Articles

Latest Corporate Transparency Act Guidance: Interim Final Rule Issued

The federal Financial Crimes Enforcement Network has issued an interim final rule revising certain aspects of the Corporate Transparency Act reporting requirements. The interim rule provides significant relief to U.S. entities, exempting them from the requirement to report beneficial ownership information. Juan Arau provides the latest details on this ever-changing federal obligation. 

News

Procopio's Orange County Office Growth Recognized by Orange County Business Journal

Our rapid growth in Orange County has been recognized by the Orange County Business Journal! In their most recent rankings of 93 law firms with offices in the county, Procopio's attorney count exceeded more than half of them. We ranked #40 out of 93, an increase from #51 last year.

We opened our Orange County office in early 2020 shortly after the start of the pandemic with one attorney. Now we have over 30, with more joining us every month!

Our attorneys are active in the Orange County community, with nonprofits, bar associations, business development groups, and more. We love our Orange County home and will be serving clients in and around the region for years to come.

Awards & Accolades

Meet our 2025 San Diego Super Lawyers and Rising Stars

Congrats to our 13 Procopio attorneys from 9 practice areas named by their peers as 2025 San Diego Super Lawyers® or Rising Stars®. Procopio attorneys have also been recognized previously in Northern California (Silicon Valley), Southern California (Orange County), and the Southwest (Scottsdale, Arizona).

Each year, no more than 5% of the lawyers in the state of California are named a Super Lawyer, and only 2.5% of the lawyers in the state are named Rising Stars.

Below are the attorneys recognized in San Diego and located in our downtown and Del Mar Heights offices, listed by practice area (Super Lawyer unless otherwise noted). You can learn more about them in our press release.

Procopio and 3 Patent Practitioners Recognized for Patent Prosecution

We're proud of our patent prosecution team for its recognition by Patexia as one of the most active practices in the U.S.! Procopio was listed among the Top 100 firms in multiple categories out of more than 3,200 firms, based on USPTO data regarding the number of applications, issued patents, and more. In addition, Patent Agent Yuefen “Jennifer” Zhou was ranked in the Top 10, and Partners Miku Mehta and Brent Johnson in the Top 250, out of more than 28,000 attorneys and agents.

3 Procopio Attorneys Named to 2025 San Diego Top Attorneys List

Kudos to Sara Neva, Bill Eigner and Jennifer Trowbridge on being named 2025 San Diego Top Attorneys by SD Metro Magazine! Only 24 attorneys were named to this year’s list. Sara counsels clients on real estate matters, while Bill and Jennifer provide a range of corporate law services. All three have achieved multiple other awards for their legal prowess. 

Events

Technology Licensing 101: Startup Legal Series | webinar | 6:00 – 7:00 pm PT

This webinar led by Helen Goldstein provides startups with an introduction to technology licensing, highlighting its importance as a tool for growth, revenue generation, and collaboration. The session, the fifth in a six-part series, equips participants with the knowledge to negotiate and structure licensing agreements that align with their business goals.

Employment Law for Startups: Startup Legal Series | webinar | 6:00 - 7:00 pm PT

This webinar led by Marina Gruber introduces startups to the fundamental principles of employment law, helping founders and managers navigate the complexities of hiring, managing employees, and ensuring compliance with labor regulations. The session, the last of a six-part series, equips startups to build strong, legally compliant teams. This session provides startups with the tools to create a legally compliant and productive workplace, ensuring a strong foundation for growth and employee satisfaction.

SPED Best Practices and IEP Compliance: Part III, End-of-Year Issues | webinar | 11:00 am - 12:00 pm PT

School teams are invited to join David Graham for the third part of this special education webinar series for charter school teams in the 2024-25 school year. This webinar series will trace the concept of educational benefit, including IEP compliance and best practices, from referral all the way through implementation and into due process. 

New Legally Required Ethics Training For Charter School Board Members | webinar | 4:00 - 5:00 pm PT

Attention charter school governing board members: this webinar is for you! Join Greta Proctor and Kevin Davis for this special complimentary opportunity to complete your ethics training by the January 1, 2026, statutory deadline.

Client News

Client Blue Marble Communications Acquired by T2S Solutions

Kudos to our client Blue Marble Communications on a successful M&A transaction! The space-qualified computing and communications technologies innovator has been acquired by T2S Solutions, a provider of advanced technologies supporting U.S. defense, intelligence, and national security missions. San Diego-based Blue Marble supports the next generation of satellite constellations with technologies that enable more resilient and efficient data processing in space. Our Mergers & Acquisitions co-leader Paul Johnson led the negotiations on behalf of Blue Marble, joined by Helen Goldstein, Kaitlyn Jensen, John Miles, Eric Swenson, and David Boatwright.

