LAIPLA Committees 2023-2024
Ambassador / In-House Outreach Committee
Plans the Ambassador Program, ensuring there is an LAIPLA contact person at all member firms and companies and increases participation of our Member Firms at our events. Ensures that LAIPLA meets the needs of its in-house members and increases participation of In-House attorneys at our events.
Committee Chairs: Arka Chatterjee, Natera, Inc.
Ajit Narang, Medtronic
LAIPLA Board Liaisons: Jennifer So, Honda Motor Co. Inc.
Robert Taylor, Ziff Davis, Inc.
Members: Keith Newburry, Edwards Life Science
Helen Omapas, Harman International
Copyright & Trademark Committee
Plans our Winter and Spring Copyright and Trademark programs.
Committee Chairs: Nina Boyajian, Greenberg Traurig, LLP
Joshua Pollack, Nixon Peabody LLP
Tracy Rane, Ballard Spahr, LLP
LAIPLA Board Liaison: Erica Van Loon, Nixon Peabody
Committee Members: Jeonghye “Jane” Kim, Fohas Law
Victor King, Cal State LA
Jemuel Gascon, Littler
Frank Zhu, USC Law Student
Courthouse Lunch Committee
Plans the yearly courthouse lunch at the Federal Court in a Judge’s courtroom.
Committee Chairs: Nancy Olson, Clerk, United States District Court for the Central District of California
Joshua Pollack, Nixon Peabody LLP
LAIPLA Board Liaisons: Judge Kewalramani, Magistrate Judge, C.D. Cal
Adam Kwon, Munger, Tolles & Olson LLP
Committee Member: Candice Arciaga, The Sullivan Group of Court Reporters
Diversity Outreach Committee
Plans our Summer Diversity Fellowship program to increase diversity in the Intellectual Property community.
Committee Chairs: Daniel Latimer, American Honda Motor Co., Inc.
LAIPLA Board Liaisons: Nick Fung, Morrison Foerster LLP
Jennifer So, American Honda Motor Co., Inc.
Robert Taylor, Ziff Davis, Inc.
Members: James Abe, Alston & Bird
Paul Lee, KPPB LLP
Ajit Narang, Medtronic
Tony Peluso, ArentFox Schiff LLP
Chloe Stepney, Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP
The ways to get involved with LAIPLA are many. Committees run the gamut, from the Ambassador Committee to the Young Lawyers Committee and many in between.
Committees
Members Participating
Always Room For One More!
Judges’ Night Committee
Plans our biggest night of the year, the Judges’ Night Gala.
Committee Chairs: Nancy Olsen, Clerk, C.D. Cal
Ted Kang, Munger Tolles & Olson
LAIPLA Board Liaisons: Sarah Cork, Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan, LLP
Judge Kewalramani, Magistrate Judge, C.D. Cal
Adam Kwon, Munger, Tolles & Olson LLP
Member: Joshua Pollack, Nixon Peabody LLP
Law School Outreach Committee
Plans our Law School Road Show events.
Committee Chair: Megan Dieffenbach, UCLA Law School
LAIPLA Board Liaisons: Jordan Nafekh, Irell & Manella LLP
Steve Smyrski, Smyrski Law Group, A P.C.
Members: Nicole Malick, DTO Law
Mehrin Saleem, Loyola Law School
Mentorship Committee
Organizes our mentorship program for law students.
Committee Chair: Amir A. Naini, Naini, P.C.
LAIPLA Board Liason: Steve Smyrski, Smyrski Law Group, A P.C.
Members: Kirk D. Bacon, nVidia
Steven J. Corr, Jones Day
Darren M. Franklin, Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLLP
Paul J. Lee, KPPB LLP
Sam Santopoalo, Kirkland & Ellis LLP
Past Presidents Outreach Committee
Ensures LAIPLA maintains a strong relationship with our Past Presidents.
LAIPLA Board Liaison: David Randall, Orbit IP LLP
Patent and Trade Secrets Committee
Plans our Fall and Spring patent and trade secrets programs.
Committee Chairs: Vinny Ling, Munger Tolles & Olson
Ben Shiroma, Knobbe Martens
LAIPLA Board Liaison: Sarah Cork, Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan, LLP
Members: Jemuel Gascon, Littler
Kirsha Yadav-Ranjan
Small Firm Outreach Committee
Plans our small firm and solo practitioner networking meetings and increases participation of small firm and solo practitioner attorneys at our events.
