OCIPLA

OCIPLA April 2022 Virtual Luncheon
2022-04-28 12:00 - 13:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Zoom
Speaker: Charlene Minx: Principal and Founder of Minx Law, PC
Topic: “Trademark Modernization Act – Practice Tips for IP Attorneys”
Date/Time: Thursday, April 28 at 12:00 PT
Location: Zoom

SPEAKER
Charlene Minx is an intellectual property attorney and trusted advisor to brand owners. For more than 16 years, Charlene has counseled clients in all aspects of brand management and enforcement, including the selection, commercialization, and protection of global IP portfolios. Charlene’s clients include both iconic brands and emerging companies in digital media and entertainment, software and Web3, apparel and footwear, and consumer and personal goods.
Charlene’s work includes guiding clients through complex IP transactions, including brand licensing programs, and lending IP specialist support to M&A transactions. On the enforcement side, Charlene represents clients before the federal courts and the USPTO’s Trademark Trial and Appeal Board. She also has extensive experience in managing cross-border IP disputes.
Prior to forming her own boutique firm in 2016, Charlene practiced in the intellectual property groups at Greenberg Traurig LLP and Steptoe & Johnson LLP. She is a graduate of USC Law School and UC Berkeley.

OCIPLA May 2022 Luncheon
2022-05-26 12:00 - 13:00 | Andrei’s Conscious Cuisine, 2607 Main Street, Irvine, CA, United States
Speakers: Honorable John W. Holcomb and Alan G. Laquer
Topic: Anatomy of a Copyright Case
Date/Time: Thursday, May 26 at 12:00 PT
Location: In-person at Andrei’s Conscious Cuisine, 2607 Main St, Irvine, CA 92614

SPEAKERS
Honorable John W. Holcomb
Judge Holcomb earned his B.S. in civil engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1984. For the next five years, he served as a commissioned officer in the United States Navy, including assignments aboard the battleship U.S.S. New Jersey (BB-62) and with the Joint Staff at the Pentagon. In 1993, Judge Holcomb received his M.B.A. from Harvard Business School and his J.D., cum laude, from Harvard Law School. He then served as a law clerk for Judge Ronald Barliant of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Illinois. Thereafter, Judge Holcomb was an associate with Irell & Manella LLP. In 1997, he joined the intellectual property law firm of Knobbe, Martens, Olson & Bear, LLP, and he was elevated to partner in 2002. Judge Holcomb retired from Knobbe Martens in 2018, and he briefly practiced as a bankruptcy and litigation sole-practitioner before joining the firm Greenberg Gross LLP as a partner in 2019. In September 2020, the U.S. Senate confirmed Judge Holcomb’s appointment as a District Judge.

Alan G. Laquer
Alan Laquer is a litigation partner in the Knobbe Martens Orange County office. He has litigated dozens of patent, trade secret, trademark, technology contract, and copyright cases. Relying on his industry experience as a programmer, Alan frequently handles cases with software/IT claims. Alan represents clients ranging from startups to industry leaders, and as defendants as well as plaintiffs. His victories include resolving several cases through motions to dismiss, summary judgment, trial, and appeal. Alan focuses on litigating efficiently and ensuring that case strategy matches his clients’ business goals. He has served as second-chair trial counsel in district court, the International Trade Commission, and arbitration. He is a registered Patent Attorney and has litigated several inter partes reviews for petitioners as well as patent owners. Alan has also worked as a criminal trial prosecutor in the Orange County District Attorney’s Office through its Trial Attorney Partnership program.

OCIPLA September 2022 Luncheon
2022-09-15 12:00 - 13:00 | Zoom
Speaker: Dahlia George, USPTO Office of Enrollment and Discipline
Topic: An Overview of the USPTO Patent Pro Bono Program
Date/Time: Thursday, September 15 at 12:00 PT
Location: Zoom

SPEAKER
Dahlia George
Dahlia George first joined the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) in January 2005 as a Trademark Examining Attorney. In January 2008, she joined the USPTO Office of General Law where she investigated and prosecuted EEOC complaints, grievances, and Merit Systems Protection Bureau appeals. She also responded to subpoenas for Government witnesses and documents, investigated Federal Tort Claims Act claims and IG inquiries, and handled Reasonable Accommodation requests for legal sufficiency. In addition, she was the USPTO FOIA Officer. Since January 2011 to the present, she joined the USPTO Office of Enrollment and Discipline where she investigates grievances and complaints alleging misconduct by patent and trademark practitioners; conducts moral character and “fitness to practice” applications for individuals seeking registration before the USPTO; and heads the Diversion Pilot Program for impaired practitioners.
Before working at the USPTO, Ms. George was an Assistant Attorney General for the N.H. Office of Attorney General where she investigated and prosecuted professional misconduct cases against licensed professionals such as physicians, psychiatrists, psychologists, and social workers, before their respective licensing boards.
Prior to her stint as a N.H. Assistant Attorney General, she served a tour of duty as a Judge Advocate General (JAG) in the United States Air Force where she served as a prosecutor for the United States in courts-martial and administrative discharge proceedings; handled procurement and claims matters; and advised base and wing commanders on the legality of base activities such as bingo night and mess activities. Later she was promoted to the position of Area Defense Counsel for three bases covering 15,000 military and civilian personnel, where she represented military personnel in courts-martial (felony trials) and discharge proceedings.
She is licensed to practice law in the District of Columbia.

OCIPLA October 2022 Luncheon
2022-10-20 12:00 - 13:00 | Andrei’s Conscious Cuisine, 2607 Main Street, Irvine, CA, United States
Speakers:
Christina Zabat-Fran, General Counsel/CLO at ST. JOHN
John Conniff, Chief Legal Officer at Amada North America, Inc.
Mark Blake, Senior Director – Litigation, Intellectual Property and Strategy at Edwards Lifesciences
Michael Kline, Senior Corporate Counsel, Director of IP at Cleveland Golf
Topic: IP Challenges of In-House Counsel
Date/Time: Thursday, October 20, 2022
Registration/Lunch/Networking Start: 11:30am
Panel Discussion 12:00pm – 1:00pm
Location: Andrei’s Conscious Cuisine, 2607 Main Street, Irvine, CA 92614
Registration
Member – $55.00
Non-Member – $80.00

Sponsors

LAIPLA Courthouse Program
2022-10-26 11:45 - 13:30 | Ronald Reagan Courthouse, 411 W. 4th Street, Santa Ana, CA, 92701, United States
LAIPLA is proud to present its 2022 LAIPLA Courthouse Program
Join us at the Ronald Reagan Courthouse in Santa Ana for this year’s program, which will offer practical advice concerning courtroom presentation skills and strategies in IP cases, including motion practice and trial presentations.
**Free parking is available in City of Santa Ana parking structures, including at 310 N Birch Street directly across from the Courthouse, but please allow additional time for parking given significant OC streetcar construction in front of the Courthouse.**
Featuring:

Judge David Carter
Judge James Selna
Magistrate Judge Karen Scott

SCHEDULE
11:45 AM: Registration outside Courtroom 9C12:00 PM: Program inside Courtroom 9C1:00 PM: Post-program networking, appetizers, and soft drinks at neighboring location, courtesy of The Sullivan Group.
**Los Angeles Intellectual Property Law Association (provider # 2083) certifies that this activity has been approved for MCLE credit by the State Bar of California in the amount of 1.0 hours.
PRICING
Includes appetizers and soft drinks courtesy of The Sullivan Group:

