Vernon M. Strickland is a litigation attorney in Holland & Knight's Atlanta office. His practice focuses on education, intellectual property, and sports and entertainment.

Mr. Strickland joined Holland & Knight after graduating with honors from the Walter F. George School of Law at Mercer University, following a career as an engineer in the automotive-electronics and textile industries. Mr. Strickland's education practice experience spans a range of representative matters including but not limited to:

summary judgment for a graduate medical school in defense of an action brought by an expelled former resident physician
defense of colleges in actions by former employees alleging wrongful employment termination
athletic investigation, self-disclosure and communications on behalf of an NCAA member institution
preservation of an NCAA student-athlete's eligibility status and successful resolution of a test administrator's notification and requirement to retake college entrance exam
successful immediate reinstatement of a transfer student-athlete's eligibility
advice on Title IX compliance and investigation procedures, among other issues

In the sports and entertainment industries, Mr. Strickland has represented and advised companies, entertainers and athletes. Mr. Strickland has both film production and music experience. Some of his representative matters include:.

won summary judgment for The Coca-Cola Company in Vergara v. The Coca-Cola Company, 2011 WL 744098 (S.D. Fla. 2011), plus attorneys’ fees, in defense of copyright infringement action for song used internationally in promotions for the 2010 FIFA World Cup; plaintiff filed simultaneous civil action in the U.S. and a criminal action in Mexico and moved for a temporary restraining order just days before the FIFA World Cup
represented a young superstar rap artist in a breach of contract defense and prosecution of counterclaims against former managers totaling more than $53 million in actual damages arising from a music publishing agreement
representation for a film production, including television, content acquisition and music
advised a major music company on key issues in an international manufacturing dispute
counsel for a television program producer, advising on various issues including television network negotiations, application for and registration of trademarks
drafted a screenplay acquisition and option agreement, and advised a motion picture producer in acquiring screen publication rights from an author of literary work
representation of the national tourism board of a foreign country in negotiations of branding and licensing agreement with No. 2 overall NBA draft pick
negotiation of professional athlete player contracts
professional player representation in an arbitration grievance proceeding against a former agent

Mr. Strickland has federal and state court experience in litigating cases involving antitrust, class actions, commercial disputes, patent infringement, copyright, trade secret, product liability, employment discrimination and real estate. Mr. Strickland also has experience defending awards pursuant to governmental procurement contracts before administrative agencies.

His representative matters include the following:

Antitrust Cases
representing a major supplier of medical devices to Veterans Administration hospitals in defense of antitrust claims; obtained a dismissal of action following two hearings for temporary restraining orders
defending antitrust claims and a purported class action challenging mandatory electronic filing in the courts of Montgomery and Jefferson counties in Texas; summary judgment on remaining claims
Automotive Financing
representing automotive financing companies as plaintiffs and defendants
prosecuting an action against rogue dealers for providing false information to induce the purchase of several vehicle retail installment contracts
defending a breach of warranty of title
handling state and federal forfeiture actions as well as replevin actions
Class Actions
defending a purported class action challenging a mandatory electronic filing in Fulton County State Court
defense of an automated water meter supplier in a purported class action brought by residential and commercial water users

Mr. Strickland is also a former professional athlete, walk-on student-athlete, and cancer survivor who played linebacker for the New York Giants, San Francisco Forty-Niners and the Berlin Thunder.

Mr. Strickland's community involvement includes:

board of directors of Camp Sunshine, a nonprofit organization devoted to enriching the lives of children with cancer and their families through recreational, educational and support programs
mentoring and volunteering through Georgia Tech Athletic Association and Coweta Communities and Schools.