Joseph Centeno

Shareholder, Labor & Employment Co-Chair,
Buchanan, Ingersoll & Rooney, PC

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Joe Centeno’s practice includes collective and class action litigation, including Fair Credit Reporting Act, employment litigation, high stakes #MeToo matters, restrictive covenants, labor relations, policies, leave, termination of employment, joint employment, diversity and inclusion strategy and planning, Title IX investigation and compliance, and C-suite executive employment agreements. Joe counsels employers on virtually all employment and labor-related laws and regulations. He has extensive jury trial experience and has been lead trial counsel in numerous high-profile trials and arbitrations. He also has broad experience in defending claims before state and federal agencies, including the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the Department of Labor, the National Labor Relations Board, many state and city Human and Relations and Civil Rights Commissions and agencies, and the Philadelphia Commission on Human Relations, where he served as a Commissioner by mayoral appointment.

Joe has been nationally recognized by Best Lawyers in America, National Asian Pacific American Bar Association, Philadelphia Business Journal, Minority Corporate Counsel Association and Pennsylvania Super Lawyers. He co-chairs Buchanan’s Labor, Employment, Benefits & Immigration section, which is recognized as a national Tier 1 practice by U.S. News – Best Lawyers “Best Law Firms.” In 2021 and 2022, Joe was honored as a leader in the field of Labor & Employment Law in Pennsylvania by Chambers USA. During the research process, one of Joe’s references remarked, “Joseph is a consummate partner in the truest sense – he thinks big picture, and understands what we are looking for in an attorney-client relationship.” In 2022, Joe was named a ‘Best Law Firm Mentor’ by The Legal Intelligencer as part of the publication’s Professional Excellence Awards. Additionally, Joe was recognized as a ‘Best Mentor: Law Firm’ finalist by The American Lawyer in 2022.

Yasser Madriz

Trial Partner,
McGuireWoods LLP

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Yasser is the managing partner of McGuireWoods’ Houston office. A trial lawyer with extensive experience handling complex, high-stakes litigation in federal and state court, he plays key roles in various multibillion-dollar cases filed throughout the United States. He represents plaintiffs and defendants across industries in business, commercial and energy litigation matters.

Over the past several years, Yasser has focused his practice on cases involving technology and intellectual property disputes, trade secret theft and unfair competition claims, but he has substantial experience handling other litigation matters. As a former transactional attorney, for instance, Yasser frequently leverages his transactional background to help clients solve complex transaction-based disputes, business organization controversies and derivative actions. He is able to dissect complex corporate disputes from the perspective of a litigator and a transactional attorney — an asset from which many of his clients have benefited.

Yasser collaborates with his clients to plan and develop strategies to protect their businesses. Yasser uses his negotiation prowess to obtain favorable results for clients in settlement proceedings and mediations. Yasser also understands that litigation sometimes cannot be avoided and stands ready to fight for his clients and advance their positions in jury trials, bench trials and arbitrations.

As a native Nicaraguan, Yasser’s Latin American roots and fluency in Spanish have enabled him to develop experience representing Latin American clients in international and cross-border disputes.

Eugene Clark-Herrera

Partner,
Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP

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Eugene Clark-Herrera, a partner in Orrick’s San Francisco office, focuses his practice on financing for school and college facilities, as well as city and county facilities and infrastructure. His practice includes serving as bond and disclosure counsel on revenue and tax-supported bond financing involving counties, cities, school and college districts, charter schools, airports, and student and multi-family housing projects.

Eugene has experience with a variety of financing structures and characteristics, including pension obligation bonds, synthetic fixed rate bonds, and various reinvestment vehicles. In addition, he has pioneered capital markets access for California public charter schools and advised governmental issuers, foundations, advocacy groups and policy makers in the development and expansion of public charter school access to tax-advantaged financing.

His insights helped inform and establish the Equitable Facilities Fund, a nonprofit social impact fund that empowers high-performing public charter schools with equitable access to low-cost, long-term financing by innovatively combining mission-related investments and capital markets. He also helped structure the largest charter school facilities financing in California, $93 million for construction and improvement of seven school campuses.

Eugene also co-founded and serves on the Board of Directors of the nonprofit Mural Music & Arts Project, an arts-based youth development organization he founded in East Palo Alto, California, to educate, inspire and empower teens through the arts.

He has served for 10 years on the board of the California Lawyers for the Arts and on the board of the Flywheel Fund, a nonprofit that seeks to protect students pursuing low income public interest or other jobs from the financial hardship associated with any tuition repayment. Eugene also has served as treasurer and board member for the Charles Houston Bar Association, an affiliate of the National Bar Association representing the interests of African American lawyers, judges and law students throughout Northern California.

Prior to law school, Eugene was a public school teacher and science curriculum developer in the South Bronx and Washington Heights neighborhoods of New York City for six years, including two years with Teach for America.

