Law firm Troutman Sanders is staffing up its Raleigh office with three new intellectual property lawyers.

James Thomas, Sheldon Pontaoe and Eileen Pontaoe took the firm's local head count to 22, about double the number two years ago. They had worked at law firm Parker Poe Adams & Bernstein.

Led by Thomas, they will provide trademark protection services for Troutman's pharmaceutical clients worldwide. They will also develop an Internet security practice, primarily to help financial companies detect online copycat scams.

"We're aggressively growing our intellectual property practice across the firm," said Doug Salyers, head of Troutman's intellectual property practice group. "It's a hot area for corporations globally, as the protection of names remains a very important business practice."

Troutman Sanders is based in Atlanta and has more than a dozen offices and 675 attorneys worldwide.

In other moves ...

Leigh G. Duque has been named chief development officer of Girl Scouts-North Carolina Coastal Pines. She will oversee resource development, communications and property management.

Andrew "Jake" Epstein joined the Raleigh office of Helms Mulliss & Wicker as an associate-level lawyer with a practice focus in litigation.

Carole M. Hatem has been named area assistant vice president of Arthur J. Gallagher Risk Management Services, an insurance brokerage and risk management services firm with offices in Charlotte, Fayetteville, Raleigh and Greensboro. Janet Rushing has been named area assistant vice president.

Ed Batchelor has been named president of residential asset management at Coldwell Banker Commercial TradeMark Properties. Karen Ross has joined HPW Market Title as manager.

Beth McCauley was hired as head of the lower school at Trinity Academy of Raleigh, a kindergarten through grade 12 college-preparatory school community in North Raleigh. McCauley will manage the K-6 teachers and staff.

Emily H. Margolis joined Hutchison Law Group's corporate practice group. Margolis' practice will focus on venture capital, mergers and acquisitions and securities and corporate governance.

Chrystina Kesler joined the Raleigh office of law firm McAngus Goudelock & Courie, focusing on workers' compensation defense. Ryan Bisplinghoff joined the Raleigh office. His practice also focuses on workers' compensation defense.

Alicia Hawkins and Keri Reynolds were hired as art directors at High Tide Creative of New Bern and Raleigh. Todd Sturgell was hired as senior art director.

Tina Cochrane has been promoted to director for HireNetworks in Morrisville, which provides recruiting, staffing and human resources consulting services.

Andrew D. Hathaway and Caroline H. Powell joined the Raleigh office of law firm Cranfill Sumner & Hartzog. Hathaway's practice will focus on general liability, Powell's on general liability, medical malpractice and business disputes.

Steven Gordziel was hired as practice head of pharmaceutical development at PharmaDirections, a drug development management firm in Cary.

Alison Jenkins was promoted to director of group sales, Amanda Law was promoted to executive meetings manager and Bryn Rich has been promoted to conference services manager at The Umstead Hotel and Spa in Cary.

Mary K. Teague joined the Raleigh branch of Trigon Engineering Consultants as an administrative assistant.

Matt Jenkins joined JDavis Architects, an architecture, landscape architecture and interior design firm in Raleigh, as a landscape designer.

Jim Poole was named senior associate and Joel Walker was promoted to senior vice president at commercial real estate firm CB Richard Ellis in Raleigh.

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