Awards & Accolades

Procopio Recognized in Record 32 Legal Practice Areas by U.S. News-Best Law Firms

Procopio has again set a firm record in the U.S. News – Best Lawyers® Best Law Firms list for 2023, with a total of 32 separate legal practice areas recognized. We were recognized in 4 locations—San Diego, Orange County, Nevada and Arizona—as well as nationally for construction litigation. Fourteen practices achieved a prized Metropolitan Tier One rating.

Procopio Again Recognized for Leadership Diversity with Mansfield Plus Certification

We're a Mansfield Certification Plus firm for the second straight year! Diversity Lab has awarded their top honor to Procopio for having not just taken steps to consider diverse attorneys for leadership positions but achieving leadership diversity. Our Mansfield efforts were led by Procopio DEI Committee Leader Mindy Morton. This is the latest recognition of Procopio's deep commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion.

Articles

Integrating AI and Machine Learning in Life Sciences

Is San Diego's already thriving life sciences industry poised to excel in artificial intelligence and machine learning? Jeff Morton and Bob Ramos offer their thoughts and react to a study by the San Diego Regional EDC. They see several challenges, including the relatively low number of companies currently embracing AI-ML, a shortage of skilled workers, and challenges in securing IP protection. That said, they also see possibilities ahead for further integration of life sciences and AI-ML.

Meet Eli Mansour: IP and Licensing Attorney, Pilot and Lifelong Learner

When not assisting clients leverage their IP through licensing and technology agreements, you’re likely to find Eli Mansour in motion. The co-leader of Procopio’s Licensing and Technology Transactions group is also a licensed commercial airplane and helicopter pilot. His latest passion involves criss-crossing San Diego on an electric unicyle.

Born in Beirut, Lebanon, he and his family moved to Maryland when he was eight years old, leaving behind the increasing dangers of a country in the depths of a violent civil war.

Events

Weathering the COVID Aftermath: Secrets to Successful Growth | webinar | 5:00 - 7:00 pm PT

Procopio Sports and Active Lifestyle Co-Leader Lisel Ferguson moderates a webinar with S&AL industry leaders on achieving profitable growth in a time of broken supply chains and rising inflation post-COVID.

Procopio’s Annual Construction Law Forum | webinar | 10:00 am - 3:00 pm PT

The latest legal developments in construction law will be covered in sessions including Procopio attorneys Laurence Phillips, Rosemary Nunn, Elaine Harwell, Frederick Taylor and Clint Engleson as well as industry experts.

National Meeting of the Mexican Notaries Association | Monterrey, Mexico | 4:30 - 6:00 pm CT

Pedro Corona de la Fuente and Adrian Martinez speak on a panel titled “Tax and Corporate Obligations Derived from Cross-Border Investments U.S.-Mexico." The conference is in Spanish.

 2022 Trade Secret Summit | Miami, FL | 11:15 am - 12:15 pm ET

Mindy Morton will speak on a panel titled "Exploring the Contours of What is a Trade Secret," a deep dive on confidential information vs. trade secrets that is part of an annual conference by the American Intellectual Property Law Association (AIPLA).

News

Procopio Expands in Orange County With Financial Services Deal-Maker and Litigator

Our Orange County office continues to grow with the addition of award-winning attorney Steve Casselberry, who serves financial services, real estate and insurance industry clients with mediation, litigation, bankruptcy, foreclosure, loan and fraud investigation matters as well as business venture formations, problem loan workouts and acquisitions of loans in bulk. Our OC office now has more than 20 attorneys affiliated with it serving clients in a range of legal practices including construction, tax, and intellectual property law.

Enrique Hernandez-Pulido Named a Top 50 Latino Leader

Procopio Partner, Latin America practice leader and Management Committee member Enrique Hernandez-Pulido has been recognized by the San Diego Business Journal as a Top 50 Latino Leader of Influence. The judges recognized Enrique for his leadership within Procopio and in San Diego County, with the reach of his influence extending into Latin America.

3 Procopio Partners Named Leaders in Law

Three Procopio attorneys—Adriana Ochoa, Bill Eigner and Jeff Morton—have been named to the 2022 Top 100 Leaders in Law by the San Diego Business Journal (SDBJ). The list comprises some of San Diego’s most influential and experienced law firm and in-house attorneys, and is selected by an outside group of legal experts assembled by SDBJ.

Client News

IoT Pioneer Honored in Annual Innovation Competition

Kudos to client and Internet of Things (IoT) pioneer WaterX Technologies, Inc., on being recognized with a 2022 CompassIntel IoT Innovator Award. WaterX was recognized by Compass Intelligence in this fifth annual competition in the category of Facilities and Building Management. WaterX was one of only 28 companies recognized, with others including Siemens, Intel, Qualcomm and LG Electronics. They are represented by Intellectual Property Team Leader Noel Gillespie and Senior Associate Rosie Kim.

