Sally Sharp Reilly

Sally Reilly focuses on the legal needs of small business, creative professionals, and those who work in the arts or nonprofit communities. She specializes in entertainment and media law, as well as general contract and transactional work for smaller enterprises.

A primary focus of her practice is protecting intangible property, including brand names, original authorship, and innovative ideas, at all stages in the life cycle. She employs a comprehensive approach that coordinates copyright and trademark protection with other forms of intellectual property law. She also works on contract and corporate matters for small businesses, ranging from corporate organization to day-to-day operations.

Sally is an experienced practitioner in publishing and new media law. Before coming to Wallace, Jordan, she was Director of Legal Services for almost 20 years at Southern Progress Corporation, the publisher of Southern Living, Cooking Light, Health, Coastal Living, Sunset, and Progressive Farmer magazines, as well as Oxmoor House and Leisure Arts books. In her role at Southern Progress, she supported the launches of several new business ventures, advised editorial and marketing staff on copyright, trademark, and licensing issues, managed the legal risks associated with operating corporate websites, and drafted and negotiated a wide variety of agreements, including licensing agreements, print and e-publishing agreements, vendor agreements, marketing agreements, software agreements, and agreements for freelance contributors.

Born in Jackson, Mississippi, Sally moved to Alabama at an early age. She attended Duke University, majoring in music and German, and received her J.D. from Duke University School of Law in 1983. A frustrated opera singer, she is now quite content with singing in various local groups, including the choir at the Cathedral of St. Paul, Aloft, and Ladies’ Night Out, a vocal jazz group.