Intellectual Property Law Section | Bereavement Notice

In the past few years, our tight-knit intellectual property legal community has lost some of its founding members, those giants, such as Miles Alexander, Jerre Swan, Bill Brewster and others, who laid the groundwork that made it possible for our community to thrive and excel. 

On April 11, 2026, we lost another one of our shining stars — William “Bill” Needle. A native of Charleston, South Carolina, and a proud Georgia Tech (Chemistry) and Emory (Law) graduate, Bill began his legal career at Newton, Hopkins & Ormsby, Atlanta’s first IP boutique. From there, Bill founded Needle & Rosenberg, growing it into one of the largest IP boutiques in the Southeast before merging with Ballard Spahr. Bill’s career spanned more than 46 years and saw him recognized as one of the foremost intellectual property attorneys in the country. Beyond Bill’s legacy of legal excellence, we remember Bill’s kind and welcoming spirit and his unstinting mentorship of generations of young lawyers. 

Bill’s funeral service was held in Charleston on April 14 and a memorial service was held in Atlanta on April 17. The Needle family requests that, in lieu of flowers, donations be made in Bill’s memory to the School of Chemistry and Biochemistry at Georgia Tech., The Temple in Atlanta, or Congregation Kahal Kadosh Beth Elohim in Charleston.