Profile
I value the relationship and the business impact of what I do, especially for small and medium-sized companies. Taylor English supports and champions that approach to legal work.
Mitzi L. Hill has worked on evolving technology issues for 20 years, largely with a focus on how new technologies affect consumers, commercial intellectual property strategy and commercial compliance. Her practice focuses on data security and privacy, entertainment and media matters, and technology licensing and development.
Thanks to her strong background in technology and compliance, Ms. Hill handles a number of issues related to data security within a computerized setting. She has worked closely with clients that include retailers, service providers and others to prevent and remedy data breaches. Among other things, she has counseled retailers on hardware and software upgrades, including those for payment card industry (PCI) compliance; has handled national breach notification issues under a variety of state laws; advised on disposition and use of health care records; advised on protection and unauthorized use of consumer credit information; and counseled on communication and customer relations following sensitive breaches. Ms. Hill writes and speaks frequently on data security and breach issues, including for financial and other professionals.
Ms. Hill also has an extensive background in entertainment, media and intellectual property issues. She works with professionals across Georgia’s film, entertainment and music businesses on various matters. She has handled independent and documentary film productions, NCAA licensing of media and sponsorship rights, program distribution, and music issues involving talent and labels. She also works with a number of independent local studios on various corporate, licensing and industry-specific issues.
Before joining Taylor English, Ms. Hill was assistant general counsel with Turner Broadcasting System Inc. During her 15-year career there, Ms. Hill oversaw a wide range of questions related to technology policy, intellectual property strategy and compliance, both in the United States and globally. Her work for Turner included technology licensing and maintenance; programming licensing for television and digital properties; distribution of programming on digital networks; regulatory compliance and training, including Federal Communications Commission (FCC) requirements and privacy; domestic and international programming sales; and general corporate secretarial matters.
In her policy and compliance role, Ms. Hill worked closely with Turner’s parent company on government affairs matters regarding consumer privacy online, entertainment and media, technology and consumer affairs, and technology and copyrights. She has experience with both legislative and regulatory matters.
Ms. Hill also drafted and maintained the initial privacy policies for several Turner websites, including CNN.com. She negotiated data ownership, use and disposition provisions in e-commerce and other agreements. She led the efforts to build online platforms compliant with closed caption requirements. She represented Turner in the industry group that developed an authentication framework for online television access. That work covered antitrust questions, consumer data and strategic questions about copyrights in a digital environment. Ms. Hill also oversaw compliance matters such as FCPA training, Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) issues and Adam Walsh Act records. She also oversaw the company’s FCC licenses, for both production and broadcast.
Ms. Hill has substantial experience in programming-related issues and programming distribution via disruptive models. While at Turner, she worked closely with studios and other programming networks to coordinate intellectual property/copyright policy in FCC proceedings and with respect to draft legislation affecting copyright holders.
Under Ms. Hill’s oversight, Turner created an online copyright program to address emerging technologies such as video sharing. Ms. Hill created and managed a team to clear programming rights across the company’s portfolio of networks and licensed territories. This paved the way for increased international syndication of TV and digital content. Ms. Hill’s work in this regard evolved from her background in technology, but also from time spent overseas, where she oversaw the legal function for the distribution of the company’s networks in Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
Prior to going in-house, Ms. Hill was in private practice at King & Spalding, where she focused on technology and media issues, including satellite distribution, copyright infringement and First Amendment claims. While there, she worked with major entertainment, marketing and sports organizations on their trademark and copyright disputes, and represented several software owners in infringement proceedings.
In her free time, Ms. Hill plays a lot of tennis, works on civic and charitable causes, and supports the Tide. She also travels; in the last 10 years, she has been to Egypt, Hong Kong, Italy, Jordan, New Zealand, Syria, Thailand and other points distant.
Memberships
Atlanta Independent Women’s Network
Business Executives for National Security, Communications Committee
Decatur Arts Alliance
Decatur Business Association
Emory University School of Law, Adjunct Professor
Georgia Production Partnership
The International Association of Privacy Professionals
The Sedona Conference, Working Group 6: International Choice of Law, 2017
Technology Association of Georgia
Women in Cable Telecommunications
Women in Film & Television, Atlanta
Community Involvement
ALS Association Georgia Chapter, Board of Directors
HOPE Atlanta, Board of Directors
Achievement Rewards for College Scientists (ARCS) Foundation, Atlanta Chapter, Funds Development Committee
Cornerstone Society, WABE 90.1 (Atlanta NPR affiliate)
Steering committee, annual Decatur Arts Festival kickoff event
Decatur 101, Graduate
Practice Highlights
Experience
Drafted and negotiated Screenwriter/producer agreements for feature film adapted from public domain material.
Drafted and negotiated talent agreements for reality series focused on amateur dancers.
Drafted and negotiated talent attachment agreements for reality series starring professional athlete and his circle of intimates.