LAIPLA/OCIPLA Members: $10

LAIPLA Law Student Members, other law students, and court personnel: Complimentary

Non-Members: $20

CANCELLATION POLICY

In order to receive a refund, notice of cancellation must be received by Friday, October 21st to office@laipla.net. Refunds will not be issued for cancellations received after Friday, October 21st.
Register for Courthouse Program

OCIPLA November 2022 Luncheon
2022-11-18 12:00 - 13:00 | Andrei’s Conscious Cuisine, 2607 Main Street, Irvine, CA, United States
Speakers:
Jason Weintraub, Chief Legal Officer, Jacuzzi Group Worldwide
Neha Jaiswal, Director, International at Domino’s Pizza
Topic: Protecting Popular Brands
Date/Time: Friday, November 18, 2022
Registration/Lunch/Networking Start: 11:30am
Panel Discussion: 12:00pm – 1:00pm
Location: Andrei’s Conscious Cuisine, 2607 Main Street, Irvine, CA 92614
Registration
Member: $55.00
Non-Member: $80.00

Speakers
Jason Weintraub is Chief Legal Officer & General Counsel of Jacuzzi Group, a global, private equity-owned consumer products manufacturer with over 5,000 employees. Mr. Weintraub manages Jacuzzi Group’s legal, compliance, risk management and real estate functions. His responsibilities include protecting the company’s iconic Jacuzzi® trademark and other intellectual property, leading M&A activity and managing the company’s global real estate portfolio, litigation matters, major transactions, and insurance procurement and claims. Mr. Weintraub also leads Jacuzzi Group’s regulatory and corporate compliance program and supports the company’s ESG efforts.
Prior to joining Jacuzzi Group, Mr. Weintraub served as Chief Legal Officer of El Pollo Loco, Inc., a publicly traded restaurant company with nearly 500 locations and over 5,000 employees. Mr. Weintraub led El Pollo Loco’s Legal, Compliance and Risk Management Functions. He maintained responsibility for litigation matters, as well as transactions, intellectual property procurement and licensing, franchising matters, enterprise risk management, regulatory and corporate compliance, employment counseling, marketing and advertising support, and insurance procurement and loss prevention.
Before joining El Pollo Loco, Mr. Weintraub served as Vice President, General Counsel & Secretary for BSH Home Appliances Corporation in Irvine, Calif. There, he led the Legal, Compliance and Risk Management functions. His role included documenting transactions facilitating billions in revenue, leading a deal team for multiple strategic acquisitions, and supporting partnerships enabling accelerated growth for the company. Mr. Weintraub has also held senior legal department roles at Taco Bell Corp. and Broadcom Corporation.
Mr. Weintraub is a frequently sought-after lecturer at continuing education seminars, speaking on such issues as international business expansion, risk management, unfair competition law, and complex civil litigation. In 2019, Mr. Weintraub was honored by the National Association of Women Lawyers with the national Challenge Award, provided to the corporate legal department that best promotes the hiring and advancement of women in the legal profession. In 2012, he was honored as the “Rising Star” at the Orange County Business Journal’s General Counsel of the Year Awards. Mr. Weintraub received his Juris Doctor degree from Berkeley Law (University of California) and his undergraduate degree in political science from Stanford University.

OCIPLA Welcome Back Mixer and IP Ethics CLE
2023-01-25 17:30 - 20:00 | Courtyard at The Boardwalk, 18565 Jamboree Rd, Irvine, CA, 92612
Speaker:
Emil J. Ali, Partner, McCabe & Ali, LLP

Topic: Ethics Issues for IP Counsel Working Through Foreign Associates and Intermediaries
Date/Time: Wednesday, January 25, 2023
5:30pm – 8:00pm
Registration: 5:30pm
CLE Session: 6:00pm – 7:00pm
Networking reception to follow
Location: The Boardwalk, 18565 Jamboree Rd, Irvine, CA 92612
Registration
Member: $30.00
Non-Member: $45.00
This is a good opportunity for attendees to obtain hard-to-earn ethics CLE credits before the 2023 submission deadline.

Speaker
Emil J. Ali is a partner at McCabe & Ali, LLP where he focuses his practice on helping lawyers understand their obligations under state and federal law. As a registered patent attorney, a significant focus of his practice involves advising lawyers and law firms on all aspects of the intersection of IP and ethics matters. Emil’s work includes counseling clients on lateral transitions, malpractice avoidance, expert opinion and testimony, and respondent’s defense work before various bars and courts. You can view his musings on IP ethics issues at www.ipethicslaw.com.

OCIPLA February 2023 Luncheon
2023-02-23 12:00 - 13:00 | Andrei’s Conscious Cuisine, 2607 Main Street, Irvine, CA, United States
Speakers:
Maria Anderson, Partner, Seattle office of Knobbe Martens
Marissa Rosenbaum, Associate, Orange County office of Knobbe Martens
Jessica Sganga, Partner, Los Angeles office of Knobbe Martens

Topic: Protecting Your Healthcare Brand: Trademark Considerations and Challenges Unique to the Healthcare Industry
Date/Time: Thursday, February 23, 2023
12:00pm – 1:00pm
Location: Andrei’s Conscious Cuisine, 2607 Main St, Irvine, CA 92614
Registration
Member:
Non-Member:

Speakers
Maria Anderson is a partner in the Seattle, WA office of Knobbe Martens. She has extensive experience in comprehensive, strategic client counseling in all aspects of intellectual property and has been very active in the procurement of patent assets in the computer science and ecommerce fields since 1993. Ms. Anderson has extensive experience in developing patent and trademark portfolios and developing patent and trademark assets for a diverse group of clients, i.e., from startups to Fortune 100 companies. She also provides patent and trademark search analysis and advice for a wide variety of products and services, including medical devices, food and beverage products and cloud computing services. She also counsels clients on patentability and infringement matters and develops comprehensive intellectual property programs for pre-litigation, licensing and enforcement purposes.
Marissa Rosenbaum is an associate in the Orange County office of Knobbe Martens. She focuses on all areas related to domestic and international trademark and copyright law, including, counseling, prosecution, maintenance, audits, policing, and enforcement. She also advises clients on the development and management of global trademark portfolios, counterfeit enforcement, intellectual property transactions, and unfair competition. Marissa represents clients in several industries, including food and beverage, software, e-commerce, technology and electronic devices, retail, media and entertainment, medical devices, personal care products, and jewelry.
Jessica Sganga is a partner in the Los Angeles office of Knobbe Martens. She focuses on domestic and international trademark, unfair competition, copyright, data privacy, advertising, and internet law. Her practice includes domestic and foreign trademark selection and searching, trademark procurement and prosecution, inter partes proceedings before the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board, intellectual property licensing, domain name disputes, counterfeit goods and customs, rights of publicity, and trademark, trade dress, unfair competition, and copyright enforcement and litigation. She also advises clients on an array of electronic commerce matters, including data privacy and data security compliance and procedure, data breach response, online privacy, mobile privacy, advertising and promotions, and social media. She represents clients across a broad range of industries, including well-known companies in the food and beverage, cosmetic, fashion, e-commerce, and entertainment space.

