Francis X. Taney, Jr.
Shareholder
Francis X. Taney Jr.'s practice focuses on complex commercial litigation in a variety of substantive areas, including information technology (IT), intellectual property, antitrust and construction. Frank also represents his clients in a wide range of IT-related transactions and provides related dispute avoidance and business counseling.
Frank chairs the Information Technology Litigation Practice Group and is a member of the Technology Transactions Group.
He has successfully tried many arbitrations and bench and jury trials to award or verdict as lead trial attorney, and has other trial and arbitration experience. Some of Frank's recent representations include the following:
- The trial to verdict of a number of "contested matters" in connection with the bankruptcy of a wireless telecommunications company. Frank secured for his client the right to control a number of wireless telecommunications licenses worth over $9 million.
- The trial to verdict of a dispute over the suitability of the structural steel pieces used in the construction of a highway bridge. After a week-long jury trial, Frank obtained a favorable verdict for his client and defeated the opponent's counterclaim in its entirety.
- The representation of a pharmaceutical company in litigation over alleged theft of trade secrets. Frank played a key role in presenting the client's claims at a preliminary injunction hearing and in obtaining for the client a multimillion-dollar settlement payment and an agreement from the competitor to delay launch of its product.
- The defense of copyright infringement claims asserted by an architect against a national residential homebuilder, where the claims involved a substantial portion of the homes that the homebuilder constructed over a ten year period. Frank played a key role in obtaining summary judgment dismissing all claims against the homebuilder.
- The prosecution of multimillion-dollar claims for fraud, breach of contract, negligence and malpractice arising from a failed custom software development project. Frank played a key role in obtaining a favorable settlement for the client.
- The prosecution of multimillion-dollar claims for fraud and breach of contract arising from the sale of a software company to a favorable settlement for the client.
- The ongoing defense, in multidistrict, class-action antitrust litigation, of an international chemical manufacturer accused of conspiring to fix prices and allocate markets for plastics additives.
In addition to his IT litigation practice, Frank negotiates IT-related transactions for his clients, including software licensing agreements, IT outsourcing, web hosting, software development and other IT service contracts. He also counsels clients on methods to avoid or minimize the adverse impact of IT-related disputes. Frank maintains cutting-edge practices relating to issues arising from the use of open source software, as well as to commerce, litigation and transactions affecting virtual world platforms. With respect to the latter, Frank was plaintiff's counsel for two IP infringement lawsuits arising within the Second Life virtual world platform, which were the first of their kind. Frank's clients range from individual entrepreneurs and start-ups to publicly traded companies.
Frank is a frequent lecturer and author on topics relating to information technology law, litigation and related transactions. He regularly conducts public seminars for attorneys and business executives on IT-related legal topics.
Frank has been published and quoted on IT-related topics in publications such as InformationWeek, Technology Times, Computer World, IT Professional and SmartBusiness Philadelphia. He has appeared as a guest on CNBC's "Power Lunch" and Fox Business Network's "Money for Breakfast" to discuss legal issues. Frank has also provided formal and informal private instruction on IT-related legal topics to business executives and in-house legal staff for a number of private and publicly traded companies as well as the City of Philadelphia's Law Department. He contributed a chapter titled “Navigating the IT outsourcing and procurement process" to a book from Harris Kern's Enterprise Computing Institute titled CIO Wisdom II: More Best Practices, and a chapter titled "Technology Transactions and Effective Litigation Management" to Inside the Minds: Technology Law Client Strategies, published by Aspatore Books. Frank also blogs for The Legal Intelligencer on technology law issues.
In 2005, 2006 and 2007, Frank was named as a Pennsylvania Rising Star in Philadelphia Magazine. He has also been included in the 2006-2007 edition of Marquis' Who's Who in America, and the 2007-2008 edition of Who's Who in American Law. In 2008, Frank was named a 2008 Lawyer on the Fast Track by The Legal Intelligencer and Pennsylvania Law Weekly. Taney was one of 35 Pennsylvania attorneys selected as the future leaders of the state's legal community.