Drafted and negotiated screenwriter collaboration agreements for documentary film.
Drafted and negotiated producer agreements for various independent documentary films.
Drafted and negotiated work made for hire agreements for various productions.
Drafted and negotiated music label A&R executive employment agreement and music label standard recording agreement.
Taylor English is outside intellectual property counsel to ATLA, which hosts the largest dance career convention in the country, bringing together the top choreographers and dancers from around the world.
- Advise covered entities on business associate agreements to manage risk.
Advice on data disposal following sale/wind-down of healthcare practices
Assist prominent national sports association and rights-holder in renewal of multimillion-dollar license of media and sponsorship rights to NCAA. Issues included availability of talent and executives, coordination with sister organizations on sponsor offerings, exclusivities and carve-outs of existing deals.
Create master agreements covering A&R executives and recording artists for fledgling music label. Advise on royalty structure, buy-out, rights and other matters. Complete buy-out of rights from prior producer in exchange for participation in new recording agreement.
As an in-house attorney, represented a major cable television programmer in the Open Authentication Technology Committee (OATC), composed of leading technology companies, cable and satellite carriers, and cable television networks. The two-year effort among the OATC’s members resulted in the technology framework to “authenticate” cable subscribers who wish to view their cable programming online. The OATC’s efforts were the first of their kind, and ...
As an in-house attorney, served as steering committee co-chair and sole legal advisor for major cable television programmer’s efforts to achieve compliance with the 21st Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act. Oversaw hundreds of employees’ and contractors’ work for months as the Company worked to build players, content management systems, applications/apps, games, Web sites, on-demand files and other materials capable of rendering (and ...
Counsel to Board of National Industry-Specific Information Sharing and Analysis Center.
Represent various retail clients regarding PCI compliance, credit card fraud and loss, and fraudulent e-commerce orders.
Coordinate response to loss of protectable or sensitive data in electronic form, including personal credit information, vendor account credentials and customer payment authorizations.
Oversee conception and implementation of new platforms to achieve compliance with sweeping FCC requirements relating to closed captioning and other measures to make online media accessible to hearing- and sight-impaired consumers, on behalf of major television company.
Newsroom
Speaking Engagements
- Justice in the Brave New World: Technology and the Role of the Law in the 21st Century, The Emory Law SJD SocietyOctober 25, 2018
- April 10, 2018
- April 10, 2018
- March 30, 2018
- February 24, 2018
- Institute of Continuing Legal EducationNovember 17, 2017
- April 20, 2017
- March 21, 2017
- February 9, 2017
- October 22-29, 2016
- October 6, 2016
- September 15, 2016
- May 1, 2016
- April 26, 2016
- October 29, 2015
- "The Data Breach: How to Stay Defensible Before, During and After the Incident," Risk Management SeminarSeptember 18, 2015
- "E-Contracts: Making Agreements Online," ICLE Contract Litigation SeminarAugust 21, 2015
- "I, Robot: The Present and Future of Cyber Security," Anatomy of a DealJuly 14, 2015
- "Artful Use of IP: How and When to Use Copyright and Trademark in Your Work," Georgia Lawyers for the ArtsJune 22, 2015
- March 17, 2015
- "Breach Response," Information Systems Security Association (ISSA) Legal & Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) Collaboration ForumJanuary 30, 2015
- January 29, 2015
- Heroes for HOPE Awards DinnerNovember 23, 2014
- October 30, 2014
- "Cyber Security," FSP Atlanta SymposiumOctober 30, 2014
- October 16, 2014
Publications
- November 27, 2018
- November 12, 2018
- September 5, 2018
- July 9, 2018Daily Report
- July 10, 2017
- July 19, 2016
- June 20, 2016
- April 20, 2016
- February 1, 2016
- April 27, 2015
- April 27, 2015
- October 21, 2014
- October 21, 2014
Headlines
- October 10, 2018
- February 21, 2018
- December 28, 2017
- October 11, 2017
- April 6, 2017
- January 20, 2017
- December 16, 2016
- December 16, 2016
- November 16, 2016
- August 11, 2016
- August 1, 2016
- June 17, 2016
- April 27, 2016
- January 27, 2016
- September 18, 2015
- February 12, 2015
- December 29, 2014
- May 31, 2014
News Releases
- December 13, 2016
- October 20, 2014
- April 10, 2014
- January 29, 2014
Alerts
- August 8, 2018
- By: Mitzi L. HillJune 7, 2018
- May 10, 2016
- October 6, 2015
- April 16, 2014
Events
- October 9, 2018
Services
Education
University of Michigan, JD, cum laude, 1994
The University of Alabama, BA, magna cum laude, 1991
Bar Admissions
Georgia
Accolades
Georgia Trend Legal Elite, Entertainment/Sports Law, 2016