OCIPLA March 2023 Luncheon
2023-03-16 12:00 - 13:00 | Sol Irvine, 1910 Main Street, Irvine, CA, 92614, United States
NEW LOCATION FOR THIS MONTH’S LUNCHEON: SOL IRVINE
Speakers:
Harold Weitzberg, Weitzberg Consulting
Julie Leffler, Big Hype Marketing & PR
Topic: Beyond Registration: Growing and Monetizing Intellectual Property Assets
Date/Time: Thursday, March 16, 2023
12:00pm – 1:00pm
Location: Sol Irvine, 1910 Main St, Irvine, CA 92614
Registration
Member: 55.00
Non-Member: 80.00

Speakers
Harold Weitzberg
Harold Weitzberg is a branding, marketing, licensing, and business development strategist with over 30 years experience in creating and launching businesses, Brands, products and services. Currently working with Hollywood Celebrity Candace Cameron Bure, Food Network star Aarti Sequiera, and spokesperson and actor Dave Coulier, he has a national clientele with a number of well-known individuals as well as business owners, inventors and executives. Harold has worked with and built several high visibility products and brands and verticals in media and consumer businesses including the Olsen Twins, VeggieTales, Goosebumps, The Jane Fonda Workout, Al Kluis Grain Marketing, Sorora Furniture, Lancer Skincare, QVC and more.
Julie Leffler
As the visionary leader and creative director, Julie Leffler launched Big Hype Marketing & PR in 2015 and has built a powerhouse agency with a clientele that includes both individuals and businesses across a variety of industries. With over 20 years of experience in marketing, brand development, and public relations, Julie is a top-notch strategist and able to develop and execute innovative campaigns that make waves and build hype!
Julie provides steadfast dedication to clients and consistently creates strategic campaigns that make a big impact. Noted for her creative and discerning eye, on-point content writing skills, and an impressive ability to multi-task, Julie is involved in every project that comes through the doors of Big Hype.
Prior to launching Big Hype Marketing & PR, Julie worked at several public relations firms in Hollywood representing celebrities, home video releases, movie premieres, and theatrical releases. She later managed both marketing and public relations at action sports company Hurley. In 2006, Julie launched her own public relations agency, Prestige Public Relations, representing fashion and lifestyle brands. She later launched Big Hype Marketing & PR with the addition of comprehensive digital marketing services including branding, copy writing, SEO, SEM, website design, social media marketing, graphic design, email marketing, and more.

OCIPLA April 2023 Luncheon
2023-04-13 12:00 - 13:00 | Andrei’s Conscious Cuisine, 2607 Main Street, Irvine, CA, United States
Speaker:
Mark A. Lemley, William H. Neukom Professor of Law at Stanford Law School and of counsel at Lex Lumina PLLC.
Topic: Patent Year in Review
Date: Thursday, April 13, 2023
Time: 12:00pm – 1:00pm
Location: Andrei’s Conscious Cuisine, 2607 Main St, Irvine, CA 92614
Registration:
Member: $55.00
Non-Member: $80.00

Speaker
Mark A. Lemley
Mark Lemley is the William H. Neukom Professor of Law at Stanford Law School and the Director of the Stanford Program in Law, Science and Technology. He is also a Senior Fellow at the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research and is affiliated faculty in the Symbolic Systems program. He teaches intellectual property, patent law, trademark law, antitrust, the law of robotics and AI, video game law, and remedies. He is the author of 10 books and 201 articles, including the two-volume treatise IP and Antitrust. His works have been cited more than 300 times by courts, including 17 times by the United States Supreme Court, and more than 40,000 times in books and academic articles, making him the most-cited scholar in IP law and one of the ten most cited legal scholars of all time. He has published 9 of the 100 most-cited law review articles of the last twenty years, more than any other scholar, and is the third most cited legal scholar from 2016-2020. His articles have appeared in 24 of the top 25 law reviews and in top journals in other fields, including Nature Biotechnology, the American Economic Review, the Review of Economics and Statistics, and the Harvard Business Review, and in multiple peer-reviewed and specialty journals. They have been reprinted throughout the world, and translated into Chinese, Danish, Japanese, Korean, Italian, Portuguese, and Spanish. He has taught IP law to federal and state judges at numerous Federal Judicial Center and ABA programs, has testified eight times before Congress, and has filed more than 70 amicus briefs in the U.S. Supreme Court and other courts.
Mark is of counsel at the law firm Lex Lumina. He litigates and counsels clients in all areas of intellectual property, antitrust, and internet law. He has argued 30 federal appellate cases and numerous district court cases as well as before the California Supreme Court. He has participated in more than three dozen cases in the United States Supreme Court as counsel or amici. His client base is diverse and has included Genentech, Dykes on Bikes, video game companies, artists, computer scientists, and nearly every significant Internet company.
Mark cofounded Lex Machina, Inc., a startup company that provides litigation data and analytics to law firms, companies, courts, and policymakers. Lex Machina was acquired by Lexis in December 2015.
Mark has been named California Lawyer’s Attorney of the Year twice. He received the California State Bar’s inaugural IP Vanguard Award. He won the 2018 World Technology Award for Law. In 2017 he received the P.J. Federico Award from the Patent and Trademark Office Society. Back when he was young, he was named a Young Global Leader by the Davos World Economic Forum and Berkeley Law School’s Young Alumnus of the Year. He has been recognized as one of the top 50 litigators in the country under 45 and one of the 25 most influential people in IP by American Lawyer, one of the 100 most influential lawyers in the nation by the National Law Journal, and one of the 10 most admired attorneys in IP by IP360. He is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the American Law Institute, and the IP Hall of Fame.
Mark clerked for Judge Dorothy Nelson on the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit and has practiced law with Brown & Bain, Fish & Richardson, Keker & Van Nest, and Durie Tangri. He has previously taught at Berkeley Law School and the University of Texas School of Law. In his spare time, Mark enjoys cooking, travel, yoga, and video games (at this writing, Hogwarts Legacy).

Cannabis IP Law Conference: California Lawyers Association
2023-04-19 08:45 - 19:15
The Intellectual Property Law Section of the California Lawyers Association is presenting the full day in person Cannabis IP Law Conference on April 19, 2023, at the Le Méridien Delfina Santa Monica.
More than half of the states (plus Washington, D.C.) in the United States – including California – have either significantly de-criminalized the cultivation, possession, and sale of cannabis for medical purposes or have legalized it for use by adults over the age of 21 (a/k/a “recreational” use). This has resulted in a multi-billion dollar industry. Intellectual Property law has proven to be one of the most critical areas of the law as investors and entrepreneurs enter the cannabis space and try to determine how to protect and leverage their investments. In addition to outstanding educational programming relating to cannabis intellectual property litigation, licensing, parodies, trademark and patent filing strategies, and ethical considerations when representing cannabis companies, the conference will offer several networking opportunities.
Information and registration available here: https://calawyers.org/event/ip-cannabis-law-conference/.

