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Letter From The Chair
Alumni Spotlight
Pro Bono Spotlight
Alumni Events
Firm Updates
Summer/Fall 2022
Morrison Foerster Alumni News
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Alumni Updates
Issue of MoForever
LETTER FROM THE CHAIR
2022 Summer/Fall
Welcome to the
Welcome to the 2022 summer/fall issue of MoForever. We have many exciting developments to share. We recently announced the election of Eric T. McCrath to succeed me as chair of the firm beginning on October 3, 2022. I have been honored to serve as chair of Morrison Foerster for more than a decade. I am deeply proud of what we have achieved collectively for our clients while continuing to build on MoFo’s proud legacy of leadership in diversity and inclusion, pro bono, and community service. As Eric steps into this important role, I am excited for the years ahead and have no doubt the firm will reach even greater heights under his leadership. I am proud to update you on a number of ways the firm has been recognized:
We are proud to have been ranked first this year overall among large firms in Law360’s annual Diversity Snapshot and on Law360’s list of the biggest law firms with the most diverse equity partners.
We have also furthered our commitment to giving back to the communities we serve. In 2021, the Morrison Foerster Foundation directed nearly $3 million in charitable donations to organizations serving disadvantaged youth, fighting discrimination, or providing free legal services to people in need. Further, in our ongoing commitment to protecting women’s healthcare rights, we have recently published our digital handbook, MoFo Privacy Tips for Protecting Reproductive Rights, for those impacted by the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. We are focused on growth and investing in the future of the firm. Since the start of the year, we have welcomed 19 exceptional lateral partners across MoFo’s global offices and practices—in addition to the 27 partners we elevated to the partnership from our non-partner ranks this year. We also introduced a refreshed brand for the firm aligned with our core values. In the spirit of celebrating significant achievements, in this edition of MoForever, I am delighted to highlight two MoFo alumni who exemplify many of our core values as a firm and have committed themselves to making the world a better place. First, we highlight the career and accomplishments of Jim Oliva, Associate General Counsel, Litigation Division Lead at American Honda Motor Co., Inc. Jim shares his professional journey with us, including crediting the top-notch legal training he received during his time at MoFo with exposure to different disciplines of the law, and fantastic mentorship along the way, as defining factors for his future success in the legal profession. Today, Jim, who has been with Honda since 2013, is responsible for leading the litigation division in defending Honda in a wide array of product-related lawsuits, including patent litigation, product liability cases, class actions, warranty litigation, asbestos, and other litigation matters. In addition, he provides legal counsel to Honda’s executives and numerous business units, often working with affiliates around the globe to navigate the company’s U.S.-related legal issues. Thank you, Jim, for sharing your story and contributions with us. In this issue, you will read about MoFo alumna Ruth Borenstein, who, throughout her 32-year career at MoFo, dedicated her time to a number of pro bono matters, many seeking to secure rights for the LGBTQ+ community. In recognition of her longstanding dedication to pro bono work, Ruth was presented with MoFo’s prestigious Kathi Pugh Award for Pro Bono Service in 2016. Retired from the firm since 2020, Ruth now dedicates her time as a volunteer and California Policy and Legislation chair of Brady: United Against Gun Violence, focusing on legislative solutions to the epidemic of gun violence in the United States. Thanks to her tireless commitment to ending gun violence in her home state of California and beyond, Brady sponsored a bill this year to enact a statewide ban of ghost guns in California. The bill was signed into law on June 30, 2022, and took effect on July 1, 2022. Thank you, Ruth, for sharing your story with us, and for your invaluable contributions to the firm, the legal profession, and the wider community. As you read this edition of MoForever, I hope you are inspired by the many achievements and contributions of our extended MoFo and alumni community. These efforts highlight the passion and dedication of our people and their commitment to serving one another and their communities. Thank you for your time and for staying connected with us. Larren M. Nashelsky
MoFo has again been ranked in the Top 10 by The American Lawyer for its annual A-List ranking for the second consecutive year. The annual list recognizes the 20 most well-rounded firms in the Am Law 200.
Chair Elect Eric T. McCrath
The firm also received the Women in Law Empowerment Forum’s gold standard once again for the number of women represented in leadership roles.
We were recognized with the Environment & Sustainability: Innovation Award at the Chambers Diversity & Inclusion Awards: North America 2022. This reflects MoFo’s position as a leader in sustainability; environmental, social, and governance (ESG); and pro bono work, and was awarded on the basis of the firm’s extensive involvement in a myriad of sustainability initiatives.
and community service. As Eric steps into this important role, I am excited for the years ahead and have no doubt the firm will reach even greater heights under his leadership. I am proud to update you on a number of ways the firm has been recognized:
ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT
Jim Oliva
Associate General Counsel and Litigation Division Lead, American Honda
Diversity in Practice Set the Stage for Creating Impact
The first time that Jim Oliva thought of law as a potential profession was back in high school. “I had a teacher who insisted that I try out for the mock trial team,” he said. “And so I did, and I thought that I was going to get a role as a witness; it turns out I was given one of the coveted roles as an attorney, and I loved it.” Jim’s passion for the law has continued to be reinvigorated throughout the years, from early on as a young associate at MoFo to today as Associate General Counsel and Litigation Division Lead at American Honda. “Towards the end of my first year at MoFo, I was talking to a client who was raising a legal issue, and he said to me, ‘What do we do?’ I remember thinking to myself, ‘You’re asking me?’” said Jim. “It was pretty humbling, but it also made me realize early in my career how impactful that we, as lawyers, can be because a lot of our clients really do rely on us for advice and legal counseling. It emphasized to me what an important role we can play.” A Passion Driven by People and the Products Now, having been at Honda since 2013, Jim primarily derives his passion from working with all of the engineers and other associates on a daily basis. “I see the passion that our R&D engineers put into developing our products, and our quality and manufacturing teams building them, and ultimately our sales and service people, who support it all,” stated Jim. “Their passion makes it easy to go to bat for them in order to defend our products.” In his diverse role, Jim is responsible for leading the litigation division in defending Honda in a wide array of product-related lawsuits, including patent litigation, product liability cases, class actions, warranty litigation, asbestos, and other litigation matters. In addition, he provides legal counsel to Honda’s executives and numerous business units, often working with affiliates worldwide in relation to U.S.-related legal issues. Jim has worked his way up within the company, beginning primarily with class action work when he first joined—a practice area for which he was primed while at MoFo. “It was almost as though I wrote the job profile for the Honda position. It was hard to believe; I checked off every single box,” said Jim. In addition to class actions, he became well rounded in other areas by taking on product liability cases and counseling internal clients on U.S. trade laws. Ultimately, he was asked to transition to lead the IP Litigation team, before being promoted to his current role, where he oversees all litigation.