Admissions
- Pennsylvania
- New Jersey
- U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania
- U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit
Civic & Charitable
- Drew University Philadelphia Area Alumni Steering Committee
- Friendly Sons of Saint Patrick, Philadelphia Area Chapter
Affiliations
- American Bar Association
- New Jersey State Bar Association
- Pennsylvania Bar Association
- Philadelphia Bar Association
- Guest lecturer, legal topics for graduate software engineering courses, The Pennsylvania State University
- Guest lecturer, technology law topics, Widener University School of Law
- Co-moderator, Philadelphia Area Chapter, Future Salon
- Advisory Council, Business Building Boot Camp Program, Eastern Technology Council
- Board of directors, Philadelphia Area New Media Association
- President, board member, The Entrepreneurs' Forum of Greater Philadelphia
- Member of Advisory Editors Board, Journal of Virtual World Research
- Board of directors, Open Metaverse Foundation
- Advisory Board, American Society of Inventors
- Member of Advisory Board, Debt Watcher LLC
- Member of Board of Directors, Pleiades Consulting LLC
Publications & Speeches
- Connecting the Dots: From Idea to Viable Business, presentation, American Society of Inventors, November 18, 2009
- Navigating the IT Procurement and Outsourcing Process, presentation at Penn State Great Valley Campus, October 13, 2009
- Avoiding Legal Pitfalls in the Deployment of Social Media Applications in Your Business, speaker, PodCamp Philly, October 4, 2009
- You’ve Started a Business: Now What?, presentation, Philadelphia Area New Media Association, University City Science Center, September 24, 2009
- Technology Litigation Attorney Frank Taney Named President of Entrepreneurs' Forum, Notes Philadelphia Inquirer, September 15, 2009
- Navigating the Freelance Jungle, Part 3 of 3, September 1, 2009
- Technology Litigation Attorney Frank Taney Featured in Business Journal, AmLaw Daily Articles on Law Firms and Twitter, July 29, 2009
- Other Spaces: Virtual World Options Beyond Second Life, panel presentation, Philadelphia Area New Media Association, University of Pennsylvania, July 29, 2009
- Navigating the IT Procurement and Outsourcing Process, presentation at Penn State Great Valley Campus, July 21, 2009
- Funding Minority Businesses — Where the Rubber Meets the Road, presenter, Entrepreneurs’ Forum of Greater Philadelphia, July 14, 2009
- Navigating the Freelance Jungle, Part 2 of 3, July 1, 2009
- Social Networking and the Entrepreneur, moderator, Entrepreneurs’ Forum of Greater Philadelphia, June 9, 2009
- Legal Issues from the Education Technology Frontier, panelist, HigherEdCamp Philly, June 6, 2009
- Navigating the Freelance Jungle, Part 1 of 3, June 1, 2009
- Is this Legal?, presentation, Legal Workshop, Spark! Networking Event, June 1, 2009
- Virtual Worlds Law, interviewed, Sirius XM radio show "Me & Vinnie", May 29, 2009
- Ethical Issues and Responsibilities for the Chief Privacy Professional, presentation at the PBI seminar on Privacy and Data Security — 2009 and Beyond, May 27, 2009
- Virtual Worlds in Academia: Beyond the Hyperbole, panelist, Evolution of Learning Symposium, May 13, 2009
- Philadelphia Litigation Attorney Frank Taney Elected to Advisory Board of the American Society of Inventors, May 5, 2009
- Technology Litigation Attorney Frank Taney Noted in San Francisco Chronicle Article for Second Life Case, April 28, 2009
- E-Discovery: Key Concepts and Current Trends, CLE presentation, Pennsylvania Bar Institute, April 16, 2009
- Commercializing Your Intellectual Property, moderator, Entrepreneurs’ Forum of Greater Philadelphia, April 14, 2009
- Through the Thicket: A Review of Open Source Licensing Options and Issues, panelist, Emerging Technologies for the Enterprise Conference, Conshohocken, PA, March 26, 2009
- Social Media Demystified, speaker, Philadelphia Area New Media Association, March 26, 2009
- Safe Contracting, presenter, Philadelphia Standards Organization, March 19, 2009
- Team's Class Certification Reversal Win Noted by Drug Week, February 17, 2009
- Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney Team Led by Steven Bizar Wins Second Reversal of Class Certification in Antitrust Action, January 27, 2009
- Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney Attorney Frank Taney Named President-Elect of Entrepreneurs' Forum of Greater Philadelphia, January 13, 2009
- The Road Ahead: Surviving and Thriving in Today's Economy, panelist, Entrepreneurs' Forum of Greater Philadelphia, December 9, 2008
- Technology Litigation Attorney Frank Taney Noted for Contributing to The Legal Intelligencer's Blog, December 3, 2008
- IP for Independents, presenter, Independents Hall in Philadelphia, November 19, 2008
- Legal Implications of Web 2.0 and Social Networking Applications, guest lecturer, Widener University School of Law, November 5, 2008
- Technology Litigation Attorney Frank Taney Quoted on Second Life in Indianapolis Monthly, October 29, 2008
- Technology Litigation Attorney Frank Taney Mentioned in IT World Blog, October 27, 2008
- Counseling clients on IT procurement, guest lecturer, Widener University School of Law, October 15, 2008
- Fraud on the Trademark Office, panelist, American Conference Institute's "USPTO Bootcamp - Trademark Edition," Washington, D.C., September 24, 2008
- Bigger Bang for the Buck? Business Opportunities and Hidden Risks in Virtual Worlds, panelist, Overcoming Obstacles in the Web 2.0 World Forum, Washington, D.C., September 17, 2008
- Second Life and the Law: Current Legal Issues and Tips for Virtual World Business Owners, panelist, Second Life Community Convention, Tampa, Florida, September 6, 2008
- Concerns When Practicing in Virtual Worlds, CLE presentation at the American Bar Association's 2008 Annual Meeting, August 10, 2008
- Technology Litigation Attorney Frank Taney Selected as a 2008 Lawyer on the Fast Track, August 6, 2008
- Technology Litigation Attorney Frank Taney Noted in Legal Intelligencer for 2008 Lawyer on the Fast Track Selection, August 6, 2008
- Navigating the IT Procurement and Outsourcing Process, CLE presentation to the Philadelphia Law Department, July 16, 2008
- Technology Litigation Attorney Frank Taney's Article Published in the Journal of Virtual Worlds Research, July 7, 2008
- Getting Real about IP in Virtual Worlds, interviewed, Incisive Legal Intelligence, July 2008
- Why virtual worlds matter for lawyers, ABA sponsored teleconference, June 24, 2008
- C-Level Business Survival Basics-How to Limit Your Exposure to Licensing Risks and Better Manage Your IT Budget, speaker, June 18, 2008
- Navigating the IT Procurement and Outsourcing Process, presentation at Penn State Great Valley Campus, June 10, 2008
- Trademark Issues for Virtual Worlds Companies, speaker, "in-world" presentation within the Second Life virtual world platform, June 4, 2008
- Implications of Linden Lab's New Second Life Trademark Policy, speaker, New Jersey Metaverse Meetup, May 27, 2008
- Tapping the Potential of Open Source: Alignment and Policies for Management, webinar panelist, May 14, 2008
- Commerce Within Virtual Worlds, panelist, PBI 16th Annual Internet Law Update, April 16, 2008
- E-discovery, panelist and author of materials, PBI 3rd Annual Family Law Institute, April 10, 2008
- Litigating a Virtual Law Suit, panelist, 2008 Virtual Law Conference, April 4, 2008
- A Gathering Storm: Open Source Software Litigation, Legal Intelligencer blog, April 4, 2008
- IT Procurement and Outsourcing Pitfalls for CIOs, A Trial Lawyer's Perspective, presentation at Penn State Great Valley campus, April 2, 2008
- Business Building Boot Camp Offers One-On-One Consulting in Second Phase, featured in Technology Trio's, April 2008
- Technology Litigation Attorney Frank Taney Quoted in Media on Second Life Copyright Settlement, March 28, 2008
- Technology Litigation Attorney Frank Taney Quoted on New Second Life Name and Logo Restrictions, March 26, 2008
- Open Source Alignment & Policies for Management, panelist, Emerging Technologies for the Enterprise Conference, March 26, 2008
- Navigating the Ethical Pitfalls of E-Discovery: A Primer for Healthcare Organizations and Their Attorneys, presenter, PBI Health Law Institute, March 12, 2008
- Interview on the Philadelphia Future Salon, Community Affairs program, Clear Channel's WRFF FM 104.5, March 2, 2008
- Get A Second Life - Copyright in Virtual Worlds, panelist, New York Chapter of the Copyright Society of the U.S.A., February 27, 2008