Since joining Orrick, Eugene has championed efforts to advance diversity, equity and inclusion. He led a DEI group in our San Francisco office for 15 years and has led the Black Lawyers of Orrick affinity group. In 2022, he became one of three DEI leaders firmwide, with a focus on DEI and talent.

He is a graduate of Stanford Law School and earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Colorado at Boulder.

Richard Hung

Global Co-Chair, Litigation,
Morrison Foerster LLP

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Rich is the global co-chair of Morrison Foerster’s Litigation Department. He previously co-led the firm’s IP Litigation Group and the cross-disciplinary Intellectual Property Group for over a decade. He brings his knowledge as a registered patent lawyer and a Federal Circuit clerk to lead complex technology matters for clients in state and federal trial and appellate courts. He has represented plaintiffs and defendants in high-stakes patent litigation, competitor on-competitor cases, non-practicing entity assertions, and trade secret misappropriation disputes, obtaining consent judgments in multiple cases. Rich also represents clients in adversarial proceedings before the U.S. PTO and counsels clients on strategic offensive and defensive patent licensing and acquisition issues.

His matters have spanned a broad range of technologies, including:

• Internet search
• Cryptography
• Programmable logic devices
• Graphical user interfaces
• Smartphones
• Water filtration consumer appliances

Rich earned dual bachelor’s degrees in electrical engineering and economics from Stanford University and his law degree from Columbia Law School. In law school, he externed for the Honorable Sonia Sotomayor, then with the Southern District of New York. He was also a James Kent Scholar, a moot court editor and judge, and a recipient of the Carroll G. Harper Prize for excellence in intellectual property. After law school, Rich clerked for the Honorable Paul Michel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.

In 2014, Rich was appointed by then San Francisco Mayor Edwin Lee to serve as a neutral commissioner on the San Francisco Rent Stabilization and Arbitration Board. He currently serves as the president of the Asian Law Alliance, a nonprofit organization that provides pro bono legal assistance to the Asian/Pacific Islander community in the Silicon Valley. He is a Fellow of the American Bar Foundation.

Rich previously tried multiple criminal cases—all to favorable verdicts—with the San Francisco District Attorney’s Office.

Dolly Mirchandani

Partner,
White & Case LLP

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Dolly’s practice focuses on the infrastructure and energy sector, including public private partnerships, reflecting 26 years of experience working on some of the most significant deals in the sector. She has an extensive client base and represents sponsors, infrastructure funds, commercial banks, institutional lenders, contractors, secondary market investors and governments in the tender, development, acquisition and financing of greenfield and brownfield infrastructure projects. Dolly has advised across multiple infrastructure asset classes including surface transportation (airports, ports, roads, parking, bridges, transit and rail), water and wastewater, waste management, district energy, digital and social infrastructure. Her breadth of practice and decades of experience allows her to anticipate concerns, propose solutions and promote agreement. She has played a leading role in the introduction of private investment and finance in the infrastructure sector in North America, having advised on multiple, award-winning transactions, including ones that were first-of-their-kind. Dolly has also authored the World Bank’s contract guidance on PPP projects which provides a market tested reference point for governments all over the world who are contemplating this methodology for delivering their infrastructure projects.

Dolly is, without a doubt, one of the most widely respected and successful practitioners in her field. She is one of IFLR1000’s 2022 Market Leaders for US Project Finance and Project Development. Dolly is ranked Band 1: PPP Projects by both Chambers USA and Chambers Global and was recently placed on the Roll Call of Elite for Project Finance in Euromoney’s Best of the Best USA Expert Guide 2021. She has also been named among IFLR1000’s 2021 & 2022 Women Leaders for Project Finance and Project Development in the United States and awarded Global Leader status for both Project Finance and Government Contracts in Who’s Who Legal 2021.

Dolly received her LLM from Harvard Law School and her BA Jurisprudence from New College, Oxford.

Naveen Modi

Global Co-Chair of Intellectual Property & Partner,
Paul Hastings LLP

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Naveen Modi is the Global Co-Chair of the Intellectual Property group at Paul Hastings, overseeing the firm’s Global Intellectual Property group consisting of more than 100 attorneys.

Mr. Modi’s practice covers all aspects of high stakes IP-related legal work, including litigation before federal district courts, the U.S. International Trade Commission, and federal appeals courts; post-grant proceedings, interferences and derivation proceedings before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB); arbitrations; and due diligence and client counseling. He has led “bet-the-company cases” involving patents, trademarks, trade secrets, and copyright issues. He has represented both companies accused of infringement and those whose IP has been infringed in a wide range of technical areas, including electronics, software, business methods, medical devices, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, and biotechnology.

Mr. Modi has lectured nationally and internationally on IP law, including in Africa, India, Korea, Japan, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, and Thailand. He helped develop and has been teaching a course on Federal Circuit Practice at the George Mason University School of Law for over a decade. He clerked for the Honorable Alvin Anthony Schall at U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. Mr. Modi graduated from George Mason University School of Law, magna cum laude, and also holds a B.S. in electrical engineering from George Mason University, with high distinction.