3 Procopio Clients Named 2025 Cool Companies by Connect

Kudos to our 3 clients named 2025 Cool Companies by Connect! Coastar Therapeutics, served by James Kramer, has developed an innovative cell membrane coating technology to protect genetic drugs from immune system clearance and enable them to be delivered to target with high precision. DeepWater Exploration, served by Bill Eigner, has designed marine optics that provide crystal clear underwater imaging data. FreMon Scientific, served by Mike Kinkelaar, has created the patented ZipThaw Plasma Thawing System, a lightweight, portable thawing device that delivers critical blood products to patients faster than traditional water baths.

Social Media

Please welcome the newest member of our award-winning Real Estate practice, Kristen Moran! Kristen represents clients in a broad array of commercial real estate matters, including purchase and sale transactions, financings, joint ventures, and leasing. Kristen has counseled real estate investors, developers, managers, lenders, borrowers, landlords, and tenants on retail, industrial, office, data center, and mixed-use projects. Prior to joining Procopio, Kristen worked as an in-house attorney at a data center services company and a Los Angeles-based real estate investor and developer. Previously, Kristen was with two of the largest U.S. law firms.

Say hello to the newest member of our corporate law practice, Aaron Wolmark! Aaron focuses on assisting clients with complex domestic and international technology transactions, supply, service and distribution agreements and licensing agreements, including companies in life sciences, consumer products, software and skilled nursing facilities. Aaron works closely with his clients to devise distribution strategies for their products and services and negotiates the terms of their distribution and licensing agreements. Aaron also manages risk for his clients by drafting terms of service and use and negotiating supply and service agreements. He brings clients experience as an in-house counsel at a molecular diagnostics company. 

Congrats to Capital Markets & Securities attorney Jennifer Trowbridge on becoming certified as a FINRA Arbitrator! This allows her to arbitrate FINRA (Financial Industry Regulatory Authority) claims filed by customers against investment advisers, broker-dealers, or FINRA members looking to expunge items from their record. Jen already holds an IACCP (Investment Adviser Certified Compliance Professional) certification.

How do we serve the homebuilding and development industry? Whether its acquiring land, securing financing, navigating regulatory hurdles, or structuring deals, our team of experienced attorneys provides comprehensive legal support achieve lofty goals efficiently and cost-effectively. Learn more in this brochure detailing our services, including real estate acquisitions and dispositions; land use entitlements and CEQA compliance; project financing; construction and contracts; owners associations; dispute resolution and litigation; and regulatory and compliance.

Corporate law Partner James Kramer talks all things M&A April 17 in a thought-provoking panel organized by the San Diego CFO Leadership Council and hosted at the San Diego office of KPMG. James will walk CFOs through key phases for M&A success, from initial preparation and valuation enhancement to navigating complex negotiations and post-merger integration.

International Tax Senior Counsel Jorge M. Obén-Cuadros takes his insights to Europe in April, speaking on "Transatlantic Tax Incentives and Countermeasures: Navigating Minimum Taxes and Regulatory Challenges" at the 25th annual U.S. and Europe Tax Practice Trends conference in Amsterdam, conducted by the American Bar Association Tax Section. In his April 11 session, Jorge and his fellow panelists will dive into the evolving landscape of tax incentives, the impact of minimum taxes, and the regulatory shifts affecting businesses and governments on both sides of the Atlantic. The conference runs from April 9 to 11. Jorge is based in Procopio's Washington, D.C., office. He previously was an international counsel for the IRS and detailed to the U.S. House Ways and Means Committee.

Our corporate law team was out in force in Phoenix at the Flinn Foundation Bio Capital conference. Team co-leader Paul Johnson spoke on next steps for entrepreneurs after receiving a capital infusion. Life Sciences practice co-leader Helen Goldstein spoke on growing your team as you scale, and also served as the program's host, which included introducing Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego. Gabriela Turner provided useful insights in an "ask-the-lawyer" capacity for attendees with questions. Procopio is a proud sponsor of this annual conference, which brings together bioscience founders, investors, ecosystem partners, and service providers at the Creighton University Health Sciences Campus in Phoenix for a day of learning and networking.

Kudos to client TaylorMade Golf Company and VP-Global Legal John Lukin on their big win at the Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce annual CBAD Awards! TaylorMade was named Carlsbad's Large Business of the Year at a ceremony featuring 350 business leaders. We're proud to support TaylorMade's data privacy legal needs, led by our practice leader Elaine Harwell. TaylorMade relocated to Carlsbad, California in 1985, six years after it was founded by Gary Adams in his Illinois garage, where he invented the first metal driver. Learn more about TaylorMade in a Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce video.

A behind-the-scenes tour was conducted recently of the San Diego Gas & Electric Emergency Operations Center (EOC) for members of the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce Sustainability & Industry Committee, including Partner John Lormon, who has served as outside counsel for many companies in the energy industry. The EOC operates as a hub for R&D and solution implementation to provide a swift response to regional threats such as fire in coordination with emergency responders, combining AI and predictive modeling. SDG&E says it is one of the most technologically advanced such centers in the U.S.

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