Communicative Torts Act. Later in her career, she was honored to be selected from over 700 applicants to work for the U.S. Department of Defense on an Obama Administration cybersecurity initiative, focusing on solutions for denial-of-service attacks in which she evaluated proposed software licenses alongside important voices in cybersecurity, privacy, accounting, and physical security.
Initially thriving in her field upon moving to San Francisco in 1995, Ms. Payne quickly expanded upon her skill set to handle her various and evolving responsibilities as they arose. Throughout her early career, she refined her firsthand knowledge of licensing law, contract negotiation, mergers and acquisitions, and business transactions, cementing her as a versatile figure in the fast-paced tech industry.
Ms. Payne gained a unique global perspective while working as a flight attendant for Tower Air, traveling to 37 countries in two years, primarily transporting troops. Making flight announcements in French and transporting pilgrims to Mecca for the Hajj, among other assignments, allowed her to immerse herself in diverse cultures under rigorous conditions. She attributes her success to her perseverance, resourcefulness, creativity and adaptability, as well as her reputation as an ethical, passionate and hardworking attorney driven by her sense of purpose and loyalty. Ms. Payne plans to serve clients with estate planning in New Jersey as a personal family lawyer, while pursuing her own creative projects.
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