Mr. Modi has been widely recognized over the years for his significant and deep experience in IP law. IAM Patent 1000 has recognized Mr. Modi as “a top strategist, extremely articulate presenter and all-round thought leader.” It has noted that “[h]e’s just incredibly high quality – a hard worker with a wonderful temperament’” and that “[p]eople think the world of the ‘calm and collected’ Modi, ‘an incredibly thoughtful guy who presents great strategic options tailored to the business goals of his clients.’” Chambers USA has ranked him in Band 1, noting that “[h]e is very strategic and does an excellent job of mapping out a strategy that fully integrates substantive arguments with procedural nuances,” that “[h]e explains complex issues very well, and is very responsive to questions and requests,” and that “[h]e is an amazing litigator who presents very well.”

Mr. Modi has been especially recognized for his appellate experience. He has led over 100 appeals at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit and has been involved in all aspects of the appellate process, including briefing and oral argument. Law360 recognized him as an Intellectual Property MVP in 2019 for racking up nine wins at the Federal Circuit, having successfully represented clients such as Google and Samsung. The Legal 500 also has recognized Mr. Modi as a “key lawyer” for appeals.

In addition, Mr. Modi is one of the foremost experts in challenging and defending patents before the United States Patent and Trademark Office under the America Invents Act, including its PTAB. He has been involved in well over 800 post-grant proceedings, including inter partes review (IPR), post-grant review (PGR), covered business method (CBM) review, and ex parte and inter partes reexamination proceedings. He has been nationally recognized for his expertise in post-grant proceedings, including for having been involved in more PTAB proceedings than any other practitioner in the United States:

• Chambers USA recognized Mr. Modi as an expert in this area, noting that he “earns effusive praise from clients, who describe him as ‘a brilliant litigator.’ One source reports: ‘Naveen understands all of the rules and subtleties of IPR proceedings better than anyone I’ve ever worked with.’”
• Managing Intellectual Property recognized Mr. Modi as Outstanding IP Litigator of the Year for PTAB. It also named him as an IP Star, noting that he “has developed a significant reputation for his post-grant proceeding practice” and that “[a] top competitor said: ‘Naveen is probably the country’s leader in patent trials before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board. He is simply the most brilliant attorney I’ve worked with.’” One peer added he “would trust him with the crown jewels.”
• The Legal 500 noted that Mr. Modi is “by far the country’s leading expert on post-grant proceedings. Naveen’s even temperament is only exceeded by his thoughtful strategies and encyclopedic knowledge of practice before the PTAB.”
• Law360 recognized Mr. Modi as a “Legal Lion” and “IP MVP” for his work defending Acorda in the highly publicized IPRs filed by a hedge fund run by Kyle Bass. Financial Times has also “highly commended” his work in connection with these IPRs. Mr. Modi was also recognized as a “Legal Lion” for his work for Boehringer Ingelheim on IPRs where, as Law 360 noted, the PTAB “invalidated ‘a key patent’ for AbbVie Inc.’s top selling drug . . . Humira.” In addition, Mr. Modi was recognized by Law360 as a “Legal Lion” for his work for Google.
• LMG Life Sciences recognized Mr. Modi as an IP Star in addition to being awarded the Post Grant Proceedings Attorney of the Year at the LMG Life Sciences Awards.
• IAM Patent 1000 has named him as one of only six “highly recommended” individuals for post-grant proceedings. It has noted that “Modi is one of, if not the most prolific PTAB attorney in the country and knows just about all there is to know about challenging and defending patents under the AIA.”

RECOGNITIONS

• Lawdragon, 500 Leading Litigators in America (2022)
• Ranked in Band 1 by Chambers USA
• The Legal 500’s Leading Lawyer for Intellectual Property – Patents: Litigation
• The Legal 500’s Dispute Resolution – Appellate: Courts of Appeals
• The Legal 500’s Intellectual Property – Patents: Litigation (International Trade Commission)
• LMG Life Sciences Awards, Post Grant Proceedings Attorney of the Year
• LMG Life Sciences, IP Star
• Managing Intellectual Property, Outstanding IP Litigator of the Year – PTAB
• Managing Intellectual Property, IP Star
• Law360, IP MVP
• Law360, Legal Lion
• IAM Global Leaders
• IAM Patent 1000, Leading Patent Practitioner
• Outstanding 50 Asian Americans in Business
• Washington D.C. Super Lawyer

EDUCATION

 

 

• George Mason University School of Law, J.D., magna cum laude, 2001
• George Mason University, B.S., Electrical Engineering, with high distinction, 1998

Yvette Ostolaza

Chair, Management Committee,
Sidley Austin LLP

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YVETTE OSTOLAZA is Sidley’s Management Committee Chair and an Executive Committee Member. Yvette is one of the world’s foremost business litigators, delivering winning results for clients at each stage of complex multijurisdictional commercial disputes and corporate investigations. Her litigation work and ability to solve her clients’ most difficult litigation problems have garnered her numerous accolades and recognitions, including Band 1 Chambers USA “Litigation: General Commercial” recognition and Benchmark Litigation “National Commercial Litigation Star.”