You face many challenging cases at MoFo . . . I felt like I could take on anything that came next. Now, whenever difficult situations present themselves here at Honda, I’m confident that my experience at MoFo has prepared me for them.
Top-Notch Training and Mentorship Jim acknowledges that the lawyer he was when he left MoFo to join Honda was nearly unrecognizable from the lawyer he was as a first-year associate. Jim credits the top-notch legal training he received during his time at MoFo, with exposure to different disciplines of the law, and fantastic mentorship along the way. “Each of my mentors had their own unique style; some were good at pulling me aside and going through where I could improve, while others adhered to a ‘jump in and learn to swim’ philosophy,” said Jim. “I had one mentor who was okay with letting me trip and fall and pick myself back up. If anything, he somewhat expected that, and it was a great learning experience.” According to Jim, he also gained a lot of confidence as an associate at MoFo, given the types of cases that came in the door, which he said forced him to constantly bring his A-game. “You face many challenging cases at MoFo, and after spending a significant portion of my career there, I felt like I could take on anything that came next. Now, whenever difficult situations present themselves here at Honda, I’m confident that my experience at MoFo has prepared me for them.” Though he experienced varying mentor styles and was even thrown into the fire a few times, Jim says that he always felt supported throughout his career at MoFo. He knew that each situation was an opportunity to learn. Indeed, his exposure to numerous clients helped form his beliefs regarding which in-house skills were most effective, as well as those skills that were not—all of which has helped Jim to be a better in-house lawyer. Diversity in Practice Jim’s extensive IP and class action expertise was honed early on as a young associate at MoFo; when he first started in the Palo Alto office, it seemed that every other case coming in was a patent litigation matter. “I was learning about patented technology, electrical engineering principles and other tech and science topics that I would have never had the opportunity to learn about otherwise,” said Jim. “I worked on one case involving recombinant DNA, and there’s a term that I will never forget: bovine spongiform encephalopathy, which is the scientific term for mad cow disease. We hear about it in the news, but it is an area that I never thought I would learn about in detail, so being exposed to various patent litigation was fantastic in that regard.” Once he transferred to the Los Angeles office, Jim shifted his work to class actions, an area of law he equally enjoyed. What really changed, however, was his role within the cases. “I certainly felt a sense of maturity as I progressed and took on a more senior role,” stated Jim. “Having that diversity in my practice, which began at MoFo, not only trained me for difficult matters at Honda, but also set me up well for the role that I have today in leading the entire litigation team.” About a year and a half into Jim’s role at Honda, he became a key part of the litigation team involved in what he says was the single most complex litigation matter that he had yet to deal with in his career. It tested every skill set he had learned, and even required him to become adept in other areas along the way. “I was on the case for numerous years and I don’t know if I could have dealt with a complex case like that had it not been for what I learned while I was at MoFo.”
I was on the case for numerous years and I don’t know if I could have dealt with a complex case like that had it not been for what I learned while I was at MoFo.
Diversity of Thought As part of a global company, Jim often works with Honda’s global affiliates across the world, which he says requires him to think differently. “Our affiliates, at times, have a different way of thinking, which we sometimes refer to as diversity of thought,” said Jim. “This mentality has allowed Honda to thrive, and for me, personally, it allows me to gain a different perspective. I can approach matters through an alternative lens that helps me to be a better lawyer and legal counselor because I can expand the potential ways in which I tackle a legal issue.” Jim also explains that Honda’s global structure forces everyone to hone their communication skills. He works with individuals who not only may be unfamiliar with U.S. law, but also may not speak English as their primary language. “Being an effective communicator is critical at Honda.” Two Cases with Impactful Lessons According to Jim, while each case hopefully contributes to a lawyer’s development in some way, two cases in particular helped shape his career. The first was a pro bono case for day laborers near MoFo’s Palo Alto office in his initial years as an associate. Jim was able to take on increased responsibility, more than typical for a young associate, and it was formative for his future career.
“I got to work on everything: the pleadings, significant motions, and potential settlement solutions; because of my language skills, I was able to communicate directly with the clients in Spanish. I had the opportunity early on to develop in a way that, normally, I may not have.” The second case, during his time in the Los Angeles office, involved representing a company that was sued in more than 35 different jurisdictions across the country. “It was through this case that I learned how to manage a lot of litigation simultaneously,” stated Jim. “I gained the organizational skills necessary to handle multiple caseloads, which was a precursor to the skillset needed at Honda. I learned to advance cases in a way most beneficial to the client, and to ensure all the trains were leaving the station when they were supposed to. I didn’t know then how important this non-legal skill would be coming in-house.” Take Risks and Don’t Be Afraid to Speak Up Jim often tells young associates to do pro bono work, based on his own prior experience, because it is an opportunity to develop both personally and professionally. In addition to pro bono, however, Jim has two pieces of advice for both his younger self and young associates. “Be comfortable with being uncomfortable,” he says. He believes taking risks and trying new things is what keeps us from being complacent and drives our development, and one must go outside one’s comfort zone to do that. “If you feel nervous about trying something new, that’s okay because it’s about challenging yourself. Remind yourself that you’ve got the smarts; you’ve got the ability to do it and it will afford you the chance to develop,” said Jim. The other piece of advice Jim gives to young associates is not to be afraid to speak up and tell others where you would like to be in your career in two or three years, because you can’t assume that somebody is going to read your mind. “Mentors are great,” Jim stressed, “but the biggest promoter of your career will always be you. If you can remember that, and make sure to check-in with your mentors at the firm and be honest about what you want to accomplish, it will make a difference in your career path.”
The first time that Jim Oliva thought of law as a potential profession was back in high school. “I had a teacher who insisted that I try out for the mock trial team,” he said. “And so I did, and I thought that I was going to get a role as a witness; it turns out I was given one of the coveted roles as an attorney, and I loved it.” Jim’s passion for the law has continued to be reinvigorated throughout the years, from early on as a young associate at MoFo to today as Associate General Counsel and Litigation Division Lead at American Honda. “Towards the end of my first year at MoFo, I was talking to a client who was raising a legal issue, and he said to me, ‘What do we do?’ I remember thinking to myself, ‘You’re asking me?’” said Jim. “It was pretty humbling, but it also made me realize early in my career how impactful that we, as lawyers, can be because a lot of our clients really do rely on us for advice and legal counseling. It emphasized to me what an important role we can play.”
