Biography
R. Wayne Thorpe, Esq. has been a full-time ADR neutral since 1998. He has served as mediator, arbitrator, facilitator, special master, and case evaluator in over 1500 cases in at least 15 states. These engagements have included mediations in class action, MDL, mass tort, and other large scale multi-party cases, as well as more than 400 arbitrations as sole arbitrator, panel chair, or party-appointed arbitrator.
Mr. Thorpe was named by the Best Lawyers in America publication as the 2012 Atlanta Mediation Lawyer of the Year, and he is listed in International Who’s Who of Commercial Mediation, (less than 100 in the US), Best Lawyers in America, and Georgia Super Lawyers. He is Past Chair of the ABA Dispute Resolution Section, and before he became a full-time neutral, Mr. Thorpe was a litigation partner in an Atlanta-based national law firm.
Representative Matters
- Copyright, Trademark, Patent, and Trade Secret Cases
- Copyright, Trademark, Patent, and Trade Secret Cases
- Alleged infringement of right of publicity, trademarks, and copyrights by estates of deceased rock/jazz musicians based upon allegedly wrongful use of celebrity images, songs, and song lyrics for restaurant décor and advertising; nine claimants, 100+ defendants, and ten or more insurers
- Alleged theft of trade secrets concerning medical software
- Trade secret dispute between large telecom company and alleged inventor of game application for wireless phone use
- Copyright case brought by architect/design firm against large national home builder alleging improper use of home plans, seeking hundreds of millions of dollars
- Copyright and contract dispute between global advertising company and professional training contractor concerning rights to training program and materials
- Copyright dispute between large manufacturer of home products and designer of home products
- Mediation of cases in California and Mississippi involving right of publicity and trademark claims brought by estate of a leading classic movie actor
- Arbitration of patent license dispute between pharmaceutical company and research university
- Multi-party litigation among artists, producer, manager, recording label, insurer, concerning U.S. and international use of similar names of pop and gospel music groups
- Mediated sale of corporate assets to resolve licensing dispute
- Non-compete, trade secret, and tortious interference dispute between suppliers of aviation maintenance services and products
- Patent contribution/indemnity/warranty claims
- Patent infringement and licensing dispute
- Trade dress dispute surrounding childcare franchise, including termination issues
- Dispute concerning non-competes and trade secret issues between technology outsourcing company and employees who left to form competing company
Completed Virtual ADR training conducted by the JAMS Institute, the training arm of JAMS.
- 2017 Recipient of The Chief Justice Harold G. Clarke Annual Award, presented by the Georgia Supreme Court Commission on Dispute Resolution and the State Bar of Georgia Dispute Resolution Section, In Recognition of His Outstanding Contributions to Dispute Resolution in Georgia
- Co-Author, What Is…ADR in Health Care Disputes?, ABA Book Publishing (Health Law Section), 2015
- Recognized as one of the Best Lawyers in America, 2019-2022
- Identified by The Best Lawyers in America as the 2020 Atlanta Arbitration Lawyer of the Year
- Identified by The Best Lawyers in America as the 2015 Atlanta Arbitration Lawyer of the Year
- Identified by The Best Lawyers in America as the 2012 Atlanta Mediation Lawyer of the Year
- Named in International Who’s Who Legal, Mediation; Georgia Super Lawyers; and The Best Lawyers in America for several years
- ABA, Dispute Resolution Section. Section Chair, 2010-2011; Officer or Member of Section Council, 2001-2012; Co-Chair, ABA Task Force on Improving Mediation Quality, 2006-2008; Drafting Committee, Model Standards of Conduct for Mediators, 2003-2005
- Liaison from DR Section to ABA’s Ethics 2000 Commission (providing testimony on the Model Rules of Professional Conduct provisions relating to mediation and arbitration), 2000-2002; Chair, ABA DR Section Ethics Committee, 1997-2002
- Member, Georgia Commission on Dispute Resolution, 1997-2002, appointed by Supreme Court of Georgia
- State Bar of Georgia, ADR Law Section. Chair, 2003-2004; Officer, 2000-2004; Executive committee, 2009-2012; Chair or Co-Chair, annual ADR Institute, 2000, 2003, planning committee, 2000-present; Atlanta Bar ADR Lawyers Section, past member, Board of Directors; Georgia Annual Arbitration Institute, Chair, 2018 and multiple prior years
- Fellow, College of Commercial Arbitrators; Fellow, American College of Civil Trial Mediators
- Adjunct Law School Professor, University of Georgia and Georgia State University, Alternative Dispute Resolution Courses, 1998-2004; guest presentations in ADR classes at GSU, Emory University, Mercer University, and John Marshall law schools
- More than 150 speaking presentations to Bar and ADR professional groups in more than 20 states; faculty member ABA Annual Arbitration Institute, 2010-2012, 2016 (and Co-Chair, 2010); faculty member ABA Annual Advanced Mediation Institute, 2010, ’11, and ’13; dozens of articles and papers on ADR topics
- Member, American Health Lawyers Association, Panel of Dispute Resolvers; US Institute for Environmental Conflict Resolution National Roster; CPR Panel of Distinguished Neutrals; Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) Roster of Mediators
- Fellow, American Bar Foundation; Fellow, Atlanta Bar Foundation
- Principal Benefactor, JAMS Foundation
- JAMS, ADR Neutral, 1998-present
- Litigation Partner and Associate, Alston & Bird, 1981-1998
- Law Clerk to Chief United States District Judge Charles A. Moye, Jr., United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia, 1979-1981
- J.D., cum laude, University of Georgia Law School, 1979; Georgia Law Review, Research Editor
- B.A., with distinction, University of Virginia, 1976
- Wayne is married to Jane Thorpe, who retired as a partner at Alston & Bird in 2014. They have two adult children and two grandchildren. Wayne and Jane own a cabin in West Yellowstone, MT near Yellowstone National Park, where they flyfish and hike as much as they can.
Counsel Comments
- "Mr. Thorpe brings to his ADR work the same degree of energy, creativity and perseverance that good lawyers bring to their representation of clients."
- “[Mr. Thorpe] did an outstanding job mediating our dispute…he clearly had a firm grasp of the issues, and worked relentlessly to help the parties resolve a hard-fought case. I believe [he] facilitated open lines of communication that ultimately allowed the parties to settle. I would welcome the opportunity to have [Mr. Thorpe] mediate for me in the future and look forward to doing so.”
- "[Mr.] Thorpe was an excellent mediator who was instrumental in moving both sides towards a mutually beneficial settlement.”
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- Accounting/Finance
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- Banking
- Bankruptcy
- Business/Commercial
- Civil Rights
- Class Action/Mass Tort
- Construction
- Cybersecurity & Privacy
- Employment
- Entertainment and Sports
- Environmental
- Financial Markets
- Franchise
- Governmental/Public Agency
- Health Care
- Insurance
- Intellectual Property
- International & Cross-Border
- Personal Injury/Torts
- Professional Liability
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