Yvette is admitted in New York and Texas and litigates trial and appellate matters in U.S. state and federal courts on behalf of global clients. She has significant experience in MDL, crisis management, activist defense, bankruptcy, arbitration, and securities litigation cases. She coordinates and tries proceedings in a variety of arbitration venues, serves on the Roster of Neutral Arbitrators for the AAA for commercial litigation matters, and sits on the CPR Panel of Distinguished Neutrals as an arbitrator for the International Institute for Conflict Prevention & Resolution. She served as the vice chair, Ethics and Investigations Subcommittee of the ABA Corporate Governance Committee.

Yvette is highly experienced in providing on-point guidance to boards and senior-level executives during periods of corporate turbulence. Chambers Crisis & Risk Management recognized Yvette as a leader of the firm’s Band 1 Nationwide USA Crisis Management practice and as one of a very small number of notable practitioners nationwide in the area of crisis management. She routinely leads complex internal investigations on behalf of companies, board committees and individual directors, and she defends companies/directors in shareholder and securities class actions. Yvette currently serves on the board of directors of Lionsgate and has served on several nonprofit boards, as well as the Board of Directors of the State Bar of Texas.

Yvette’s practice range, experience, and results have earned her extensive recognition. Most recently, she was honored by the Hispanic National Bar Association with the Mari Carmen Aponte Award. Yvette is only the second recipient of this award, which recognizes a “Latina lawyer who is the first to break a glass ceiling.” The Hispanic National Bar Foundation also recently honored Yvette with the 2022 “Firm Leadership Award.” This annual award recognized her for her “outstanding achievement and her commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion.” Yvette was named as one of the “Top 250 Women in Litigation” in the United States by Benchmark Litigation since 2012. In 2021, Chambers USA ranked her Band 1 in Litigation, with one client describing her as “a tremendous asset to have on your side and a natural leader who has the ability to manage all the moving parts of a team.” From 2009–2020, Yvette was annually among the highest ranked lawyers in General Commercial Litigation by Chambers USA. For example, in 2020 the journal noted that clients call her “a force of nature” with “every arrow in her quiver that you would want,” who “doesn’t look for the usual cookie-cutter, classic legal responses,” who has particular “expertise in whistleblower and investigation matters,” and is “so dynamic, her command of a room and her ability to get what she needs for a client is unmatched.” In 2019, an enthusiastic client told Chambers USA: “She could seriously convince you that the sky is purple; she’s that good an advocate.”

Yvette has also been recognized by multiple national and regional publications. Recently, Latino Corporate Directors Association recognized Yvette as a “Most influential Latina 2021.” In 2021, The American Lawyer recognized Yvette as a “South Trailblazer” and BTI Consulting recognized her as a Client Service All-Star based on feedback from top legal in-house counsel. Yvette was selected as one of D Magazine’s “Best Lawyers in Dallas” 2016–2022 in the Business/Commercial Litigation category, 2018 in the Security Litigation/Enforcement category; she was featured on DCEO’s “Dallas 500” list from 2015–2022. She was named to the 2020 and 2021 “Texas Trailblazers” list by Texas Lawyer, as well as the 2020 edition of The Best Lawyers in America. Yvette received the 2015 Texas Lawyer “Lifetime Achievement Award” and the “Thought Leadership” award from Corporate Counsel and Inside Counsel’s 2019 Women, Influence & Power in Law Awards. In 2013, she was named a “Rainmaker” by Diversity and The Bar magazine and honored in 2012 as one of the 20 “Most Powerful and Influential Women” in Texas by the Texas Diversity Council. Yvette has been recognized as one of “America’s Top 100 High Stakes Litigators”; she was listed in the inaugural Benchmark Labor & Employment guide in 2018 and was named a “National Practice Area Star” and a “Litigation Star” in both Commercial and Labor and Employment in Benchmark Litigation (2021–2023). She has also been selected as one of 20 “Women of Excellence” honored nationwide by Hispanic Business magazine. Yvette has been selected to appear in Latino Leaders Magazine as a “Top Latino Lawyer” (2018–2022) and is listed as one of the Most Powerful Latinas in Law.

