Since 2013, Meredith Ragains has served as the Executive Director of Georgia Lawyers for the Arts. Meredith oversees legal services, education programs, and community relations for the statewide organization. Her duties also include long-range planning, budgetary controls, fundraising, and personnel supervision.

Prior to her work at GLA, Meredith was a litigator for 12 years at Robins Kaplan where she was in the Commercial Litigation practice group. In 2009, the State Bar of Georgia awarded Meredith its Pro Bono Project Award for her outstanding work with pro bono clients.

Meredith graduated from Emory University and Mercer Law School. After law school, Meredith clerked for the Honorable G. Ernest Tidwell of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia. In addition to her work at GLA, Meredith is an adjunct professor at Emory Law School where she teaches contract drafting, and she regularly guest lectures at the Georgia State University College of Law on intellectual property-related topics.

Kelly oversees the Georgia PATENTS program and manages GLA services. Kelly obtained her LLM from Vanderbilt Law School in 2016 and was the recipient of the Scholastic Excellence Award in Copyright Law. In 2016, she also attended the 17th International Copyright Law Summer Course at University of Amsterdam, Institute for Information Law. Kelly received her JD from Dalhousie University and her MBA from the University of Toronto.

Kelly has over 10 years’ experience in the film and television industry having worked for producers and international distributors of live action and animated productions. She has independently produced two feature films, both of which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival. Her experience also includes six years with a boutique branding, research and valuation company.

Matthew oversees the technical aspects of GLA’s operations, provides in-house legal services, and assists managing legal externs. After graduating from UGA, Matthew attended Georgia State University College of Law and studied Intellectual Property and received the Health Law Certificate. He also participated in multiple Intellectual Property competitions as a member of the Moot Court Board. Matthew now runs a solo practice, assisting early stage technology startups and other small businesses with their IP, contracts, and other business legal needs. Matthew is also Vice-Chair of the Community Outreach Committee of the GA State Bar IP Section.

Matthew has a deep passion for music that started in first grade when he began piano lessons. He later picked up the tenor saxophone and continued playing in marching band through college in the Redcoat Marching Band at the University of Georgia, where he received a Bachelor of Science in Psychology. Matthew is also a Brother of the national music fraternity Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia. He lives in Smyrna with his wife, Ashley, and their dog, Grady.

Katherine provides in-house legal services in addition to coordinating and overseeing volunteers and legal externs. Katherine earned her undergraduate degree of Sociology from the University of Georgia and her J.D. from Mississippi College School of Law. Before law school, Katherine worked in state and federal politics for six years where she developed and honed her skills for serving the public.

Katherine was raised in the arts community. Her mother, an art teacher and graphic artist, and father, an accomplished architect and professor, instilled in her a deep love of the arts from an early age. Her earliest memories are listening to blues music in New Orleans with her parents. Katherine is a painter and photographer.

Tasha Tavaras has been an art lover from a very young age excelling in creative writing, music and theater. After taking a class in photography, she fell in love with the visual arts and was accepted to the Savannah College of Art and Design where she received her Bachelors of Arts in Photography. During the final semester of her senior year, Tasha and fellow classmates produced a senior photography show and she became interested in the business side of the arts. She made the decision to return to SCAD and completed a Masters of Arts in Arts Administration in June of 2016. Currently, she is working as the Director of Programming for Georgia Lawyer for the Arts. Tasha is looking forward to lending her passion and knowledge to helping Atlanta become a city that fully embraces the arts and artists and is looking for new opportunities in arts management and innovation.

Jayma was born and raised in Rochester, NY. She then moved to Charleston, SC where she graduated from the College of Charleston with a degree in Business Administration. She co-owned and operated several businesses before attending Thomas M. Cooley Law School where she received her JD and LL.M. in Intellectual Property Law. After law school, Jayma relocated to Atlanta to focus on trademark and copyright law. She has enjoyed meeting and working with GLA’s creative clients to help them protect their intellectual property. In her free time, Jayma enjoys cooking with her family, playing tennis, and spending time with her newly-adopted cat, “Batman.”

Luke is Patents Fellow for GA PATENTS. He graduated from Samford University with a Bachelor of Science in Biology and received his Juris Doctor from the University of Notre Dame Law School, focusing his studies on patents. During his time at Notre Dame he was a part of the Intellectual Property Law Society. In his free time, Luke enjoys watching sports and hanging out with friends and family.

Shannon is an Atlanta native who graduated from Georgia Southern University with a degree in Fashion Merchandising and Apparel Design. She worked in retail for a year before deciding to pursue a law degree. She is currently a second year law student at Georgia State University’s College of Law. Shannon is a professional photographer and has a passion for the arts across the board. She is excited to mix her passion for the arts and for the law to help GLA’s clients.

Jordan is excited to join the GLA team as an extern for the Fall of 2018. She graduated from The University of Alabama with a Bachelor of Arts in Communication and Information Sciences. Jordan always knew that she wanted to use her communication skills as a lawyer. Now a 2L at Emory University School of Law, she is on Emory Law’s moot court team and serves as an orientation leader for new students. In her free time, she loves running, baking, and cheering on Alabama’s football team!