Jim also explains that Honda’s global structure forces everyone to hone theircommunication skills. He works with individuals who not only may be unfamiliar with U.S. law, but also may not speak English as their primary language. “Being an effective communicator is critical at Honda.” Two Cases with Impactful Lessons According to Jim, while each case hopefully contributes to a lawyer’s development in some way, two cases in particular helped shape his career. The first was a pro bono case for day laborers near MoFo’s Palo Alto office in his initial years as an associate. Jim was able to take on increased responsibility, more than typical for a young associate, and it was formative for his future career. “I got to work on everything: the pleadings, significant motions, and potential settlement solutions; because of my language skills, I was able to communicate directly with the clients in Spanish. I had the opportunity early on to develop in a way that, normally, I may not have.” The second case, during his time in the Los Angeles office, involved representing a company that was sued in more than 35 different jurisdictions across the country. “It was through this case that I learned how to manage a lot of litigation simultaneously,” stated Jim. “I gained the organizational skills necessary to handle multiple caseloads, which was a precursor to the skillset needed at Honda. I learned to advance cases in a way most beneficial to the client, and to ensure all the trains were leaving the station when they were supposed to. I didn’t know then how important this non-legal skill would be coming in-house.” Take Risks and Don’t Be Afraid to Speak Up Jim often tells young associates to do pro bono work, based on his own prior experience, because it is an opportunity to develop both personally and professionally. In addition to pro bono, however, Jim has two pieces of advice for both his younger self and young associates. “Be comfortable with being uncomfortable,” he says. He believes taking risks and trying new things is what keeps us from being complacent and drives our development, and one must go outside one’s comfort zone to do that. “If you feel nervous about trying something new, that’s okay because it’s about challenging yourself. Remind yourself that you’ve got the smarts; you’ve got the ability to do it and it will afford you the chance to develop,” said Jim. The other piece of advice Jim gives to young associates is not to be afraid to speak up and tell others where you would like to be in your career in two or three years, because you can’t assume that somebody is going to read your mind. “Mentors are great,” Jim stressed, “but the biggest promoter of your career will always be you. If you can remember that, and make sure to check-in with your mentors at the firm and be honest about what you want to accomplish, it will make a difference in your career path.”
Partners
Edward Imperatore
New York
Edward (Ed) Imperatore joined the firm as a partner in the Investigations + White Collar Defense group in New York. Ed joined Morrison Foerster from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York (SDNY), where he served as Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) beginning in 2012 and as a senior member of the Office’s Securities & Commodities Fraud Unit. Ed brings to the firm nearly a decade of experience investigating, prosecuting, and trying cases involving securities and accounting fraud, insider trading, market manipulation, corporate fraud, cybercrime, and violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA). During his career at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the SDNY, Ed tried more than a dozen jury trials to verdict, all of which resulted in convictions. Among them were 10 complex, multi-week white collar trials, including six trials in the Securities & Commodities Fraud Unit. He also argued 11 Second Circuit appeals. (J.D., 2008, Georgetown University Law Center)
Seth Kleinman joined the firm as a partner in the Business Restructuring & Insolvency group. He has a dual presence in New York and Chicago. Seth brings close to two decades of corporate restructuring, bankruptcy, and insolvency experience to Morrison Foerster. Seth’s practice focuses on advising ad hoc lender groups in high-stakes restructurings, with a particular focus on syndicated lenders, collateralized loan obligations (CLOs), direct lenders, high-yield funds, institutional asset managers, and opportunistic funds. He also has extensive experience advising private equity sponsors, boards of directors, and companies experiencing financial or operational distress. Seth has worked across a wide range of industries, including industrials, retail, automotive, aerospace/defense, agriculture, financial services, manufacturing, media and entertainment, oil and gas, energy, mining and minerals, transportation, healthcare, and tax-exempt entities, among others. (J.D., 2006, Northwestern University)
Joshua (Josh) Lerner joined the firm as a partner in the Executive Compensation group in New York. Josh brings a decade of experience advising clients on executive compensation, corporate governance, and securities matters to Morrison Foerster. Josh advises clients on all matters involving the compensation of senior executives, including employment, change in control, equity compensation, and severance arrangements. He counsels public and private companies on executive compensation issues in a range of corporate transactions, restructurings, and financings. He has experience designing, drafting, and negotiating employment agreements and administering equity incentive plans and awards. He also works regularly with public companies on compensation-related disclosures and corporate governance matters, including Securities Exchange Act of 1934 reports. (J.D., 2012, Columbia Law School)
Peter Skinner joined the firm as a partner in the Securities Litigation, Enforcement, and Investigations + White Collar Defense group in New York. Peter brings over 20 years of experience to Morrison Foerster, both in private practice and as an Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) for the Southern District of New York (SDNY). Over the course of his career, he has tried 15 cases and argued 18 appeals. Leveraging his experience as a former Assistant United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York (SDNY), Peter represents companies, financial institutions, boards, and individuals through all phases of investigation and litigation. He is experienced in all aspects of white collar crime, and his global practice focuses on regulatory compliance, white collar defense, corporate internal investigations, and complex civil litigation. Before returning to private practice in 2015, Peter spent nearly 11 years at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, where he served as a senior prosecutor in the Terrorism and International Narcotics Unit and Organized Crime Unit. (J.D., 2000, Boston College Law School)
Nathaniel (Nate) Mendell joined the firm as a partner in the firm’s Investigations + White Collar Defense group in Boston. He joined the firm from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts, where he most recently served as Acting U.S. Attorney and previously served as First Assistant U.S. Attorney. During his time with the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Nate supervised more than 120 federal prosecutors across three offices and oversaw numerous complex enforcement matters spanning corporate healthcare fraud, securities and economic fraud, national security, public corruption, and international money laundering. Nate brings to the firm nearly two decades of leadership experience as a federal prosecutor and has tried more than 20 cases to verdict. (J.D., 1999, Harvard Law School)
Boston
Lauren Bellerjeau rejoined the firm as a partner in the Corporate Department in Austin. Lauren brings extensive in-house and private practice corporate experience, with a particular focus on representing clients on M&A transactions in the technology and real estate investment trust (REIT) industries. Lauren was a corporate partner in Morrison Foerster’s Washington, D.C. office for approximately five years prior to joining onsemi in March 2020, a leader in intelligent power and sensing technologies recognized as a Fortune 500® company and included in the S&P 500® index, as Senior Vice President and Assistant General Counsel. While at onsemi, she gained valuable experience managing a variety of corporate, commercial, and compliance matters, including serving as the company’s Chief Privacy Officer and overseeing the company’s international legal departments in the APAC and EMEA regions.