Yvette’s significant experience managing multijurisdictional disputes — including class actions, business tort, securities/shareholder, consumer fraud, financial services, constitutional, contract, employment, fiduciary duty, advertising/sweepstakes, insurance, fraud, good faith and accounting malpractice litigation, arbitrations, simulations, and mediations — leads her to the top. Other aspects of her practice include counseling clients on reducing risks from consumer and advertising-related claims and representing clients in negotiations with state agencies on such claims, as well as advising private equity firms on litigation risks facing their portfolio companies. She is involved in the coordination and argument of appeals in courts across the United States, which includes the U.S. Supreme Court, the United States Court of Appeals, the Texas Supreme Court, and the Fifth District Court of Appeals in Dallas.

Her clients include significant companies in the aviation, retail, hospitality, financial/insurance, energy, and manufacturing industries. These include Aspen Insurance, Arca Continental, MGM Resorts, Celanese, Deutsche Bank, Chuck E. Cheese Entertainment, Tuesday Morning Corporation, EnLink Midstream, Neiman Marcus, SM Energy, Sally Beauty, HMS Holdings, Michaels, Best Buy, Forterra, SAExploration, JPMorgan, McAfee, Inc., Darling Ingredients, Vistra Energy, Hunt Oil, Coca-Cola Southwest Beverages, Flexi-Van, Kiromic, and Forescout Technologies.

Yvette is often called on to represent these clients in their most important litigation matters. She is highly experienced in all aspects of litigation and trial work and often leads teams of lawyers handling large-scale and high-profile litigation.

Chong Park

Partner, Litigation & Enforcement Practice Group,
Ropes & Gray

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Chong is a seasoned trial lawyer with over 25 years experience serving as lead counsel in complex litigation and government investigations for companies and individuals. His practice focuses on antitrust, consumer protection, and complex/commercial litigation. He also actively participates in the data, privacy & cybersecurity group. Chong is a co-chair of the firm’s Diversity Committee and is a member of the firm’s Pro Bono Committee.

Based in Ropes & Gray’s Washington, D.C. and San Francisco offices, Chong is renowned for his experience as a litigator, having served five years as a senior trial attorney at the Federal Trade Commission, and previously as a Deputy City Attorney on the labor and employment and trial teams for the City and County of San Francisco.

Chong has first-chaired bench and jury trials in federal and state courts and has substantial experience in class action litigation and government enforcement actions. His practice focuses on high-stakes matters, representation in government regulatory proceedings and investigations, alternative dispute resolution, administrative litigation, and counseling. In proceedings initiated by government agencies, Chong has significant experience representing clients before the FTC, DOJ and the European Commission Directorate-General for Competition. He also has represented clients in proceedings initiated by various State Attorneys General.

Chong has represented companies in government investigations and as both plaintiffs and defendants in complex litigation. His clients come from diverse business sectors including technology, health care, pharmaceutical, telecommunications, manufacturing, financial services, food and beverage, and oil and gas.

Chong also maintains an active pro bono docket. He has had substantial experience in handling criminal matters and appeals, immigration and asylum cases, disability and civil rights matters, and he was lead counsel for the American Bar Association and individual plaintiffs in the successful lawsuit challenging the Department of Education’s handling of the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program (“PSLF”). Chong also led a team that, in 2019, secured freedom for John Huffington, who had been wrongfully convicted of murder and spent 32 years in prison (10 on death row).

Chong is a triathlete, has a black belt in tae kwon do, and has competed on the local, state, and national levels in both disciplines.

Kevin Prussia

Partner,
WilmerHale

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Kevin Prussia is a partner in the firm’s Litigation/Controversy Department, a member of the Intellectual Property Litigation and Trial Practice Groups, and a member of the firm’s Management Committee.

Mr. Prussia is an experienced litigator and trial lawyer, with significant experience representing leading life sciences and technology companies in major disputes involving intellectual property and other commercial matters. Mr. Prussia has experience across every aspect of trial and appellate practice, including bench and jury federal trials, International Trade Commission investigations, Patent Trial and Appeal Board proceedings, and appeals to the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit and the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts. He is a true “stand-up” litigator who has handled challenging witness examinations and oral arguments for clients in high stakes litigations. He has successfully tried cases to verdict and has counseled numerous clients through complicated settlement discussions.

More than a litigator, Mr. Prussia’s practice also encompasses strategic advice and opinion work. He counsels clients regarding FDA issues, patent-portfolio evaluations, and licensing strategies.

Outside of the courtroom, Mr. Prussia is a prominent member of the community. He has served on the Board of Directors for the ACLU of Massachusetts for ten years and currently serves as Chair of the Foundation. Mr. Prussia was previously President of the Board from 2015-2019. In addition, Mr. Prussia serves on the Advisory Board for the Center for Law, Brain and Behavior at Massachusetts General Hospital, as well as the Dean’s Advisory Council of the College of Arts and Science at NYU. Mr. Prussia is also a part-time faculty member at Boston University School of Law, where he teaches Patent Trial Advocacy.