OCIPLA May 2023 Luncheon
2023-05-23 12:00 - 13:00 | Andrei’s Conscious Cuisine, 2607 Main Street, Irvine, CA, United States
**NOTE THIS MONTH’S LUNCHEON OCCURS ON A TUESDAY**
In Partnership with the OCBA IP and Technology Section.
Special Guest Speaker: World Intellectual Property Organization Director General, Daren Tang
Date: Tuesday, May 23, 2023
Time: 12:00pm – 1:00pm
Location: Andrei’s Conscious Cuisine, 2607 Main St, Irvine, CA 92614
Registration:
Member: $55.00
Non-Member: $80.00

Our Speaker
Daren Tang, a national of Singapore, began his six-year mandate as Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) on October 1, 2020. Prior to his appointment as WIPO Director General, he served as Chief Executive of the Intellectual Property Office of Singapore (IPOS), driving the strategic transformation of IPOS in support of Singapore’s innovation-based economy.
Between 1997 and 2012, before joining IPOS, Daren Tang held different legal positions within the Attorney-General’s Chambers and the Ministry of Trade and Industry of Singapore. In 2016, he received the Public Administration Medal from the Prime Minister’s Office Singapore for outstanding efficiency and competence in the service of his country.
Daren Tang is a graduate of the National University of Singapore (Bachelor of Law, Honors) and the Georgetown University Law Center (Master of Laws, Distinction). He also attended the Advanced Management Program at Harvard Business School. He is fluent in English and Chinese.

OCIPLA September 2023 Luncheon
2023-09-21 12:00 - 13:00 | Andrei’s Conscious Cuisine, 2607 Main Street, Irvine, CA, United States
Guest Speakers: Raquel Dachner and David Flyer, Flyer & Flyer, PLC
Topic: Trying an Unregistered Trade Dress Case
Date: Thursday, September 21, 2023
Time: 12:00pm – 1:00pm
Location: Andrei’s Conscious Cuisine, 2607 Main St, Irvine, CA 92614
Registration:
Member: $55.00
Non-Member: $80.00
Student Member: $20.00

Our Speakers
Raquel Flyer Dachner
Raquel received her bachelor’s degree from the University of Southern California, then went to law school at UC Davis School of Law graduating in 2011. She is a partner at Flyer and Flyer, PLC, and has been lead trial counsel on eight jury trials involving trade dress infringement, breach of contract, and other civil matters. Recently, on July 28, 2023, the jury returned a verdict in favor of her client, a physician’s group, against a fortune 150 company-machine manufacturer. The manufacturer sold the physician’s group a blood and tissue assay machine which failed to operate as warranted, where the manufacturer claimed that the physician’s laboratory technicians failed to maintain and operate the machine as described in the owner’s manual. Both sides retained experts, and a key piece of evidence according to the jury, was an edited video presentation depicting both maintenance and operations. The matter was heard by the Honorable Sherilyn Peace Green, US District Court for Central District of California.
David Flyer
David Flyer is 1974 graduate of the U.S. Military Academy, following which he served for over five years on active duty. He obtained the rank of Captain. After military service, Mr. Flyer received a M.S. in Systems Engineering from the University of Southern California and matriculated from Southwestern University SOL in 1981, and was admitted to the bar thereafter. He is a Registered Patent Attorney and a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates. One successful method we use to handle good claims with inventors and smaller businesses involves a modified contingency arrangement, where the client pays costs and a modest retainer. In this manner, we make the legal system more accessible.

OCIPLA October 2023 Luncheon
2023-10-26 12:00 - 13:00 | Andrei’s Conscious Cuisine, 2607 Main Street, Irvine, CA, United States
Topic: Monitoring and Enforcing Your Brand Against Online Counterfeiters
Aaron and Jonathan will discuss evolving trends in online counterfeiting, including new techniques infringers use to evade detection, and will offer insights into building an effective enforcement program.
Date: Thursday, October 26, 2023
Time: 12:00pm – 1:00pm
Location: Andrei’s Conscious Cuisine, 2607 Main St, Irvine, CA 92614
Registration:
Member: $55.00
Non-Member: $80.00
Student Member: $20.00

Our Speakers
Aaron Fennimore has been advising clients for more than 15 years on the protection, management and enforcement of trademarks, copyrights and domain names, as well as in the areas of marketing and advertising, rights of publicity and privacy. He currently serves as Director and Senior Legal Counsel for Western Digital Corp., a leading provider of data storage products, where he focuses on a range of brand protection issues, including trademark infringement, anti-counterfeiting and fraud.
Jonathan Tudryn is a Brand Protection Program Manager at Western Digital, specializing in online enforcement and overseeing day-to-day enforcement efforts in many countries across the globe. With over a decade of experience dealing with infringers in the online space, he’s seen it all! Applying his background in mathematics and computer science, Jonathan loves studying trends and finding new ways that infringers try to take advantage of consumers. Outside of the office, you’ll find him tinkering with computers or sharpening his cooking skills in the kitchen.

VIRTUAL PROGRAM – The Unified Patent Court: Initial Cases
2023-11-16 12:00 - 13:00
Topic: Unified Patent Court: Initial Cases
The Unified Patent Court (UPC) entered into force on June 1, 2023 in the European Union. Hundreds of cases have been filed there, already. In a few cases, the Court has issued preliminary injunction decisions that have been favorable for patent owners. This presentation will review the initial cases, including trends in the divisions being used, the parties accessing the court, and the substantive decisions made so far.
The presentation will also consider the structure and incentives of the court in comparison to U.S. tribunals and will consider more generally how the launch of the UPC aims to transform the global patent litigation market. The presentation will also consider the expected impact of the Court on due diligence exercises in transactions and valuations.
Date: Thursday, November 16, 2023
Time: 12:00pm – 1:00pm
Location: Virtual Event (zoom link to be provided)
Registration:
Member: $20.00
Non-Member: $20.00
Student Member: $20.00

Speaker:
Charles (Chuck) Larsen, Partner, McDermott Will & Emery (Boston, London)
As a US lawyer and English solicitor, Charles (Chuck) Larsen provides clients sophisticated multi jurisdictional counsel in intellectual property portfolio strategy, transactions and disputes, with a particular emphasis in bioengineering and the medical technology space. He is licensed to practice before the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), the European Patent Office (EPO), and the courts of England and Wales.
He actively counsels on transatlantic disputes, including U.S. District Court cases, Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) proceedings, Reexaminations, EPO Oppositions, and litigation. His team is one of the first international practices to bring an action in Europe’s Unified Patent Court.
Chuck also has extensive experience in transactional IP matters, including transaction structuring and portfolio due diligence for investments and acquisitions, and negotiating collaboration license agreements, joint ventures and other strategic commercial contracts involving key IP assets.
Chuck has advised on a wide range of technology in engineering and life sciences, including bioengineering and medical technology, pharmaceuticals, microfluidics, drug delivery, machine learning, signal processing, combustion and energy. In the medical technology sector, his experience has involved a wide range of technologies, including intravascular devices, respiratory systems, orthopedic implants, cellular therapy, tissue engineering, neuromonitoring, spine technology, electrical stimulation, healthcare informatics, DNA sequencing, software driven devices, biological manufacturing and diagnostics.