Austin
Aaron Fountain joined the firm as a partner in the IP Litigation group in Austin. His practice focuses on strategic patent trials and appeals, usually in the context of competitor-on-competitor cases. He has extensive experience representing clients as lead counsel in patent infringement matters in the Western and Eastern Districts of Texas, the District of Delaware, the International Trade Commission, the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, and the Patent Trial and Appeal Board. Aaron has also coordinated international patent infringement disputes involving cases across the United States, Europe, and Asia. (J.D., 2005, University of Houston)
Brian Nash joined the firm as a partner in the IP Litigation group in Austin. He is an experienced trial and appellate attorney, having represented clients in over 220 complex commercial litigation cases involving intellectual property and technology in U.S. district courts, the Federal Circuit, the Patent Trial and Appeal Board, and the International Trade Commission. He is also a registered patent attorney with an engineering degree and he handles disputes across a wide range of technical fields. Brian is a recognized leader in the Western District of Texas, where he has handled over 80 cases and held numerous leadership roles in the Austin legal community. (J.D., 2005, University of Texas School of Law)
Steven Tyndall joined the firm as a partner in the Corporate and Emerging Companies + Venture Capital (ECVC) groups in Austin. He brings extensive experience advising clients in diverse industries, including technology, life sciences, medical devices, and healthcare technology. He represents companies, including emerging companies, throughout their lifecycle, from formation to capital raising, to mergers and acquisitions, and into the public capital markets. Steve also represents venture capital investors. (J.D., 1998, University of Tulsa)
William (Wil) Frentzen joined the firm as a partner in the Securities Litigation, Enforcement, and Investigations + White-Collar Defense group. Wil brings to the firm more than two decades of prosecutorial experience investigating and trying high-profile criminal cases, including spending the last 12 years in senior leadership positions in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California (NDCA). He has successfully tried more than 40 federal felony jury cases around the United States over the span of his 24-year career. During his tenure at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the NDCA, Wil investigated and tried some of the longest and most complex criminal cases in the Northern District of California, including securing the conviction of Autonomy’s Chief Financial Officer and bringing charges and extradition proceedings against its CEO and founder in connection with the largest fraud case in the history of the NDCA. Wil most recently served as Chief of the Corporate and Securities Fraud Section within the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the NDCA. (J.D., 1996, Tulane Law School)
San Francisco
Michael Glaser joined the firm as a partner in the Corporate and Emerging Companies + Venture Capital (ECVC) groups in San Francisco. He recently served as co-chair of the ECVC practice of his previous firm. During his more than 20-year tenure at that firm, he served in a number of leadership roles, including serving two terms on the firm’s executive committee, and as firmwide co‑chair of the firm’s corporate practice. Over the span of his 24-year career, Michael has led clients in the consumer products, e-commerce, interactive entertainment, digital media, cloud services, and AI sectors through hundreds of venture capital transactions, with valuations ranging from millions to billions of dollars. (J.D., 1997, New York University School of Law)
Mike LaPlante joined the firm as a partner in the Corporate and Emerging Companies + Venture Capital (ECVC) groups in San Francisco. Mike joins MoFo from the same firm as Michael Glaser, where he was a partner in its ECVC group. During his eight years at that firm, Mike developed one of the fastest growing startup practices in the Bay Area and established a reputation as a practical and strategic advisor to hundreds of entrepreneurs and the startup companies they have built. Mike has spent nearly a decade working with entrepreneurs and collaborating with innovative startup companies at all stages—from planning nascent pre-incorporation to advising late-stage multibillion-dollar private companies—on a wide variety of strategic matters. (J.D., 2012, University of California, School of Law)
Teresa Tate joined the firm as a partner in the Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A) and Emerging Companies + Venture Capital (ECVC) groups in San Francisco. She was a corporate partner in the M&A and ECVC groups at her previous firm, and served as chair of its San Francisco office’s Diversity Committee. She was previously an associate at MoFo. Teresa’s practice focuses on representing private and public companies in their acquisitions, dispositions, and other complex business combinations. She also represents investors and private companies in ECVC matters, spanning venture capital investments, strategic opportunities, liquidity events, and general corporate matters. Teresa advises clients across a wide range of industries, including software-as-a-service, e-commerce, digital media, financial services, healthcare, consumer products, mobile applications, and autonomous vehicles. (J.D., Georgetown University Law Center)
Daphne Higgs joined the firm as a partner in the Technology Transactions group in Palo Alto. She joined Morrison Foerster from another leading law firm, where she was a partner in its technology transactions & privacy group and played an integral role in the M&A and ECVC practices. She also held multiple leadership roles, including as managing partner of its Palo Alto office and co-chair of the firm’s Women of Color group. Daphne represents clients in their complex technology transactions, with an emphasis on artificial intelligence, machine learning, open source, entertainment, cloud offerings, consumer products, extended reality, drones, and the transfer of technologies from universities. She also provides strategic IP, privacy, and data security advice on M&A and venture capital transactions. (J.D., University of British Columbia)
Palo Alto
Brian Michael joined the firm as a partner in the Securities Litigation, Enforcement, and Investigations + White Collar Defense group in Los Angeles. Brian draws upon his more than 20 years of high-profile experience as an in-house leader, in private practice, and as a federal prosecutor in the Southern District of New York and the Central District of California to represent entities and individuals in high-stakes white collar criminal cases, internal investigations, securities and regulatory enforcement matters, and complex litigation and trials. Brian’s global practice also focuses on providing crisis management and compliance counseling, including on Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and anti-corruption, cybersecurity and data privacy, fintech, blockchain technology and digital currency, trade sanctions, and workplace conduct matters. Brian has extensive experience leading global risk assessments and helps to design and implement multijurisdictional compliance programs. (J.D., 1999, Vanderbilt University)
