Terance A. Gonsalves | Alston & Bird LLP

Tery Gonsalves is a partner in the Litigation & Trial Practice Group and chair of Alston & Bird’s Education Team. He is a seasoned trial lawyer having tried more than 20 cases to verdict. He represents public and private schools, colleges, and universities, as well as clients across other industries, in a variety of matters, including complex litigation, government and internal investigations, and regulatory and compliance counseling.

Tery has a comprehensive understanding of the federal, state, and accreditation issues facing education institutions. He previously served as Deputy General Counsel at a publicly traded proprietary education corporation, where he counseled clients in all aspects of the highly regulated education ecosystem. His clients include nonprofit and for-profit institutions he counsels on a myriad of issues.

Additionally, Tery has extensive experience defending claims arising under the False Claims Act (FCA) and high-stakes consumer class actions, including claims of consumer fraud, false and deceptive advertising, and unfair business and trade practices. He also has a nationwide practice defending class actions and individual claims alleging violations of various state and federal telemarketing laws, including the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA).

Tery also represents clients in front of multiple federal and state agencies, including the Department of Justice, Federal Trade Commission, Department of Education, U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, state attorneys general, and various state higher-education agencies and accrediting bodies.

Alina Ananian | Alston & Bird LLP

Alina Ananian is a senior associate in Alston & Bird’s Litigation & Trial Practice Group.

Alina earned her J.D. from the University of California, Irvine. While there, Alina worked as a research assistant and served as both a class representative of the Student Bar Association and as a lead article editor for the UC Irvine Law Review. Alina received UCI Pro Bono High Honors for completing more than 200 hours of pro bono service during law school. Alina earned her B.S. in applied mathematics with a minor in political science from the University of California, Los Angeles.

I. A summary of the requirements of the TCPA and the elements of a TCPA claim for statutory damages | 3:00pm – 3:20pm

II. Key developments in TCPA litigation from the U.S. Supreme Court’s Facebook decision, the TCPA landscape following Facebook, and recent federal appellate court rulings addressing standing | 3:20pm – 3:40pm

III. A description of state law mini-TCPA statutes and regulation, including developments in state law mini-TCPA lawsuits | 3:40pm – 4:00pm