Brooks Pierce attorney Mark Prak received the Distinguished Service Award from the North
Carolina Association of Broadcasters at its 2008 Annual Convention on July 20. The award is given for outstanding service to or on behalf of the broadcast industry.
Don Curtis, CEO of Curtis Media Group and past President of the Association, said, "All of us who have worked with Mark know first-hand what a truly superb and effective lawyer he is. Mark, without pay or compensation of any kind, for years represented NCAB's interests on First Amendment, news gathering, open meetings, and public records issues before the General Assembly. He is, and has for many years been, an extraordinary resource for North Carolina broadcasters."
The Distinguished Service Award has been given annually since 1973, and very rarely has it been awarded to someone who is not a broadcaster.
Prak represents media and telecommunications companies and state and national trade associations in the courts, before the Federal Communications Commission and before other state and federal administrative agencies. He has testified on behalf of clients before committees of Congress and the North Carolina General Assembly. He has counseled clients through all manner of business negotiations and has served as lead counsel in litigation and trials for over two decades.
For the past 15 years, Prak has been named one of The Best Lawyers in America (Woodward/White) in First Amendment Law. He is also recognized by his peers as a North Carolina "Super Lawyer" in First Amendment/Media Law by Law & Politics magazine.