Los Angeles
Paul Navarro joined the firm as a partner in the Corporate and Emerging Companies + Venture Capital (ECVC) groups in Los Angeles. He brings extensive experience representing startups, emerging growth companies, and investors in a variety of corporate and technology transactions covering all stages of the ECVC lifecycle in the United States and Latin America. He advises founders, directors, and investors on their most strategic, high-value transactions. As outside general counsel Paul has worked with a wide range of companies in the United States and Latin America and he has substantial experience in equity and debt financings, general corporate governance, corporate restructurings, recapitalizations, tender offers, and exit events. (J.D., 2010, Boston College Law School)
Matthew (Matt) Ferry joined the firm as a partner in the Technology Transactions group in San Diego. Matt’s practice focuses on strategic transactions involving intellectual property (IP), technology, data, and information assets. He advises clients in a variety of industries, including life sciences, biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, artificial intelligence and machine learning, autonomous vehicles, semiconductor devices, distributed software, open-source software, and software as a service. Matt draws on his hard science technical background and previous patent prosecution and IP litigation experience to counsel clients in a number of areas, including commercial contracts at all stages of technology and product development, patent and technology license agreements, IP and commercial contract matters, and IP hygiene related to startup companies. (J.D., 2011, University of California, School of Law)
San Diego
Marie-Claire Strawbridge joined the firm as a partner in the Antitrust Law/Competition and National Security practices in London. She brings extensive experience of UK and EU competition law to Morrison Foerster, with a primary focus on transactional matters. Marie-Claire’s practice focuses on advising clients on the merger control and foreign direct investment (FDI) aspects of complex global transactions, as well as broader antitrust issues, including investigations, abuse of dominance, and complex vertical agreements. She advises corporate clients, private equity houses, and financial investors across a range of sectors, including technology, healthcare, energy, retail, sports rights, and industrials. (L.P.C., 2005, BPP Law School)
London
Derek Steingarten joined the firm as a partner in the Corporate Department and as co-chair of the Investment Management group in New York. Derek brings to the firm more than two decades of experience representing fund sponsors and other institutional asset managers. Derek advises clients on a myriad of matters that arise in the lifecycle of an asset management firm. He counsels clients on the complex legal and business challenges related to fund formation, governance, and regulation. Derek’s practice spans multiple areas of law, including corporate and securities laws, and integrates ERISA, banking laws, commodities laws, and tax laws, among others. He has many years of board-level experience managing governance and 1940 Act regulatory oversight for registered funds and their service providers, including oversight of investigations and regulatory enforcement and examination responses.
New MoFo
Seth Kleinman
Josh Lerner
Peter Skinner
Derek Steingarten
Nate Mendell
Lauren Bellerjeau
Aaron Fountain
Brian Nash
Steve Tyndall
William Frentzen
Michael Glaser
Mike LaPlante
Teresa Tate
Daphne Higgs
Brian Michael
Paul Navarro
Matt Ferry
Marie-Claire Strawbridge
Impactful People and Experiences Shaped Ruth’s Career In her early years at MoFo, Ruth had exposure to many people who greatly impacted her experience, including Jim Brosnahan, Kathy Fisher, and Linda Shostak. “I didn’t get to work with Linda very much, but I used to follow her around like a puppy because she was such a great lawyer,” states Ruth. “If she had a trial, I would go and watch her. If she had a court of appeal argument, I went and watched it. She had great instincts and so much experience. She and Kathy were pioneers, because for the longest time, women were not in litigation. They were both great role models for me as I was trying to find my style and learn how to be a litigator.” Early on in her career, Ruth worked on a case with Jim Brosnahan that helped to shape her development and overall approach to work as an attorney. She and Jim represented the appellants in a case before the California Court of Appeal. When it was time to file their reply brief, Ruth realized that the automatic 15-day filing extension in effect at that time did not apply to reply briefs, and they had missed the deadline. Ruth made a plan about how to get leave to file the reply and went to Jim—with some trepidation—and said, “Jim, I made a mistake. This is what it is, and this is how I propose to fix it. I promise you, nothing like this will ever happen again.” Jim looked up at her and simply replied, “Okay.” And that was it. Ruth’s takeaway from the experience was not only to read court rules carefully, but also to own up to a mistake and figure out a way to try to fix it. “Having a plan, even if your plan may not work, is better than throwing up your hands and saying, ‘Save me,’” says Ruth. “I had a proposal for how to fix the mistake, and I think that went a long way to help make it right. And our brief did get filed. I have tried to instill this in people I work with, and myself, forever.”
Path Less Traveled Ruth was introduced to litigation in her high school years when her American history teacher set up mock trials in class. She enjoyed analyzing both sides of an issue, and trying to find the best arguments for her side. From then on, Ruth knew she wanted to be a lawyer. She received her B.A. from Yale University, and though she didn’t go to law school immediately after, she eventually went to Harvard Law School, graduating in 1986. After clerking for a federal district judge in Massachusetts, she joined MoFo's San Francisco office in the fall of 1987. Ruth spent her first few years working alongside Jim Brosnahan and his team, and then with a variety of other litigators. Unfortunately, Ruth was diagnosed with breast cancer in early 1993 and stopped practicing for nearly six months to receive treatment. Her first day back at the office was the day that MoFo announced the new partners, and Ruth’s name was on the list. After a year in the partnership, Ruth stepped down to become of counsel in order to prioritize her health. Even so, she had a second breast cancer diagnosis in 1998. Several years later, most of which were spent working with MoFo’s Paul Friedman on UPS matters, Paul told Ruth, “You function as a partner. You should be a partner.” After she was put up for a partnership vote a second time, Ruth was enthusiastic to rejoin and remained as partner until she began winding down her practice before retiring.
Gun Violence Prevention: Creating a Roadmap to Victory
Cultivate Relationships and Show Others You Can Help
Retired Partner/Gun Violence Prevention Volunteer
Ruth Borenstein
As a member of the community, I came up with a plan that was based on the strategies I learned as a lawyer at MoFo. I built a roadmap to victory.