Committee Chairs: Nedeen Nasser, Nasser Legal
Michael Guiliana, Villamar / Guiliana LLP
LAIPLA Board Liaisons: Nick Fung, Morrison Forrester LLP
Sarah Rahimi, Stris & Maher LLP
David Randall, Orbit IP LLP
Members: Tracy Rane, KFC LLP
Alexander Schlee, Schlee IPInternational, P.C.
Konrad Trope, Trope Law Group, P.C.
Sponsorship Committee
Coordinates sponsorship for our events.
Committee Chair: Xinlin Morrow, Morrow Firm
LAIPLA Board Liaisons: TechTainment– Dave Randall, Orbit IP
Washington in the West— James Abe, Alston & Bird LLP
Amy A. Breyer, Breyer Andrew LLP
Judges’ Night – Erica Van Loon, Nixon Peabody
Spring Seminar – Ashe Puri, Maynard Cooper & Gale
Spring Seminar Committee
Plans our premier event of the year, Spring Seminar.
Committee Chairs: Stephen Kelley, Cypress LLP
Alexander Zeng, Knobbe Martens
LAIPLA Board Liaisons: Xinlin Morrow, Morrow Firm
Erica Van Loon, Nixon Peabody
Members: Daniel Dubin, Alston & Bird LLP
Patrick Maloney, Armond Wilson LLP
David Randall, Orbit LLP
Technology Transactions Committee
Plans our Fall and Spring technology transactions programs.
Committee Co-Chairs: Carson Zheng, Goodwin
Adam Kwon, Munger, Tolles & Olson LLP
LAIPLA Board Liaison: Xinlin Morrow, Morrow Firm
TechTainment Committee
Plans our Technology + Entertainment conference
Committee Chairs: Elie Heisler, Nixon Peabody LLP
Mark Treitel, Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan, LLP
Konrad Trope, Trope Law Group, P.C.
LAIPLA Board Liaison: Erica Van Loon, Nixon Peabody LLP
Members: Oral Caglar, Stubbs Alderton Markiles, LLP
Fabio de Sa Cesnik, Cesnik, Quintino, Salinas, Fittipaldi and Valerio Law Firm
Andrew Choung, Nixon Peabody LLP
Sarah Cork, Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan, LLP
Tracy Freed, Freed Law, P.C.
Prof. Eric Hitchcock, ASU – Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law
April Hua, Nixon Peabody LLP
Stephen Kelly, Cypress LLP
Jeff Kichaven, Jeff Kichaven Mediation
Xinlin Morrow, The Morrow Firm
Nadeen Nasser, Nasser Law
Gary Olsen, B. Riley Financial
Dave Randall, Orbit IP
Robert Taylor, Ziff Davis, Inc.
Washington in the West Committee
Plans our Washington in the West program, the premier patent and trademark prosecution program on the West Coast.
Committee Chair: Sepp Zangeneh, Patterson + Sheridan
LAIPLA Board Liaisons: Elizabeth Brannen, Stris & Maher LLP
Sarah Cork, Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan, LLP
Nick Fung, Morrison Forrester LLP
Jordan Nafekh, Irell & Manella LLP
Committee Members: Ashe Puri, Maynard Nexsen
Raffi Zerounian, Hanson Bridgett
Women in IP Committee
Plans our Fall and Spring Women in IP programs.
Committee Chairs: Sarah Rahimi, Stris & Maher LLP
April Hua, Nixon Peabody
LAIPLA Board Liaisons: Elizabeth Brannen, Stris & Maher LLP
Erica Van Loon, Nixon Peabody LLP
Members: Candice Arciaga, The Sullivan Group of Court Reporters
Nina Boyajian, Greenberg Traurig, LLP
Mai Lin, Simone Intellectual Property Services Asia, Ltd.
Kira Davis, Morrison Foerster
Danielle Joyner
Jane Kim, Fohas Law
Kiranjit K Dharsan, Seiter Legal Studio
Helen Omapas, Harman International
Young Lawyers Outreach Committee
Plans our Young Lawyers programs and increases participation of Young Lawyer at our events.
Committee Chair: Connor He-Schaefer, Irell & Manella LLP
LAIPLA Board Liaisons: Jordan Nafekh, Irell & Manella LLP
Members: Daniel Kadin, Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliff LLP
If you would like to join an LAIPLA Committee, please email the Board Liaison.
2020-2021 Committees
2019-2020 Committees
2018-2019 Committees