OCIPLA 2023 Holiday Celebration
2023-12-12 18:00 - 21:00 | Courtyard at The Boardwalk, 18565 Jamboree Rd, Irvine, CA, 92612
You’re Invited!
We are pleased to announce the OCIPLA 2023 Holiday Celebration on December 12, 2023.
Join us at Courtyard at The Boardwalk for an evening of holiday cheer. Drinks and hors d’oeuvres will be served.
The event will be held outdoors.
Members are free and must register for the event.
Non-member and guest tickets are $25.
We look forward to seeing everyone there,
OCIPLA Board of Directors

Event Details
DATE: Tuesday, December 12, 2023
TIME: 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
LOCATION: The Boardwalk – Courtyard: 18575 Jamboree Rd., Irvine, CA 92612

Registration:
Member: Free
Non-Member: $25.00
Guest: $25.00

OCIPLA January 2024 Luncheon
2024-01-18 12:00 - 13:00 | Andrei’s Conscious Cuisine, 2607 Main Street, Irvine, CA, United States
Topic: Ethics in Review – Hot Topics for IP Attorneys
Join Emil J. Ali of McCabe & Ali, LLP as he returns to OCIPLA to present on current ethics issues that IP attorneys should be aware of. From the use of artificial intelligence in patent prosecution and IP litigation to the USPTO’s war on foreign trademark filings, this CLE will provide information on recent areas of focus for the USPTO’s Office of Enrollment and Discipline, the State Bar of California, as well as some best practices to avoid missteps in client relationships.
Date: Thursday, January 18, 2024
Time: 12:00pm – 1:00pm
Location: Andrei’s Conscious Cuisine, 2607 Main St, Irvine, CA 92614
Registration:
Member: $55.00
Non-Member: $80.00
Student Member: $20.00

Our Speaker
Emil J. Ali is a partner at McCabe & Ali, LLP where he focuses his practice on helping lawyers understand their obligations under state and federal law. As a registered patent attorney, a significant focus of his practice involves advising lawyers and law firms on all aspects of the intersection of IP and ethics matters. Emil’s work includes counseling clients on lateral transitions, malpractice avoidance, expert opinion and testimony, and respondent’s defense work before various bars and courts. You can view his musings on IP ethics issues at www.ipethicslaw.com.

OCIPLA February 2024 Luncheon
2024-02-15 12:00 - 13:00 | Andrei’s Conscious Cuisine, 2607 Main Street, Irvine, CA, United States
Topic: Steamboat Willie Enters The Public Domain. What does this mean for IP Protection of Mickey Mouse?
Richard Gilmore will discuss the history of copyright protection, Disney’s IP rights for the character, the impact on Disney’s enforcement now that the character has entered the public domain and the potential impact of these recent events on copyright and trademark laws.
Date: Thursday, February 15, 2024
Time: 12:00pm – 1:00pm
Location: Andrei’s Conscious Cuisine, 2607 Main St, Irvine, CA 92614
Registration:
Member: $55.00
Non-Member: $80.00
Student Member: $20.00

Our Speaker
Richard Gilmore is a partner at Maschoff Brennan Gilmore Israelsen & Mauriel LLP, and a registered patent agent. He is involved in all aspects of intellectual property law, with a focus on patent and trademark application preparation and prosecution domestically and internationally. He represents large and small clients from a diverse range of industries and often works directly with in-house counsel to develop and maintain their worldwide patent and trademark portfolios. His patent practice includes utility and design patents, appeals to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office Board of Appeals and Interferences, and reexamination proceedings. Rick speaks each year at the American Intellectual Property Law Association (AIPLA) Annual Trademark Boot Camp, and has also taught many law school classes on patent and trademark issues. Rick is a three-time All-American swimmer, competing at a national and international level, at one point ranked as one of the top twenty-five swimmers in the world.

OCIPLA March 2024 Luncheon
2024-03-28 12:00 - 13:00 | Andrei’s Conscious Cuisine, 2607 Main Street, Irvine, CA, United States
**PLEASE NOTE THIS EVENT HAS BEEN RESCHEDULED TO THURSDAY, MARCH 28TH**
Topic: The Supreme Court’s Amgen v. Sanofi decision and the USPTO’s new guidance on enablement resulting from the Amgen decision
Description: Jeff Morton will discuss the Supreme Court’s recent decision in Amgen, Inc. v. Sanofi (Amgen) as well as the USPTO’s new (January 2024) guidance on enablement that has resulted from the Amgen decision. The decision sent shock waves through the patent world, particularly in the chemical and biotech segments, due to its invalidation of Amgen patents based on a lack of enablement. The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has now issued much-anticipated patent examiner guidance that takes into account the implications of the Amgen decision, and it appears that the decision may have a more muted impact than originally anticipated.
Date: Thursday, March 28, 2024
Time: 12:00pm – 1:00pm
Location: Andrei’s Conscious Cuisine, 2607 Main St, Irvine, CA 92614
Registration:
Member: $55.00
Non-Member: $80.00
Student Member: $20.00

OCIPLA April 2024 Virtual Event
2024-04-15 12:00 - 13:00 | Zoom
Topic: Patent Year in Review
Description: Mark Lemley is the William H. Neukom Professor of Law at Stanford Law School and the director of the Stanford Program in Law, Science and Technology. He is also a senior fellow at the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research and affiliated faculty in the Symbolic Systems program. In addition to teaching, he also litigates and counsels clients in all areas of intellectual property, antitrust, and internet law as a founding partner of Durie Tangri LLP.
Date: Monday, April 15, 2024
Time: 12:00pm – 1:00pm
Location: Virtual Presentation (Zoom link will be provided)
Registration:
Member: $20.00
Non-Member: $30.00
Student Member: $20.00

OCIPLA May 2024 Luncheon
2024-05-16 12:00 - 13:00 | Andrei’s Conscious Cuisine, 2607 Main Street, Irvine, CA, United States
Luck, Residue, Design? A Post-Mortem Deconstruction of a Copyright Infringement Trial
Topic: Hargis v. Pacifica Senior Living Management LLC pending in the district court for the Central District of California
Description: Our May Luncheon speakers will be John Tehranian and Taylor Foss of One LLP. They will discuss their recent landmark $6.3 million jury verdict in the copyright infringement case Hargis v. Pacifica Senior Living Management LLC pending in the district court for the Central District of California, where the jury found the senior care provider willfully infringed dozens of Hargis’ photographs.
Date: Thursday, May 16, 2024
Time: 12:00pm – 1:00pm
Location: Andrei’s Conscious Cuisine, 2607 Main St, Irvine, CA 92614
Registration:
Member: $55.00
Non-Member: $80.00
Student Member: $20.00