Mr. Prussia has a deep civil rights pro bono practice. He currently represents a class of individuals in a high profile immigration case against the Department of Homeland Security. He is also a monitor for one of the country’s oldest consent decrees governing the hiring practices of entry-level police and firefighters in communities across Massachusetts.

Byron Taylor

Partner and Co-Leader of Environmental Practice,
Sidley Austin LLP

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BYRON TAYLOR is a member of the firm’s Executive Committee and co-leader of Sidley’s Environmental practice group. His practice includes civil litigation, crisis response, compliance counseling, internal investigations, regulatory advocacy, and environmental aspects of transactions.

Byron assists clients and advises boards in high-stakes matters following major environmental incidents, including matters that involve both environmental regulatory issues and related tort claims. He also frequently provides key strategic advice on regulatory and permit matters and defends clients against alleged violations of a variety of federal and state environmental laws. Over the past several years, Byron has become well known for his work on complex Clean Air Act and Clean Water Act matters.

Byron was named the Litigation — Environmental law “Lawyer of the Year” in Chicago in the Best Lawyers’ 2013 edition. He also has been recognized as a leader in Chambers USA 2013–2022 in Environment: Litigation, which noted he “feels like a steady hand for clients in difficult negotiations.” Byron was named by Crain’s Chicago Business to its 2019 list of “Notable Minorities in Accounting, Consulting & Law” and its 2022 list of “Notable Black Leaders & Executives.”

Within the firm, Byron is a co-chair of the Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Committee and serves on the Lawyer Training and Professional Development Committee and the Counsel Committee.

Recent Experience

 

 

• Representing a medical device sterilization company in regulatory litigation, permitting matters, and new rule development relating to ethylene oxide air emissions at multiple facilities across the country;
• Defending a manufacturer in a joint federal and state enforcement action concerning claims of NPDES permit violations and a related fish kill at a facility in the Midwest;
• Representing an oil pipeline company in enforcement litigation following a release of crude oil;
• Assisting a petroleum refining company in obtaining the air emission construction permit for a major expansion and negotiating an innovative agreement with an environmental citizen’s group concerning the project;
• Defending a petroleum refining company against claims of excess flaring and an upset event that included a release affecting a nearby neighborhood;
• Successfully negotiated a federal and state settlement agreement covering air emissions from a coke oven battery;
• Defending a manufacturing company in a RCRA 3008(h) correction action matter concerning a currently operating facility;
• Defended a Midwestern electric utility company in a Clean Air Act New Source Review enforcement matter that ultimately was dismissed by the federal court;
• Defended an electric generating station against an interstate claim that emissions from the plant violated the law in the neighboring state; and
• On a pro bono basis, advised the Chicago 2016 Olympic Committee regarding environmental matters.

Christa Brown-Sanford

Christa has a full-time patent practice, with the ability to advise on a number of different issues — working together with her clients to be a true counselor. With an electrical engineering background and keen business sense, her ability to communicate with anyone, from clients, opposing counsel, inventors, or patent examiners alike, in a clear and digestible way, underscores her commitment to being a true partner at every stage of the process. Christa’s clients appreciate that “[s]he is thoughtful and thorough . . . [and] can think through issues and solve [them].” (Chambers USA, 2020)

She provides guidance on patent procurement, patent portfolio development, patent litigation, and patent licensing – particularly involving telecommunications, blockchain, electronics, artificial intelligence, semiconductors, software, personal mobility, and other cutting-edge technologies. Clients describe her as “top notch” and consider her as “the subject matter expert.” (Chambers USA, 2022)

Christa also assists companies in developing and managing their patent portfolios and generating revenue from their intellectual property assets through licensing campaigns. While leading licensing efforts for companies, she continues to provide counsel and advice on patent procurement and litigation exposure.

An adjunct professor at SMU’s Dedman School of Law, Christa teaches patent licensing and enforcement, in addition to patent prosecution courses.

Actively involved in the community, Christa is a member of the Charter 100 and serves on the boards of Southern Methodist University, SMU’s Dedman School of Law, the Baylor Scott & White Foundation, and New Friends New Life (an organization focused on empowering trafficked women and girls). She recently completed serving as the President for the Junior League of Dallas, during the League’s Centennial year.

Tony Chan

His clients include global strategic buyers and sellers, as well as financial sponsors and their portfolio companies in the life science, healthcare, investment management and technology industries.

Tony has been recognized for his life sciences and M&A work by a number of notable publications, including The Legal 500 US, Law360, IFLR1000 and Legal Media Group. In particular, Law360 highlighted his work in navigating the complex life sciences industry and key partnership negotiations between biotechnology and drug companies.

In addition, Tony sustains an active pro bono practice, serving as counsel to nonprofit organizations such as Aequitas, APAI Vote, Chefs Stopping Asian American Hate, Rebuilding Together Philadelphia, the Philadelphia Film Society, Partners for Public Good and the Harvard Asian American Alumni Alliance.  Tony serves as the President of board of the Harvard Law School Association of DC, the Vice-Chair of board of the Museum of Modern Art Arlington and on the board of the Asian Pacific American Bar Association of DC.  Tony is also an adjunct professor at Georgetown Law School where he has taught Takeovers, Mergers and Acquisitions annually since 2015.

