Merrill Mason Judges the 2014 Pitch Showcase for UNCW's Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship

Raleigh, N.C. – Merrill Mason, Partner at Smith Anderson and head of the firm’s Start-Ups practice, served as a reviewer for the UNCW Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship’s 2014 “Tough Love” Pitch Session. The panel of judges, made up of mentors, advisors and consultants, heard from 12 companies, each with the opportunity to pitch and explain their company’s value proposition. From these finalists, five winners were selected to attend the 2014 South by Southwest (SXSW) Interactive Festival in Austin, Texas.

“The Festival is an incubator of cutting-edge technologies and digital creativity featuring five days of presentations and panels from the brightest minds in emerging technology and programs showcasing the best new websites, video games and startup ideas the community has to offer. SXSW Interactive has become the place to preview the technology of tomorrow today.” – SXSW Interactive

The UNCW Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship works to identify and nurture high-growth, high-impact companies and to accelerate the entrepreneurial ecosystem in southeastern North Carolina. The center is a nurturing environment for innovators, as well as the entrepreneurs who will start the businesses to bring those innovations to the marketplace. For more information, please visit www.uncw.edu/cie

About Merrill Mason
Merrill Mason leads Smith Anderson’s Start-Ups practice group and has extensive experience representing technology and life sciences companies. He is passionate about working with developing entrepreneurs, emerging businesses and law students and has taught as an adjunct instructor at the University of North Carolina’s Kenan-Flagler Business School and the University of North Carolina School of Law. For more information on Merrill, please visit his bio online at SmithLaw.com.

About Smith Anderson
Since our founding in 1912, Smith Anderson has grown to more than 120 attorneys and is the largest law firm headquartered in North Carolina’s Research Triangle area. We serve clients ranging in size from large public companies to emerging growth businesses, providing a full range of legal services to assist our clients in accomplishing their goals. The knowledge and experience of our attorneys makes us well-positioned to handle the litigation and business matters that our clients face. For more information, please visit www.SmithLaw.com.