SPEAKERS
John Tehranian, Founding Partner, One LLP
John is a founding partner of One LLP. His practice focuses on litigation, counseling and crisis management for clients in intellectual property, entertainment and constitutional matters. John has handled high-profile disputes and transactions involving numerous legends from the worlds of music (Bootsy Collins, Don Henley, B.B. King, Madonna), film (Luis Bunuel, Harold Lloyd), fashion (Jeremy Scott), theater (Stephen Sondheim), photography (David LaChapelle, Annie Leibovitz), literature (John Fante, Ernest Hemingway, Frank Herbert, Jules Verne) and athletics (Oscar de la Hoya, Tony Parker, Dean Potter). He has served as counsel in numerous published appellate decisions on copyright matters, including Mavrix v. LiveJournal, 873 F.3d 1045 (9th Cir. 2017), Direct Technologies, LLC v. Electronic Arts, Inc., 836 F.3d 1059 (9th Cir. 2016) and Mavrix Photo, Inc. v. Brand Technologies, Inc., 647 F.3d 1218 (9th Cir. 2011).
Variety’s Legal Impact Report has recognized John as one of the world’s top 50 entertainment lawyers, Billboard Magazine has identified him as one of the top music lawyers in the business, and he has been repeatedly honored as a Southern California Super Lawyer. He is also the recipient of the Wiley W. Manuel Award for Pro Bono Legal Services from the Board of Governors of the State Bar of California.
A graduate of Harvard University and Yale Law School, John began his legal career at O’Melveny & Myers LLP. He is the author of dozens of articles and two books: Whitewashed (New York University Press, 2009), which Publisher’s Weekly has lauded as a “consistently informative” work that “covers fresh legal and social territory,” and Infringement Nation (Oxford University Press, 2011), which the Harvard Law Review has praised for its “insightful critique of the copyright regime” and “convincing case for . . . reform.” His work has also appeared in such publications as the Yale Law Journal, Harvard Journal of Law & Gender, Northwestern University Law Review, Southern California Law Review, University of Pennsylvania Journal of Constitutional Law, Iowa Law Review, William & Mary Law Review, George Washington Law Review, Hastings Law Journal, U.C. Davis Law Review, University of Colorado Law Review, University of Connecticut Law Review, BYU Law Review, Utah Law Review, Berkeley Technology Law Journal and the Chronicle of Higher Education. John’s work has been widely cited in congressional testimony, federal, state and foreign court decisions, and briefs before the United States Supreme Court in such landmark intellectual property cases as Warhol v. Goldsmith (2022), Google v. Oracle (2021), Kirtsaeng v. John Wiley & Sons (2013), Golan v. Holder (2012), and MGM v. Grokster (2005).
A frequent commentator for the broadcast and print media, he has appeared on such television programs as ABC’s Nightline and has been quoted as an expert on legal issues in such publications as The New York Times, Harper’s Magazine, Financial Times, Los Angeles Times, Hollywood Reporter and Christian Science Monitor. He has also spoken at numerous national and international conferences and venues, from the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, South by Southwest (SXSW), Fox Entertainment Group and International Creative Management (ICM) to the Royal Institute of Technology (Stockholm), Humboldt University (Berlin), and Monash University (Melbourne).
As an academic, John serves as the Paul W. Wildman Chair and Professor of Law at Southwestern Law School. He is also Affiliated Faculty at the Center for Security, Race and Rights at Rutgers University. He has previously served as a tenured Professor of Law at the University of Utah, S.J. Quinney College of Law, and as a Visiting Professor of Law at Loyola Law School. In 2023, he will be a Visiting Professor of Law at UCLA School of Law.

Taylor Foss, One LLP
Taylor C. Foss recently acted as lead trial counsel in One LLP’s groundbreaking $6.3 million jury verdict on behalf of architectural photographer Scott Hargis against Pacifica Senior Living Management LLC, who willfully infringed upon 42 of Hargis’ images. One LLP worked in partnership with the world’s leading copyright licensing compliance service, ImageRights International, Inc., on the case on behalf of the Plaintiff, Scott Hargis, a widely recognized architectural photographer. The victory came against Pacifica Senior Living, the thirteenth largest care provider in the United States, owns and operates multiple senior living facilities throughout the nation. Pacifica, despite being a large and sophisticated corporation with legal counsel and full knowledge of federal copyright law, continued to make new unauthorized uses long after it had been apprised of Hargis’ rights. In this case, the jury deemed all 42 infringements as willful and assessed against Pacifica the absolute maximum statutory damages per infringement allowed by law: $150,000 per image, totaling $6.3 million.
With over 15 years of litigation experience, Mr. Foss is an experienced IP litigator and trademark lawyer. He focuses his practice on trademarks, copyrights, patents, trade secrets, rights of publicity, and general business litigation, utilizing his intellectual property expertise across a broad range of industries. Mr. Foss has litigated patent infringement cases related to technologies as varied as polarized sunglass lenses, encrypted computer networks, pharmaceuticals, and medical devices.
Mr. Foss has substantial experience with trademark enforcement in federal court and before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Additionally, Mr. Foss prosecutes trademarks from applications to Office Actions to Opposition and Cancellation proceedings before the Trademark Trial and Appeals Board.
Mr. Foss has frequently counseled clients on a range of IP issues, including providing due diligence reviews of patents and other intellectual property portfolios and advising on the IP aspects of corporate transactions.
Outside the courtroom, Mr. Foss frequently provides pre-litigation advice, enabling companies to predict, achieve, or avoid outcomes that might arise from business transactions involving intellectual property.
Mr. Foss practices primarily in U.S. Federal Court for the Central District of California and is available to act as local counsel for out-of-state litigants that need a guide to the Local Rules and practices.

OCBA and OCIPLA Joint Session- In Living Color: Counseling Clients on Color Marks
2024-06-17 13:00 - 14:00 | Zoom
OCBA IP & Technology Law and OCIPLA Joint Session – In Living Color: Counseling Clients on Color Marks
This program will discuss how attorneys can counsel their clients to seek registration for color marks and demonstrate acquired distinctiveness along with practical considerations to meet that goal. The program will also discuss recent TTAB decision where a color mark was denied registration and federal court cases showing the difficulty in enforcing color marks.
Date: Monday, June 17, 2024
Time: 1:00pm – 2:00pm
Location: Live Webinar (Zoom)
Registration:
OCIPLA and OCBA IP & Technology Section Members: $0.00
OCBA Member (non-section): $25.00
Non-OCBA Member (Attorney): $35.00

SPEAKERS
Stacey C. Kalamaras, Founding Partner, Kalamaras Law Office
Stacey C. Kalamaras is a seasoned trademark attorney who has represented some of the world’s most well-known brands in more than 150 countries. She started her career as marketing and advertising executive working for multi-national corporations before attending law school in her mid-30s. As a lawyer, she has spent the bulk of her career working in big law, assisting companies of all sizes from start-ups to multi-national corporations identify, register, and protect their brands in the U.S. and abroad. She is the founding partner of Kalamaras Law Office, LLC in Chicago, Illinois, an intellectual property boutique providing trademark, copyright and advertising legal services to small and medium-sized businesses. Stacey has been recognized by her peers for the past five years as a Super Lawyer® for her outstanding knowledge and services in intellectual property law, a recognition given to just 5% of the lawyers in Illinois. Since 2018, she has educated over 6,000 lawyers on four continents on various
trademark and IP topics.

OCIPLA September 2024 Luncheon
2024-09-19 12:00 - 13:00 | Andrei’s Conscious Cuisine, 2607 Main Street, Irvine, CA, United States
International Trademark Filings – pros and cons of Madrid Protocol filings versus national filings.
Topic: International Trademark Filings – pros and cons of Madrid Protocol filings versus national filings.
Description: Our September Luncheon speaker will be Charlene Minx, founder of Minx Law. She will discuss International Trademark Filings – pros and cons of Madrid Protocol filings versus national filings.
Date: Thursday, September 19, 2024
Time: 12:00pm – 1:00pm
Location: Andrei’s Conscious Cuisine, 2607 Main St, Irvine, CA 92614
Registration:
Member: $55.00
Non-Member: $80.00
Student Member: $20.00

SPEAKER
Charlene Minx, Founder, Minx Law
Charlene Minx is an intellectual property attorney and the founder of Minx Law, an IP boutique based in Los Angeles. Charlene counsels clients in all aspects of brand management and enforcement, including the selection, commercialization, and protection of global IP portfolios. Charlene’s clients include both iconic brands and emerging companies in entertainment and content, software, gaming, apparel and footwear, and consumer goods.
Charlene’s work includes guiding clients through complex IP transactions and providing IP specialist support on M&A transactions. On the enforcement side, Charlene has extensive experience representing clients in TTAB proceedings, in federal court litigation, and in managing cross-border IP disputes.
Prior to forming her own boutique firm in 2016, Charlene practiced in the intellectual property groups at Greenberg Traurig LLP and Steptoe & Johnson LLP. She is a graduate of USC Law School and UC Berkeley.

