Austin Vining is an Attorney in the Firm’s Atlanta office and a member of the Intellectual Property practice group. He focuses his practice on intellectual property, media law, and First Amendment counseling and litigation. His experience includes trademark and copyright prosecution, enforcement, and litigation and proceedings before the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board. Mr. Vining also handles media issues including privacy and defamation in publishing, advertising, journalism, and social media.

Mr. Vining earned his Ph.D. with an emphasis in communications law from the University of Florida. His research on defamation, free speech, and other communications law issues has been published in top legal journals and has earned national top prize awards. He is an adjunct professor at the University of Florida where he has taught courses on trademark, copyright, privacy, media, and First Amendment law since 2017.

After graduating from the University of Florida – Fredric G. Levin College of Law, Mr. Vining served as a law clerk to the Hon. Paul C. Huck of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida.

Before beginning his legal career, Mr. Vining was a journalist for various newspapers and lifestyle magazines. During his time in law school, he served as an editor for the Florida Law Review, a legal intern for the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, and a graduate research fellow for the Brechner First Amendment Project.

Professional Involvement

• Honorable Charles A. Pannell, Jr. Intellectual Property American Inn of Court, Membership Chair
• Federal Bar Association
• International Trademark Association
• State Bar of Georgia, Intellectual Property Law Section