Mark King, Law Offices of Mark S. King, P.C.
As a Wilmington native, I have a passion for both the rich history of the area and an intense interest in the growth and development of a cosmopolitan, clean, and sustainable southern city. To the extent that Wilmington’s historical and cultural treasures and natural resources can be shared with a larger audience to recruit more ‘creative class’ (tip of the hat to Richard Florida) individuals to our city, I am absolutely for responsible growth and the development of a dynamic arts and innovation centered city. CFEDC appears to me to be an organization very much aligned with these interests.
As a local business and patent attorney counting on an innovative and successful entrepreneurial class of individuals living in our city, I have substantial economic interest and incentive to rally behind the CFEDC cause. In short, a city filled with waiters and stock clerks is not going to bode well for business. Meanwhile, investment in the economic sustainability and entrepreneurial spirit of Wilmington and the tri-county area ultimately is an investment in my own business, and provides me a constant drive to better both my city and myself.
Further, I have two (2) initiatives that I personally would like to take a role in advancing. One, is the establishment or recruitment of a local business incubator either as a locally funded initiative or via cooperation with the National Business Incubator Association, SCORE, or like entities. Two, is the establishment of a robust local Arts Council supporting our local musicians and artists and nurturing the artistic community in an effort to establish a vibrant local arts scene as a recruitment tool for ‘creative class’ individuals. Again, CFEDC appears to be an organization poised to further these types of initiatives, having present membership with demonstrated interest in these areas.
Information: I am a life-long Wilmington, NC native and alumnus of Ogden Elementary, Noble Middle School, and Laney High School here in the area. Following graduation from Laney High, I went on to Duke University where I received a B.S. in Biology with a concentration in molecular biology, a B.A. in History with a concentration in the U.S. Civil War & Civil Rights Movement, and a minor in Chemistry. Following a brief stint employed with the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) in the Research Triangle Park, I returned to Wilmington in 2002 and served as general manager of a very successful local entrepreneurial venture before going on to pursue my J.D. at Campbell University School of Law in 2004. While at Campbell, I applied for registration with the United States Patent & Trademark Office (USPTO) and successfully passed the U.S. Patent Bar Exam. Upon passing the N.C. State Bar Exam in July of 2007, I again returned to Wilmington where I worked for an established local firm as a patent and business attorney among other areas of law. In September of 2009, I left my previous firm and opened my own practice, The Law Offices of Mark S. King, P.C., in an effort to focus more exclusively on the patent, trademark and small business law/consultation aspects of my law practice. To date, the firm has been a great success and I eagerly look forward to whatever the future may bring.