Tiffany Cheung

Meenakshi Datta

Heidi B. Friedman

Charles E. Harris II

Elizabeth Ising

Yabo Lin

Gilbert K.S. Liu

Partner and Chair, Securitization,
Kramer Levin

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Gilbert K.S. Liu advises and represents issuers, underwriters, borrowers, lenders and service providers in connection with structured finance and securitization transactions involving a wide variety of esoteric asset classes, including residential and commercial solar assets, timeshare loans, US government energy savings performance contracts, venture loans, life science loans, recurring revenue loans, home improvement loans, equipment leases, auto loans, trademark and licensing rights, and music royalties.

Both Legal 500 and Chambers USA have repeatedly recognized Gil as a leading securitization lawyer. Chambers USA noted: Gil “provides excellent counsel” and “has continued to be a leader in the space. He thinks through matters critically and deliberately, bringing tremendous experience to the table.” Citing clients, Chambers has also described him as “thoughtful and knowledgeable” and “a tremendous [lawyer] with a deep knowledge of structures and market norms, which he can apply to novel situations,” noting his great reputation in the esoteric market and “[skilled] handling of esoteric assets,” and “his efficiency in ‘absorbing our objectives and crafting solutions’ and ability to ‘break things down and figure everything out step by step.’”

Crain’s New York Business named Gil to its list of Notable Asian Leaders in 2022, the Asian American Business Development Center named him one of its Outstanding 50 Asian Americans in Business in 2014, and the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association honored him with its Best Under 40 Award in 2009.

Gil currently serves on the board and executive committee of Apex for Youth, a non-profit organization providing support for underserved Asian immigrant youth in New York City.  He also serves on the board of Homerun Projects, a nonprofit organization supporting youth-based programs in New York City. For more than 10 years, Gil served on the board and executive committee of Harlem RBI (now known as DREAM), a nonprofit organization providing social, academic and athletic services for youth in East Harlem, NY. He has also been a member of the board of Volunteers of Legal Service. Gil has been involved in pro bono matters for Harlem RBI, the DREAM Charter School, the Chinese American Health Foundation, the CAIPA Foundation, Lowline, Broadway Barks, Infinite Variety Productions and the Seido Juku Benefit Foundation.

Gil also serves on Kramer Levin’s Executive Committee, Operations Committee, Collaboration Committee, Pro Bono Committee and Diversity Committee, and is a member of the firm’s Attorneys of Color Affinity Group.

Sonal N. Mehta

Partner-in-Charge, Palo Alto and Vice-Chair, Litigation Department,
WilmerHale

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Sonal is a dynamic litigator and strategic counselor representing many of the world’s leading technology and life sciences companies in complex disputes spanning IP, antitrust, class action, and complex commercial issues. She is regularly called upon by clients—ranging from Silicon Valley’s top technology companies to cutting-edge start-ups—to serve as lead counsel in the courtroom and as a trusted advisor in the boardroom.

Sonal has over 20 years of experience across all aspects of trial and appellate practice, including federal jury trials, state court jury and bench trials, International Trade Commission investigations, international arbitrations, and appeals to the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit and Federal Circuit and the California appellate courts.

Sonal’s honors include:

• Regularly recognized by Chambers USA Guide in California and nationwide for intellectual property: patents.
• Recognized in the 2023 and 2024 edition of Chambers Global in the category of intellectual property: patents.
• Named to Benchmark Litigation’s elite Top 10 Women in Litigation list in 2021 and 2022.
• Named Benchmark Litigation’s San Francisco Attorney of the Year across practice areas in 2020 and named the California Intellectual Property Litigator of the Year in 2021.
• Named to the Daily Journal’s list of Leading Commercial Litigators (2023 and 2024) and recognized as a Top Intellectual Property Lawyer (2022–2023).
• Regularly recognized by The Legal500 United States for patent litigation: full coverage.
• Named San Jose Lawyer of the Year by Best Lawyers in America for patent litigation (2020, 2022 and 2024), patent law (2020 and 2024) and intellectual property litigation (2023–2024).

Sonal is also a leader at her firm, serving as Partner-in-Charge of WilmerHale’s Palo Alto Office, Vice-Chair for the firm’s Litigation and Controversy Department, and on the firm’s Management and Compensation Committees.

Prior to joining WilmerHale, Sonal was a partner at another large international law firm, where she built her practice representing major technology sector companies in high-stakes patent litigation at the trial and appellate levels. She then joined a litigation boutique firm based in San Francisco, where she continued to serve as lead counsel for leading technology and life sciences clients in patent and commercial litigation matters.

