Michael R. Poterala Tapped to Lead UMD's Legal Affairs

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Nov 19, 2014, 09:00 ET

COLLEGE PARK, Md., Nov. 19, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The University of Maryland has named Michael R. Poterala as the new Vice President and General Counsel for the university. Poterala joins UMD from North Carolina State University and will officially start at Maryland in January 2015.

"Michael is a rare find," said University of Maryland President Wallace D. Loh. "He helps clients solve problems without being over-protective, has strong innovative and entrepreneurial instincts, while remaining mindful of the law and risk management. He is a welcome addition to campus."

"Major public research institutions today operate in a dynamic environment characterized by funding challenges, disruptive technologies, changing metrics and intense competition for federal and industrial support," says Poterala. "I am pleased to be joining the University of Maryland to provide President Loh and everyone at the university with the counsel and support they need to maintain UMD's status as a leader among its peers."

Poterala has served as NC State's Deputy General Counsel since 2011. During his tenure at NC State, Poterala was the lead attorney for the largest sponsored research agreement in the university's history, created a campus-wide organizational compliance program, and facilitated the formation of the Leaders in Nonwovens Commercialization, LLC, an affiliated entity that generated $3.8 million in revenue in its first year of operation. Poterala was also the chair of a panel that advised student-athletes and their families to facilitate a successful transition to a professional sports career.

Previously, he worked for 13 years at Michigan State University in various roles, including associate general counsel, visiting professor of law, assistant vice president for research and graduate studies, and executive director of MSU Technologies. At MSU, Poterala was tasked with revamping the university's tech commercialization operations. He oversaw growing the office, licensing technologies that produced over $16 million in total revenue, and reducing legal expenses. Poterala also represented MSU in the creation of the Big Ten Network.

Prior to academe, Poterala worked in two prominent Detroit law firms for 10 years, representing clients in state and federal courts in a wide variety of civil litigation. Poterala served most notably as the Michigan general counsel for the Motion Picture Association of America, which honored him in 1998 for outstanding achievement in investigating and prosecuting film, video and television piracy.

Poterala also served for several years as an elected board member and president of the Northville Public Schools Board of Education in Michigan.

He received his undergraduate degree in finance and law degree from Georgetown University.

About the University of Maryland
The University of Maryland is the state's flagship university and one of the nation's preeminent public research universities. A global leader in research, entrepreneurship and innovation, the university is home to more than 37,000 students, 9,000 faculty and staff, and 250 academic programs. Its faculty includes three Nobel laureates, three Pulitzer Prize winners, 47 members of the national academies and scores of Fulbright scholars. The institution has a $1.8 billion operating budget, secures $500 million annually in external research funding and recently completed a $1 billion fundraising campaign.

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SOURCE University of Maryland