An Inclusive Culture from the Start Ruth sought a diverse and inclusive culture at work, which she discovered even while interviewing at MoFo, and it made a difference to her. Not only did she meet openly gay and lesbian lawyers while interviewing, MoFo attorneys also expressed interest in her beyond her legal skills. “I co-owned a record store for several years after college, and when I was interviewing at law firms, many lawyers seemed to look down on that experience. I recall vividly that during my interviews at MoFo, almost everyone wanted to talk to me about it because they found it interesting,” she said. She appreciates the comradery at MoFo and the fact that people were not only about the law. “The folks that I got to know, from the mailroom to the most senior partners, were interesting people, and if you stopped and chatted with them for a few minutes, it was enriching and fun. They not only made the firm run well, but also made it good to work there.” Ruth was confident from the beginning that she would feel well-supported and have a lot of opportunity at MoFo. “But,” she adds, “I would not have predicted it would turn out as well as it did, because having out LGBTQ+ lawyers was a sea change in the world. I feel really grateful that people were so supportive of the LGBTQ+ people in the firm and of me in particular. It was huge.” Advice on Pro Bono and Cultivating Relationships Ruth was successful in proactively developing relationships with public interest organizations in order to grow her pro bono practice. In order to cultivate these relationships, Ruth advises attorneys early on to look at their pro bono practice the way they look at their paying practice. This entails finding an area of interest and showing others that you’re interested, whether that’s taking somebody to lunch, calling them, or telling them that your firm does a lot of pro bono and then asking how you can help. “Most people at public interest law firms are stretched. If you reach out and let them know that you can and want to help, they’re going to look at you favorably. As a junior lawyer, you’re not necessarily going to bring in the biggest case that they have, but they could still use you. And once you show that you can help, you can grow a pro bono practice just like you can grow a paying client practice,” advises Ruth. For younger attorneys looking to pave their path at the firm, Ruth provides some general advice on pro bono work: “Look at pro bono as a way to develop skills that are sometimes hard to obtain with paying clients, especially when you have bet-the-company litigation. If you can get experience through local clinics or take a deposition in a pro bono case, you can build on it. For example, if you get a chance to take a deposition, show the supervising partner the transcript and highlight a few parts that were hard for you and seek feedback. The next time there is an opportunity in a matter you’re working on where there’s a deposition, you will be able to leverage your pro bono experience to show that you’re ready.” Ruth says to utilize each experience as a building block. “The way to get experience is not only to have the experience, but to capitalize on it. Let people know you have it so that they can feel more confident that they’re not sending you out to do something for the first time.”
Pro Bono Achievements Fueled by Personal Passion Ruth is no stranger in the fight for LGBTQ+ rights and marriage equality. Through her pro bono work at MoFo, she filed amicus briefs in the U.S. Supreme Court and several state supreme courts to support marriage equality. Ruth also participated in the fight for marriage equality on a personal level, as she and her now-wife Karen Strauss were lead petitioners in a case before the California Supreme Court that challenged California’s “Prop 8,” a voter initiative to prohibit same-sex marriages, even though that court had recently held marriage equality was required by the state constitution. The action, Strauss v. Horton, asserted that a ballot initiative could not be used to take away fundamental rights. The action also sought to enjoin Prop 8 from taking effect while the Court considered the challenge so that same-sex couples could continue to marry—including Ruth and Karen, who did not get married before the Prop 8 election because none of their parents were able to travel to California to attend their marriage during that time. The Court denied the injunction and upheld Prop 8, but also held that the 18,000 marriages that had taken place before Prop 8 passed were valid. “It was very moving to be a party to a case like that because it was so personal. It was a crazy thing to have my rights be voted on, and to lose rights that had been recognized by the California Supreme Court and that would not affect others if I exercised them. Even though the outcome wasn’t perfect, the fact that couples could stay married was important,” says Ruth. Ruth and Karen ultimately married in 2013 after a federal district court held that Prop 8 violated the federal constitution, and the U.S. Supreme Court then concluded that the Prop 8 proponents who appealed that judgment lacked standing to do so. It was a long-awaited personal victory for the couple after 20+ years together. Ruth continued to fight for the rights of same-sex couples outside of California to marry by filing a case on behalf of same-sex couples in Montana and filing an amicus brief presenting the history of marriage equality around the world in Obergefell v. Hodges, the 2015 case in which the U.S. Supreme Court held that same-sex couples had a right to marry under the U.S. Constitution. Though marriage equality was an important and personal step for Ruth, her most memorable pro bono work involved Lawrence v. Texas, the case that held that state laws against gay intimacy were unconstitutional—a monumental breakthrough for LGBTQ+ rights. Ruth and her team represented the American Bar Association’s (ABA) civil rights section in an amicus brief with the Supreme Court, and since the ABA seldom filed such briefs, her team expected their brief would garner the Court’s attention. Ruth was able to secure a seat in the courtroom for the argument, and it was a very meaningful experience. “To hear some of the favorable comments from the justices on an issue that was important to me personally as a lesbian, that was really an amazing day, and one of the things I’ll remember most from my time at MoFo,” states Ruth.
PRO BONO SPOTLIGHT
To learn more about Brady: United Against Gun Violence or Ruth’s work, please visit bradyunited.org or email Ruth at rborenstein@bradyunited.org.
Throughout her 32-year career at MoFo, Ruth Borenstein participated in a number of pro bono matters, many seeking to secure rights for the LGBTQ+ community. In recognition of her long-standing dedication to pro bono service, Ruth received the firm’s Kathi Pugh Award in 2016. Now in retirement, Ruth volunteers with Brady: United Against Gun Violence, focusing on legislative solutions to the epidemic of gun violence in our nation.
Having retired in 2020, Ruth now serves as the California Policy and Legislation chair for Brady. She began gun violence prevention work while still at MoFo following the Parkland High School shooting in 2018. “I was so upset about school shootings. After the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, I thought, ‘How can this be happening to little kids?’ After Parkland, I started thinking about what I could do to make a difference and was alarmed to discover that gun shows were held in the Bay Area,” she says. Ruth focused on the Cow Palace, an event arena owned by the State of California on the southern border of San Francisco, which held multiple gun shows per year. She was surprised by the State’s role in promoting and profiting from the proliferation of guns in the community. She learned that the state legislature had passed several bills over the years to end the gun shows but all had been vetoed, most recently by Governor Jerry Brown, who declared that it was a matter for the Cow Palace board of directors to decide in consultation with the community. Ruth realized that the Cow Palace needed to hear from the community and did not hesitate to take action. “As a member of the community, I came up with a plan that was based on the strategies I learned as a lawyer at MoFo,” Ruth says. “I built a roadmap to victory.” Ruth started a grassroots campaign to persuade the Cow Palace board to end the gun shows. She started with an op-ed piece for the San Francisco Chronicle and then attended every Cow Palace board meeting, speaking during public comment about the various reasons why gun shows should end at the arena and asking the board to put the issue on its agenda to be addressed. Members of the community, including members of the local Brady chapter, joined Ruth at the meetings and supported her efforts. Nearly a year to the day after Ruth attended her first board meeting, the board voted to end gun shows at the Cow Palace. After the Cow Palace victory, Ruth continued to work with the San Francisco Brady chapter and became increasingly active in gun violence prevention work. In recognition of her efforts, legal knowledge, and interest in legislation, when Brady California’s Policy and Legislation chair of over 15 years moved out of state, Brady asked Ruth to take on that role. Ruth’s work with Brady has included working with the San Francisco Board of Supervisors to introduce the first local ordinance in California to ban “ghost gun” parts and kits, an effort for which she was recently commended by the Board. Ghost guns are unserialized and unregulated build-it-yourself guns often sold in kits that are easily assembled with minimal effort into fully functioning guns. Because they evade federal laws that require background checks and contain no serial number that can be traced back to a purchaser, ghost guns have become the crime gun of choice in California. After Ruth worked with multiple cities and counties to enact their own ghost gun bans, Brady sponsored a bill this year to enact a statewide ban in California. That bill was signed into law on June 30th and took effect on July 1st.