Vicki Odette

Preston K. Ratliff II

Partner and Litigation Office Chair,
Paul Hastings, LLP

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Preston K. Ratliff II is the Chair of the Firm’s Litigation practice in New York. Mr. Ratliff focuses his practice on complex, high-stakes litigation with an emphasis on patent litigation in the biotechnology, pharmaceutical, chemical, agricultural, and renewable fuel sectors. He has successfully represented major and emerging companies both pre-trial and at trial.  Chambers USA notes that Mr. Ratliff is “really outstanding and excels at all aspects of litigation. What stands out is that he is a brilliant strategist who sees the big picture and can anticipate risks that aren’t always necessarily apparent…he is a very calming and unflappable presence even in the most difficult and stressful situations.”

Mr. Ratliff also has extensive experience counseling clients with respect to their IP portfolios and evaluating strategic licensing opportunities.  In addition, Mr. Ratliff is a frequent publisher in patent journals and an invited speaker at some of the most prestigious life sciences industry conferences.

EXEMPLARY REPRESENTATIONS

Seagen Inc. v. Daiichi Sankyo Company Limited.

Lead counsel in a hotly-contested, nearly 100 billion dollar breach of contract intellectual property biotechnology dispute involving antibody-drug conjugates (“ADCs”) for the treatment of various cancers. Mr. Ratliff, along with his team, obtained a complete victory dismissing the opposition’s claims as both substantively meritless and time-barred. This win was reported to be among the largest disputes ever handled by the International Centre for Dispute Resolution, which is the American Arbitration Association’s forum for global conflict resolution.

Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma et al. v. Emcure Pharmaceuticals et al.

Lead counsel that locked in full patent protection and revenues arising from Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma’s chemical compound patent for its billion-dollar-plus-per-year schizophrenia and bipolar drug, Latuda^®. Specifically, Mr. Ratliff obtained a Federal Circuit decision that affirmed a district court’s November 2016 claim construction ruling and a February 2017 judgment of infringement against three generic drug manufacturers. Taken together, these dual victories secured patent protection for Latuda^® while blocking more than a dozen generic drug manufacturers, including industry giant Teva Pharmaceuticals, from launching competing products.

Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp. v. Sandoz Inc. and Accord Healthcare, Inc.

Co-led a trial team that won an important trial victory for Merck concerning its pharmaceutical product Emend^® for Injection, which is used in the prevention of nausea and vomiting associated with cancer chemotherapy. After a bench trial, the district court ruled that Merck’s patent was valid and infringed, defeating the challenge brought by several generic companies. Mr. Ratliff also co-led a team that convinced the Patent Office to deny Canadian pharmaceutical company Apotex’s petition for an IPR, challenging a patent protecting Merck’s Emend^® for Injection franchise. Mr. Ratliff also convinced the PTAB to deny Apotex’s further request to rehear its IPR petition.

Pfizer Inc. v. Amgen Fremont Inc. and Amgen Inc.

Co-led a team that obtained a complete victory in a highly-complex breach of contract and intellectual property dispute in Delaware Chancery Court concerning billion-dollar biotechnology drug products.

Sucampo Pharmaceuticals Inc. et al. v. Par Pharmaceuticals, Inc. et al.

Lead trial counsel for Sucampo in a Hatch-Waxman litigation protecting its leading medication Amitiza^® for bowel disorders. In its suit against Par, Mr. Ratliff helped secure a settlement that provides Sucampo additional market exclusivity, as well as a royalty-bearing

Biovail International Laboratories v. Andrx Pharmaceuticals, LLC et al.

Co-led a trial team that secured a highly-favorable settlement in a patent infringement litigation regarding the company’s top-selling drug product for managing blood pressure.

Srikanth K. Reddy

Partner,
Goodwin Procter LLP

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Srikanth Reddy is a partner in Goodwin’s Litigation department and a member of the IP Litigation practice, where he concentrates his practice on intellectual property opinion and litigation matters. He is also a member of the firm’s Life Sciences Disputes group and currently serves as the Boston Hiring Partner.

Srikanth counsels clients in a broad range of intellectual property litigation matters, including patent, trademark, copyright and trade secret matters. He has specific experience working on a highly diverse range of patent litigation matters including enforcement investigations before the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC), Hatch-Waxman/ ANDA cases, other district court patent litigation matters and post-grant proceedings before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board.

EXPERIENCE

The technology areas at issue in the intellectual property litigation matters handled by Srikanth are highly varied and include, for example, pharmaceutical chemistry, biotechnology, immunoassays, vibration-monitoring equipment, semiconductor fabrication, computer chip assembly and packaging, digital out of home displays, light-emitting diode (LED) manufacturing and packaging, razor cartridges, cosmetic lasers used in the medical device industry, computer implemented business methods, mobile software applications, source code analysis and modems.

Rohit Sachdev

Katie Schwarting

Pallavi Mehta Wahi