OCIPLA October 2024 Virtual Presentation
2024-10-30 12:00 - 13:00 | Zoom
Privacy Trends in America
Topic: Privacy Trends in America
Description: The US privacy landscape is changing, with new laws going into effect constantly. This program will discuss current trends in privacy law, including litigation trends and ways to mitigate risk.
Date: Thursday, October 30, 2024
Time: 12:00pm – 1:00pm
Location: Virtual Zoom Presentation
Registration:
Member: $20.00
Non-Member: $30.00
Student Member: $20.00

SPEAKER

Snehal Desai is an associate in the Intellectual Property Practice Group in Sheppard Mullin’s San Francisco office. She is a Lead Associate of the Privacy and Cybersecurity Team and the firm’s Canada desk. She is also an active member of the Advertising Team, the Retail, Fashion, and Beauty Team, the Food and Beverage Team, and the Technology & Commercial Transactions Team.
Areas of Practice
Snehal Desai helps companies launch cutting-edge products and services in an increasingly complex and demanding legal and regulatory environment. She is the go-to outside product and commercial counsel for some of the world’s most prominent technology, gaming, social media, fintech, healthcare, retail and food service companies.
During multiple secondments as in-house product and commercial counsel, Snehal gained a deep understanding of business operations and the effective balancing of legal requirements and business realities. She leverages that knowledge and experience to work directly with internal business units, from engineering, quality control, and product management to advertising, marketing and communication, on the full range of legal issues that come into play during the conception, development and implementation of a new product or service. In particular, Snehal advises on a wide range of issues including privacy and data protection, advertising and brand recognition, digital transformation and cloud computing arrangements, the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning into products and services, and technology licensing and distribution arrangements. Snehal also provides guidance on the privacy, technology, and commercial aspects of mergers and acquisitions, joint venture arrangements, financings, and divestitures.
Snehal’s experience includes:
Advertising: Snehal advises clients in conducting advertising campaigns, including environmental and sustainability claims, as well as other types of brand marketing claims. She also helps clients with the legal aspects of contests and sweepstakes and promotions.
Technology and Commercial Transactions: Snehal drafts and negotiates agreements regarding software, SaaS, technology services, logistics, marketing, outsourcing, intellectual property licensing, sourcing and distribution, procurement, strategic alliances, and other commercial and transactional matters.
Corporate Transactions: Snehal assists in various types of corporate transactions, including cross-border mergers and acquisitions, as a privacy and cybersecurity specialist.
Privacy and Data Protection: Snehal counsels clients on compliance with domestic and international privacy laws and regulations and helps clients implement compliance programs. She helps clients with drafting privacy policies and online terms of service for websites and mobile applications. She also counsels clients regarding cybersecurity breach response and best practices for mitigation.
Snehal is a passionate advocate for minority-owned small businesses and non-profits. She has an active pro bono practice focused on helping small businesses and non-profits with commercial contracts and privacy issues.

OCIPLA 2024 Holiday Celebration
2024-12-09 17:30 - 20:00 | Courtyard at The Boardwalk, 18565 Jamboree Rd, Irvine, CA, 92612
You’re Invited!
We are pleased to announce the OCIPLA 2024 Holiday Celebration on December 9, 2024.
Join us at Courtyard at The Boardwalk for an evening of holiday cheer. Drinks and hors d’oeuvres will be served. The event will take place from 5:30 to 8 p.m. and from 5:30 to 6:00 p.m., we will have a CLE presentation featuring Joe Cianfrani.
The event will be held outdoors.
Member tickets are $15.
Non-member and guest tickets are $25.
We look forward to seeing everyone there,
OCIPLA Board of Directors

Event Details
DATE: Monday, December 9, 2024
TIME: 5:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. – CLE presentation featuring Joe Cianfrani from 5:30 -6:00 p.m.
LOCATION: The Boardwalk – Courtyard: 18575 Jamboree Rd., Irvine, CA 92612
PRESENTATION:
The Federal Circuit has recently taken an important patent damages issue en banc involving the admission of damages expert testimony that relied on prior license agreements to support a reasonable royalty opinion. In the case of EcoFactor, Inc. v. Google LLC, the en banc Federal Circuit ordered the parties to brief whether a district court abused its discretion in admitting damages expert testimony under Rule 702 and Daubert that relied on prior lump-sum patent license agreements to determine a reasonable royalty. The presentation will discuss prevailing Federal Circuit damages law as it relates to the use of prior license agreements, and how Rule 702 and its recent revisions apply to testimony from experts who rely on such agreements.

Registration:
Member: $15
Non-Member: $25.00
Guest: $25.00

SPEAKER
Joe Cianfrani, Friedland Cianfrani LLP
Joe has focused on IP litigation for his entire 25-year legal career. In that time, he has successfully represented clients in high-stakes intellectual property disputes at both the trial and appellate levels. Joe combines a strong technical background with a thorough understanding of his clients’ business goals and then tailors the legal strategy to achieve those goals.
Joe’s practice primarily involves representing litigants in federal district court in patent and trademark cases, the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB), and before the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, where he served as a law clerk to Judge Arthur Gajarsa. Joe has represented clients on more than 50 appeals and petitions for inter partes review involving computer peripherals, optics, electronics, software, pharmaceuticals, DNA sequencing, and medical devices.
Before founding Friedland Cianfrani, Joe was a partner at Knobbe Martens for two decades, where he served as the Chair of the firm’s Litigation Department and the co-chair of the appellate practice group. Joe is a leader in the intellectual property bar community and has served on the Board of Directors of the American Intellectual Property Association and has chaired the Association’s amicus and legislative committees. He has authored numerous amicus briefs for the AIPLA and other bar associations on a variety of intellectual property issues and is a frequent lecturer on intellectual property law and litigation strategy. Joe is also an active community leader and has coached local high school mock trial teams for the past several years.
Joe has also been consistently recognized with numerous awards as a “Rising Star,” “Super Lawyer,” and “Best Lawyer,” including Lawyer of the Year award by Best Lawyers in 2021.

OCIPLA February 2025 Luncheon
2025-02-20 12:00 - 13:00 | Andrei’s Conscious Cuisine, 2607 Main Street, Irvine, CA, United States
Topic: Patent Year in Review
Speaker: Mark Lemley is the William H. Neukom Professor of Law at Stanford Law School and the director of the Stanford Program in Law, Science and Technology. He is also a senior fellow at the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research and affiliated faculty in the Symbolic Systems program. In addition to teaching, he also litigates and counsels clients in all areas of intellectual property, antitrust, and internet law in his role as of counsel at Lex Lumina.
Date: Thursday, February 20, 2025
Time: 12:00pm – 1:00pm
Location: Andrei’s Conscious Cuisine, 2607 Main St, Irvine, CA 92614
Paper to accompany talk (added February 20, 2025)
Registration:Member: $55.00Non-Member: $80.00Student Member: $20.00