- Open Source Alignment and Policies for Management, panelist, Eastern Technology Council, February 19, 2008
- Open Source Alignment and Policies for CIOs, panelist, CIO Institute, February 19, 2008
- Virtual World Intellectual Property Issues, speaker, "in-world" presentation within the Second Life virtual world platform, February 16, 2008
- Attorney Frank Taney Quoted on Open Source Software Licensing in Publication for Health Information Executives, February 7, 2008
- Money For Breakfast, appearance on Fox Business Network's program, October 30, 2007
- Meet the Business Building Boot Camp Advisory Council, featured in Technology Times, June 2007
- International Law and the Internet, presenter for the Pennsylvania Bar Institute, April 23, 2007
- The Courtroom and the Bazaar: An Open Source Guide for Leaders, panelist for presentation to Drexel Emerging Technologies Conference, March 28, 2007
- Is Open Source the Future of Software?, panelist for presentation to Philadelphia Area Chapter of the Future Salon, March 8, 2007
- IT Regaining Greater Momentum in Greater Philadelphia, Shake Down in Off-Shoring Indicated, quoted in Technology Times, February 2007
- Technology Litigation Attorney Frank Taney Quoted in the UCLA Journal of Law and Technology, 2007
- IP Rights and Licenses Within Virtual Worlds: Second Life, Bright Ideas, Winter 2007
- Trends in IT, panelist for Eastern Technology Council webinar, December 11, 2006
- Key IP and Employment Law Concepts for New Media Professionals, presentation to the Philadelphia Area New Media Association, November 16, 2006
- How IP and Contract Rights are Shaping Commerce in 'Second Life', presentation to the Philadelphia Chapter of the Future Salon, November 8, 2006
- A Primer on Information Security Law for Lawyers (and their Clients) — Update for 2006, presentation to Pennsylvania Bar Institute's Technology Law Forum, August 9, 2006
- How Legal Issues Impact IT Procurement and Outsourcing, presentation at Annual SIM Conference, Sun MicroSystems/Versitile Breakfast, May 4, 2006
- IT Procurement and Outsourcing Pitfalls for CIOs: A Trial Lawyer's Perspective, presentation at Penn State University-Great Valley Campus, February 23, 2006
- Key Concepts and Recent Developments in the Law of Information Security, presentation to DELVACCA Information Security, Trade Secrets and Intellectual Property Symposium, January 19, 2006
- Securing the Whole Enterprise: Business and Legal Issues, IT Professional, 2006
- IT Procurement and Outsourcing Pitfalls for CIOs: A Trial Lawyer's Perspective, presentation at Penn State University-Great Valley Campus, December 8, 2005
- Navigating the IT Outsourcing & Procurement Process, Prentice-Hall, November 2005
- A Primer on Information Security Law for Lawyers (and Their Clients), Pennsylvania Bar Institute Publication No. 2005-3988, Technology Law Forum, August 5, 2005
- IT Matters: You Can't Afford to Overlook Information Security, April 5, 2005
- IT Procurement and Outsourcing Pitfalls for CIO's: A Trial Lawyer's Perspective, presentation at Penn State University — Great Valley Campus, January 20, 2005
- IT Procurement and Outsourcing Performance Litigation, IT Procurement and Outsourcing Performance Litigation", Pennsylvania Bar Institute Publication No. 2004-3663, October 28, 2004
- IT Procurement and Outsourcing Pitfalls for CIO's: A Trial Lawyer's Perspective, presentation at Penn State University — Great Valley, October 14, 2004
- How to Make Yourself Valuable in the Short and Long Run, Legal Intelligencer First Year Associates Supplement, October 2004
- Current Trends and Developing Standards in the Law of Information Security, Pennsylvania Bar Institute Publication No. 2004-3663,, October 2004
- Legal Survival Tips for IT Procurement, Outsourcing, Technology Times, June 2004
- IT Procurement and Outsourcing Pitfalls: A Trial Lawyer's Perspective, presentation to the Eastern Technology Council, May 12, 2004
- Computer Design and Installation Malpractice, presentation for Pennsylvania Bar Institute, March 4, 2002
- Rewriting the Law of Resale Price Maintenance: The Kodak Decision and Transaction Cost Economics, 143 U. Pa. L. Rev. 321, 1994