It was very moving to be a party to a case like that because it was so personal. It was a crazy thing to have my rights be voted on, and to lose rights that had been recognized by the California Supreme Court and that would not affect others if I exercised them. Even though the outcome wasn’t perfect, the fact that couples could stay married was important.
As a junior lawyer, you’re not necessarily going to bring in the biggest case that they have, but they could still use you. And once you show that you can help, you can grow a pro bono practice just like you can grow a paying client practice.
A Passion Driven by People and the Products Now, having been at Honda since 2013, Jim primarily derives his passion from working with all of the engineers and other associates on a daily basis. “I see the passion that our R&D engineers put into developing our products, and our quality and manufacturing teams building them, and ultimately our sales and service people, who support it all,” stated Jim. “Their passion makes it easy to go to bat for them in order to defend our products.” In his diverse role, Jim is responsible for leading the litigation division in defending Honda in a wide array of product-related lawsuits, including patent litigation, product liability cases, class actions, warranty litigation, asbestos, and other litigation matters. In addition, he provides legal counsel to Honda’s executives and numerous business units, often working with affiliates worldwide in relation to U.S.-related legal issues. Jim has worked his way up within the company, beginning primarily with class action work when he first joined—a practice area for which he was primed while at MoFo. “It was almost as though I wrote the job profile for the Honda position. It was hard to believe; I checked off every single box,” said Jim. In addition to class actions, he became well rounded in other areas by taking on product liability cases and counseling internal clients on U.S. trade laws. Ultimately, he was asked to transition to lead the IP Litigation team, before being promoted to his current role, where he oversees all litigation.
Alumni
Accomplishments
Edward Blatnik was promoted to Deputy Counsel, Office of Competition & Innovation for the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau in May 2022. At MoFo, Edward was a litigation associate from 2006 to 2012 in the New York office. Catherine Chapple was promoted to Counsel, Competition Compliance for Google in May 2022. At MoFo, Catherine was a litigation associate from 2013 to 2019 in the Northern Virginia and Washington, D.C. offices. Brian Fritzsche was promoted to Vice President, Regulatory Counsel for Consumer Bankers Associate. At MoFo, Brian was an associate in the Financial Services Group from 2019 to 2021 in the Washington, D.C. office. Niels Gjertson was promoted to General Counsel at Gemini in August 2022. At MoFo, Niels was a corporate associate from 2008 to 2014 in the Tokyo office. Heather Hughes was promoted to Senior Associate Dean for Faculty and Academic Affairs at American University Washington College of Law in May 2022. At MoFo, Heather was an attorney in the Finance & Infrastructure Group from 1998 to 2001 in the San Francisco office. Caroline Jury was promoted to Group General Counsel at ED&F Man in June 2022. At MoFo Caroline was a partner in the Finance & Projects Group from 2018 to 2021 in the London office. Andrew Walchuk was promoted to Senior Policy Counsel & Director of Government Relations for Farmworker Justice in May 2022. At MoFo, Andrew was a litigation associate from 2017 to 2019 in the San Francisco office.
Neal Burstyn joined MongoDB as legal counsel, IP in March 2022. At MoFo, Neal was an associate in the New York and Washington, D.C. offices from 2018 to 2022.
MoFo
New
Cynthia Akatugba joined The University of Texas at Austin as Assistant Vice President for Legal Affairs in January 2022. Prior to joining UT Austin, Cynthia worked at the Office of the Attorney General of Texas as an assistant attorney general, defending state officials and agencies against lawsuits in state and federal court. At MoFo, Cynthia was a litigation associate from 2015 to 2019 in the Northern Virginia and Washington, D.C. offices. Kai Bartolomeo joined Apple as Senior Marketing and Publicity Counsel, Original Content, in May 2022. Prior to joining Apple, Kai worked at Paramount Pictures as Senior Counsel. At MoFo, Kai was a litigation associate from 2013 to 2019 in the Los Angeles and San Diego offices. Brittara Blaine joined Athletic Greens as Senior Corporate Counsel in February 2022. Prior to joining Athletic Greens, Brittara worked at SquareTrade as Corporate Counsel. At MoFo, Brittara was a corporate associate from 2014 to 2017 in the Palo Alto office. Jennifer Drimmer joined Tenaya Therapeutics as General Counsel in January 2022. Prior to joining Tenaya Therapeutics, Jennifer worked at Exelixis as Senior Vice President, Corporate Legal Affairs and Secretary. At MoFo, Jennifer was an associate from 2004 to 2006. Eric Grouse joined Sony Interactive Entertainment as Vice President and Deputy General Counsel, EMEA in May 2022. Prior to joining Sony Interactive Entertainment, Eric worked at Amazon Web Services as Associate General Counsel, EMEA. At MoFo, Eric was a litigation associate from 2002 to 2006 in the Tokyo office. Sai Jahann joined Open Philanthropy as In-House Counsel in May 2022. Prior to joining Open Philanthropy, Sai worked at TripActions as General Counsel. At MoFo, Sai was an antitrust and litigation associate from 2010 to 2014 in the Washington, D.C. and San Francisco offices. Ruth Ann Keene joined Autodesk in January 2022 and serves as Executive Vice President, Corporate Affairs, Chief Legal Officer and Corporate. Prior to joining Autodesk, Ruth Ann worked at Unity Technologies as Senior Vice President, Chief Legal Officer, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary. At MoFo, Ruth Ann was an associate in the Technology Transactions Group from 1998 to 2005 in the San Francisco and Denver offices. Alexandra Laks joined Cruise as Managing Counsel, Privacy in May 2022. Prior to joining Cruise, Alexandra worked at Meta as Associate General Counsel, Privacy. At MoFo, Alexandra was a litigation associate from 2013 to 2020 in the San Francisco office. Allison Lauterbach Dale joined Microsoft as Principal Corporate Counsel for Privacy, Gaming in March 2022. Prior to joining Microsoft, Allison worked at LinkedIn as Privacy Counsel. At MoFo, Allison was an associate in the Technology Transactions Group from 2014 to 2018 and the Privacy + Data Security Group out of the San Francisco office from 2018 to 2019. Jessica Shor joined Contentstack as General Counsel in May 2022. Prior to joining Contentstack, Jessica worked at PatSnap as Chief Operating Officer. At MoFo, Jessica was a litigation attorney from 2009 to 2011 in the Palo Alto office. Paul Suh joined GoDaddy as Director, Legal – M&A and Strategic Investments in May 2022. Prior to joining GoDaddy, Paul worked at Splunk as Senior Corporate Counsel. At MoFo, Paul was an associate in the Financial Transactions Group from 2004 to 2006 in the San Francisco office. Alexa Summer joined Rho as Chief Legal Officer in May 2022. Prior to joining Rho, Alexa worked at Airbnb as Lead Counsel, Risk and Regulatory. At MoFo, Alexa was a litigation associate from 2009 to 2010 in the San Francisco office. Christopher Yap joined TuSimple as Deputy General Counsel in June 2022. Prior to joining TuSimple, Christopher worked at Roku as Associate General Counsel. At MoFo, Christopher was a litigation associate from 2017 to 2019 in the Palo Alto office.
