(Concord, N.H.) - It was quite a graduation weekend for Douglas J. Wood, alumni and longtime chair of the board of the newly named University of New Hampshire School of Law.
Wood was surprised with honors twice by the School during its two-day commencement celebration. At Friday's board of trustees meeting - Wood's final session as chair after 18 years of board service, including chairing the body for the past 14 - he was delightedly caught off guard when other trustees announced the School's boardroom will hereafter and in perpetuity be known as the "Douglas J. Wood Boardroom."
"I was completely unaware this was being planned," said Wood, a member of the School's first graduating class in 1976, and Practice Group Leader of the firmwide Media & Entertainment Industry Group at Reed Smith LLP, a leading global law firm. "I am very grateful for this honor, and thank the School for acknowledging me as a contributor to its success."
To reflect the room's new name, two photographs of Wood were hung: One was an official photo; the other was less formal, showing the dapper attorney in his trademark straw hat, with cigar in hand. But the boardroom name and two photos were only the beginning.
Wood's second surprise came the next day as diplomas were being awarded to the 176 graduates who were the first to receive degrees from the newly named University of New Hampshire School of Law. Under Wood's leadership, the former Franklin Pierce Law Center affiliated with the state university in August 2010.
During Saturday's graduation ceremony, Wood was awarded an honorary Doctor of Laws degree by UNH School of Law Dean Emeritus John Hutson. "I've never felt more honored and appreciated," Wood said of his new academic credential. "My entire family was there to celebrate the moment. I could not have been prouder."
Based in Reed Smith's New York City office, Wood has more than 30 years' experience representing the entertainment and media industries, including individuals and multinational companies in motion picture, publishing, advertising, marketing, promotions, unfair competition, intellectual property, and e-commerce matters. He serves as legal adviser to several worldwide trade organizations and is general counsel to the Association of National Advertisers, the Advertising Research Foundation, and the Advertising Council, as well as the chief negotiator for the industry in relations and collective bargaining with the Screen Actor's Guild, the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, and the American Federation of Musicians.
Wood founded and chairs the Global Advertising Lawyers Alliance (GALA), a network of independent law firms in more than 50 countries with expertise in advertising and marketing law. He is a frequent speaker, writer and media commentator on a variety of subjects involving media, entertainment, advertising and marketing-related legal topics for the Association of National Advertisers, the World Federation of Advertising, the American Advertising Federation, the International Advertising Association, and advertising agency networks and clubs throughout the world.
About Reed Smith
Reed Smith is a global relationship law firm with more than 1,600 lawyers in 22 offices throughout the United States, Europe, Asia and the Middle East. Founded in 1877, the firm represents leading international businesses, from Fortune 100 corporations to mid-market and emerging enterprises. Its lawyers provide litigation and other dispute resolution services in multi-jurisdictional and other high-stakes matters; deliver regulatory counsel; and execute the full range of strategic domestic and cross-border transactions. Reed Smith is a preeminent advisor to industries including financial services, life sciences, health care, advertising, technology and media, shipping, energy trade and commodities, real estate, manufacturing, and education. For more information, visit reedsmith.com.
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