OCIPLA March 2025 Luncheon
2025-03-20 12:00 - 13:00 | Andrei’s Conscious Cuisine, 2607 Main Street, Irvine, CA, United States
Topic: Patent Law Developments at USPTO and in Congress
Speaker: Andrei Iancu
Andrei Iancu is a partner at Sullivan & Cromwell and one of the leading voices in intellectual property law and innovation policy. He is a former Undersecretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), a position to which he was confirmed unanimously by the Senate. Andrei has decades of experience representing plaintiffs and defendants in IP matters across the technical and scientific spectra, including medical devices, genetic testing, therapeutics, the Internet, telephony, TV broadcasting, video game systems and computer peripherals. He represents clients in litigation and trials before the district courts, the U.S. International Trade Commission and the USPTO, the Federal Circuit and U.S. Supreme Court, and also counsels clients on obtaining, licensing, enforcing and defending against IP rights globally.
Date: Thursday, March 20, 2025
Time: 12:00pm – 1:00pm
Location: Andrei’s Conscious Cuisine, 2607 Main St, Irvine, CA 92614
Registration:Member: $55.00Non-Member: $80.00Student Member: $20.00

OCIPLA April 2025 Luncheon
2025-04-16 12:00 - 13:00
Topic: Building and Protecting a Strong Brand Identity
Date: Wednesday, April 16, 2025
Time: 12:00pm – 1:00pm
Location: Sheppard Mullin, 650 Town Center Drive, Tenth Floor, Costa Mesa, CA 92626
Registration:Member: $55.00Non-Member: $80.00Student Member: $20.00

SPEAKERS

Sui Q. Duong, Pure Storage
Sui Q. Duong is Director of Legal Marketing, Trademark, & Copyright at Pure Storage Inc., where he leads the company’s legal marketing, trademark, copyright, and domain name functions. Valued at over $20 billion USD and founded in 2009, Pure Storage is a pioneer in developing all-flash data storage hardware and software solutions.Prior to his role at Pure Storage, Sui was Principal Trademark Counsel with Patterson + Sheridan LLP where he assisted a range of clients across the technology and consumer products industries to identify, protect and enforce their trademark rights and develop their brand strategy. Sui has also held positions at Western Digital Corporation, where he served as Director for that company’s trademark function covering the WD, SanDisk, and HGST (formerly Hitachi Global Storage Technologies) brands, and at the USPTO, where he began his career as a trademark examining attorney.

Eunice Yu Moller, Topgolf, Callaway Brands Corp
Eunice Yu Moller is a senior paralegal in the intellectual property department at Topgolf Callaway Brands Corp., which is comprised of multiple household brands such as Callaway Golf, Topgolf, Odyssey, travisMathew, Jack Wolfskin, and Toptracer. She has worked as a paralegal since 2012 and has significant experience in trademark and copyright prosecution. Prior to working at Topgolf Callaway Brands Corp., Eunice was at various law firms such as Cooley LLP, Fish & Richardson P.C., and IPLA LLC. She has had experience working with clients in the fields of retail, technology (i.e. software and mobile applications), gaming, medical, research, cannabis, apparel, restaurant, skincare, and pharmaceuticals. Yu Moller is a senior paralegal in the intellectual property department at Topgolf Callaway Brands Corp., which is comprised of multiple household brands such as Callaway Golf, Topgolf, Odyssey, travisMathew, Jack Wolfskin, and Toptracer. She has worked as a paralegal since 2012 and has significant experience in trademark and copyright prosecution. Prior to working at Topgolf Callaway Brands Corp., Eunice was at various law firms such as Cooley LLP, Fish & Richardson P.C., and IPLA LLC. She has had experience working with clients in the fields of retail, technology (i.e. software and mobile applications), gaming, medical, research, cannabis, apparel, restaurant, skincare, and pharmaceuticals.

Nicole Townes, Friedland Cianfrani LLP
Nicole has represented a wide range of clients in trademark, trade dress, copyright and licensing counseling and litigation, as well as false advertising, unfair competition, trade secret and patent litigation. Her practice includes domestic and international trademark selection and clearance, prosecution, and procurement. She has also been responsible for managing worldwide trademark portfolios and enforcement for a number of large clients. She also has experience as in-house trademark counsel for one of the largest companies in the world.
Nicole’s practice includes representing clients in opposition and cancellation proceedings before the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board. In addition, Nicole has experience assisting clients in combatting counterfeit and gray market goods and working with customs. She also has experience with domain name disputes and notice and takedown procedures for social media sites and domestic and foreign ecommerce websites. She has extensive experience drafting and negotiating license agreements and other intellectual property related agreements.
Nicole has represented both plaintiffs and defendants in litigation and clients across a diverse range of industries, including, for example, food and beverage, fashion and beauty, home furnishings, entertainment, software, engineering services, and medical device. Nicole has been involved in obtaining favorable outcomes for clients through mediation and arbitration proceedings and negotiated settlements.
Nicole has served as the President and long-time board member of the Orange County Intellectual Property Law Association. She has also served as the President of the Orange County Bar Association Intellectual Property Section. Nicole is currently a member of the Designs Committee for the International Trademark Association.
Prior to joining the firm, Nicole was an associate at Latham & Watkins, an associate and partner at Knobbe Martens, and was Corporate Counsel (IP) at Amazon, Inc.

Cheryl Withycombe, AbbVie Inc.
Cheryl Withycombe has been practicing international trademark and copyright law for more than 25 years. She is currently in-house counsel at AbbVie Inc. in Irvine, where she handles the worldwide portfolios for the corporate, oncology, immunology, and dermal filler therapeutic areas. She has been with AbbVie since its split from Abbott Laboratories in 2013. Prior to AbbVie, she was in the IP group at Abbott Laboratories and focused primarily on trademark prosecution and enforcement matters for their vascular and nutritional divisions. Prior to Abbott, Cheryl practiced within various law firms in Chicago, San Diego, and Tokyo, with a concentration on international trademark prosecution for a variety of clients.

OCIPLA Networking Reception - INTA 2025
2025-05-17 18:00 - 21:00 | Sally’s, 1 Market Place, San Diego, CA, 92101, United States
Join us for a networking reception hosted by OCIPLA during the 2025 Annual Meeting at the San Diego Convention Center for the International Trademark Association (INTA).
Date: Saturday, May 17, 2025
Time: 6:00pm – 9:00pm
Location: Sally’s, 1 Market Place, San Diego, CA 92101
Registration:This is a free event with limited spots available. Please note that registration for both INTA and this event is required, and advanced registration strongly recommended.

OCIPLA September 2025 Luncheon
2025-09-18 12:00 - 13:00
Topic: Top Trends in IP Litigation
Date: Thursday, September 18, 2025
Time: 12:00pm – 1:00pm
Location: Rutan & Tucker, LLP
18575 Jamboree Rd 9th Floor, Irvine, CA 92612
Registration:Member: $35.00Non-Member: $60.00Student Member: $20.00

SPEAKER

Meredith Williams (Sivakumar)
Meredith Williams is a Partner at Rutan & Tucker, LLP, where she focuses on representing and advising clients in protecting their intellectual property rights. Meredith’s practice emphasizes trademark and copyright litigation, trade secret misappropriation, false advertising, and unfair competition, and she advises clients on how best to promote and defend their brands and other IP assets given novel legal issues raised by social media and advances in technology. Her experience representing both plaintiffs and defendants in federal and state court, in ex parte and inter partes proceedings before the USPTO and TTAB, and in domain name dispute and other takedown procedures gives Meredith a variety of tools to assist clients in both enforcing and defending their rights.