Eleanor Anthony joined Snowflake as product counsel in April 2022. At MoFo, Eleanor was an associate in the Palo Alto office from 2020 to 2022.
Joline Desruisseaux joined the U.S. District Court, Northern District of California as a law clerk in May 2022. At MoFo, Joline was a 1L and 2L Keith Wetmore fellow, and was a Litigation associate in the San Francisco office from 2021 to 2022.
Nicholas DeCoster joined Amazon Studios as counsel in June 2022. At MoFo, Nicholas was an Entertainment and Technology Transactions associate in the San Francisco office from 2019 to 2022.
Teresa Garcia-Barrero joined Amazon Studios as associate corporate counsel in January 2022. At MoFo, Teresa was an associate in the San Francisco office from 2021 to 2022.
Shauna France joined Aumni as director, LP Solutions in June 2022, and is an adjunct professor at Monterey College of Law. At MoFo, Shauna was an associate in the Palo Alto office from 2017 to 2022.
Kelsey Harrison joined Mattel as associate counsel – Marketing, Advertising & Content Review. At MoFo, Kelsey began as a summer associate and later worked as an associate in the Los Angeles office from 2019 to 2022.
Christine Gwinn joined the U.S. House of Representatives as investigative counsel, Committee on Ethics in June 2022. At MoFo, Christine was an associate in the San Francisco and Washington, D.C. offices from 2019 to 2022.
Benjamin Kagel joined Amazon Lab126 as associate corporate counsel in June 2022. At MoFo, Benjamin began as a summer associate in 2016 and later worked as a Litigation associate in the San Diego office from 2017 to 2022.
Julia Huang joined Unity as senior counsel, M&A in April 2022. At MoFo, Julia began as a summer associate in 2017 and later worked as a Corporate associate in the San Francisco office from 2018 to 2022.
Jenny Liu joined Apple as legal counsel – IP Litigation in March 2022. At MoFo, Jenny was an associate in the San Francisco office from 2019 to 2022.
Sean Kang joined Amazon as associate corporate counsel in March 2022. At MoFo, Sean was an associate in the Palo Alto office from 2020 to 2022.
Eric Olson joined the Federal Trade Commission as an attorney in June 2022. At MoFo, Eric was an associate in the Washington, D.C. office from 2020 to 2022.
Aisulu Masylkanova joined JPMorgan Chase & Co. as vice president & assistant general counsel in May 2022. At MoFo, Aisulu began as an associate in the New York office from 2015 to 2020 and was then of counsel from 2021 to 2022.
Andrea Scripa joined VMware as intellectual property counsel in May 2022. At MoFo, Andrea was a Litigation associate in the New York office from 2020 to 2022.
Kyle Pietari joined Meta as lead counsel in May 2022. At MoFo, Kyle was a Litigation associate in the Denver office from 2016 to 2022.
Mathieu Swiderski joined Global Relay as corporate counsel in March 2022. At MoFo, Mathieu was an associate in the San Francisco office from 2019 to 2022.
Alex Siegel joined Google as an associate commercial counsel in May 2022. At MoFo, Alex began as a summer associate in 2017 and later worked as a Technology and Transactions associate in the San Francisco office 2018 to 2022.
Gillian Teo joined Sea as legal counsel in March 2022. At MoFo, Gillian was a Corporate associate in the Singapore office from 2019 to 2022.
Jacqueline Tam joined Apple as product counsel in February 2022. At MoFo, Jacqueline was a Corporate associate in the Palo Alto office from 2013 to 2022.
Chan-young Yang joined Apple as counsel, Software Products in March 2022. At MoFo, Chan-young was an associate in the San Francisco office from 2019 to 2022.
Nicholas Vincent joined the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit as a judicial law clerk in June 2022. At MoFo, Nicholas was a summer associate in 2018 and 2019 and later worked as an associate in the Palo Alto office from 2021 to 2022.
On The Move
New alumni as of May 2022
This summer, we were delighted to reconnect with our alumni community by hosting alumni events in San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Palo Alto. We look forward to hosting additional events in the near future and catching up with more alumni soon!
Alexa Summer, Genevieve Burch and Hilary O’Brien at the Bay Area Alumni Happy Hour in San Francisco at Dirty Habit on May 12, 2022.
MoFo's new branding on display.
Michael Komorowski and Christin Hill with alums Yasmine Tager and Steven Mills at the Bay Area Alumni Happy Hour in San Francisco at Dirty Habit on May 12, 2022.
MoFo associates Allyson Bach and Rose Lee with MoFo alumni Elizabeth Patterson, Kelsey Harrison and David McDowell at the Los Angeles Alumni Reception on July 20, 2022.
Alumni and MoFo attorneys enjoying rooftop views at the Los Angeles Alumni Reception at The Shay – Peek Rooftop on July 20, 2022.
Our alumni enjoyed catching up with friends and colleagues at our Bay Area Alumni Happy Hour hosted in our Palo Alto office on August 25, 2022.