Civil Rights Activist Awarded Key to the City of Oakland

Congratulations to client and civil rights activist Fredrika Newton on being awarded the Key to the City of Oakland! President of the Dr. Huey P. Newton Foundation, Fredrika fights to preserve and promote the legacy and vision for the Black Panther Party. IP attorney Brooke Oliver provides copyright, trademark and other IP support to Fredrika and her company All Power to the People.

Social Media

Please welcome to our firm attorney Julia Choi, who advises charter schools, educational organizations, nonprofits, and public agencies on issues relating to corporate governance, compliance, contracts, and entity formation. She has a background in special education law and its intersection with the foster care and juvenile justice systems.

Meet the newest member of our patent prosecution team, Syed Ahmed. He brings a background as an ASIC engineer to clients, securing patents in technologies including microprocessors, memory, telecommunications, distributed computing, semiconductor device fabrication, and various software applications.

A warm welcome back to our newest corporate law associate and former law clerk Kaitlyn Jensen. She'll be supporting our team in serving a wide variety of public and private clients in numerous ways, including licensing, technology transactions, and mergers and acquisitions.

Welcome new associate Emily Chaidez, who represents public agencies relating to governance, the Ralph M. Brown Act, California Public Records Act, and real estate matters, including both commercial real estate and eminent domain litigation. She has briefed several appellate cases throughout California regarding water rights, Local Agency Formation Commission dissolution proceedings, and short-term rental permit regulations.

Meet Leslie Horwitz, the newest member of our Labor & Employment team, who counsels and advises both large and small employers, as well as individuals in all types of employment litigation, including wage and hour class and representative actions and individual lawsuits for wrongful termination, harassment, and discrimination.

It's another award for corporate law partner Bill Eigner, as San Diego Metro Magazine named him to their 2022 Men of Influence list. Bill has also been recognized by Best Lawyers, Super Lawyers, Martindale-Hubbell and the San Diego Business Journal.

Kudos to Partner Matt Short on being selected co-leader of the M&A group for LawExchange International, a global legal network of 35 law firms on five continents. Matt's co-leader is Munich-based Hans-Jörg Krämer, a Partner at ZIRNGIBL Rechtsanwälte Partnerschaft mbB.

Why did Gabriela Magee become a lawyer? Growing up on the Cahuilla Reservation as a tribal member, she was inspired by the women in her life, including a great-grandmother who was torn away from her family in the 1920s to attend an Indian boarding school. "I lawyer in large part to honor my great-grandmother and all the other people in our tribal communities who have fought and endured," Gabi writes in San Diego Lawyer, the magazine for the The San Diego County Bar Association.

35 years after arguing a historic decision before the U.S. Supreme Court, Glenn Feldman discusses the implications of the decision that opened the way to tribal gaming and other developments in an article for San Diego Lawyer, published by the The San Diego County Bar Association.

An IRS unit in Mexico located 79 tax fugitives there and in Central America. Enrique Hernandez-Pulido explained to William Hoke of Tax Notes that Mexico’s Tax Administration Service is allowed to cooperate with foreign counterparts in foreign tax collection, and its willingness to do so often reflects the broader relationship between the U.S. and Mexico.

Procopio's support of diversity and pro bono efforts with California Western School of Law continues to grow, as Cal Western noted in its alumni magazine. For many years now we have provided the Alec Cory scholarship to a student committed to pro bono efforts. Starting in 2021 we also began an annual diversity scholarship that includes tuition and an internship. We're proud to join with Cal Western in the development of a future generation of diverse legal leaders.

3 Real Estate Partners--Morgan Gallagher, Susan Daly and Tara Narayanan--represented Procopio as we sponsored a Workforce Diversity Mixer in Anaheim Oct. 27 by the California Homebuilding Foundation and the California Building Industry Association Professional Women in Building. Proceeds will directly impact workforce development, education, and the advancement of professional opportunities for women, people of color, and students of all socioeconomic backgrounds exploring career opportunities in the building industry.

Representing Procopio at this year's ChIPs conference in San Francisco was Mindy Morton. ChIPs is a nonprofit professional organization that advances and connects women in technology, law and policy.

The Ambassador of Andorra and several Andorran government officials and a business leader met with Procopio attorneys and staff last week at our Del Mar Heights office to talk business, innovation, international partnership and the law.

Join our Native American Law practice group and all of us at Procopio in celebrating the cultures, traditions and histories of Native peoples this Native American Heritage Month.

Let's Work Together.