Articles

New Class Action Litigation Aimed at Website Chat Features

If a California consumer uses your website chat feature, you could find yourself hit with a class action lawsuit asserting violations of the California Invasion of Privacy Act. Elaine Harwell, Sean Sullivan and Meg Dawson have the details on this recent trend, with more than 50 lawsuits already filed.

Pharma-Related Patent Enablement Reaches the Highest Court

Pharma and biotech companies take note: Serious changes could be coming to your path to patent protection. The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to hear Amgen v. Sanofi on the issue of patent enablement. Learn more from Raph Kim, Jeff Morton, Robert "Bob" Ramos and Xiaofan "Frank" Yang.

Capitalizing on San Diego Incentives for Coastal Zone Development

Housing developers with property in San Diego’s beach communities can apply for a city program allowing an increase in density without a discretionary entitlement. Land Use group leader Morgan Gallagher and Isabella Hicks have the details.

News

2022-2023 Procopio LaunchPad Incubator Startup Class Up and Running

Four exciting startups are participating in our 2022-2023 LaunchPad incubator class. They include CargoShot, an innovator in freight tracking; Enti3, an AI-enabled wearable tech developer for those with autism; Kaptain, an all-inclusive outdoor adventure organizer; and Perceev, a creative SaaS platform for endurance sporting events.

Since 2012, select groups of carefully chosen emerging growth companies have begun their formation, protection of core technology, early funding and growth in Procopio’s Del Mar Heights offices, located in the heart of San Diego’s high-technology community. The companies’ entrepreneurs have worked side by side with Procopio attorneys focused on understanding their industries and positioning them for growth and success. This new class showcases LaunchPad’s return after a two-year hiatus due to COVID-19. 

Silicon Valley Office Adds International Corporate Law Partner Julian Zou

Experienced international financing and mergers & acquisitions attorney Julian Zou has joined Procopio’s Silicon Valley office as its latest Partner. Julian counsels corporate clients from startups to multinational corporations on venture capital, M&A, foreign direct investment—both inbound into and outbound from Asia—finance and banking. His clients include innovative life sciences and technology companies.

Alessio, Eigner and Morton Named Among Most Influential Business Leaders in San Diego

Three Procopio attorneys were named to the 2022 SD 500 list of Most Influential Business Leaders in San Diego by the San Diego Business Journal. Managing Partner John Alessio and Partners Bill Eigner and Jeff Morton were recognized alongside other distinguished professionals across the San Diego metropolitan area. This is the seventh straight recognition for Bill, the sixth for John, and the second for Jeff.

Meet Elaine Harwell: A Student of the World with a Passion for Privacy Law

Electronic data knows no geographic borders. The same can be said for our Privacy and Cybersecurity group leader Elaine Harwell. She was born in Texas, raised in San Diego, educated in high school in the United Kingdom, and enjoys visiting Hong Kong, where her mother is from and where Elaine can practice her conversational Cantonese. Learn more about Elaine and how she seeks to help risk-taking entrepreneurs stay on the right side of ever-changing privacy regulations in the latest article in our attorney profile series.

Events

How the Inflation Reduction Act Can Fund Your Renewable Energy Project NOW! | El Centro, CA | 4:00 - 5:00 pm PT

Learn how you can take advantage of the massive tax incentives and investment opportunities available under the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) with your renewable growth projects from attorneys John Lormon, John Dombrowski and Matt Abbot.

Patent Practice Foreign Filing and Prosecution Tips | webinar | 12:00 pm PT

Learn patent practice foreign filing and prosecution tips from Jeff Morton and other IP attorneys (from Munich, Calgary and San Diego) in a webinar by The San Diego County Bar Association.

Client News

More Advanced Cancer Treatments Expected With Closing of Critical Life Sciences M&A Deal

Congratulations to clinical stage pharmaceutical company Fulgent Pharma Holdings, Inc., on its acquisition for approximately $100 million in cash and stock by genetic testing company Fulgent Genetics. Both companies have worked in recent years to advance innovative cancer treatments, and the newly combined company “plans to offer a vertically integrated solution to combat cancer with the potential to unlock significant long-term upside for both the therapeutic and diagnostic businesses, while effectively managing risk.” Representing Fulgent Pharma in the deal was M&A group co-leader Paul Johnson, with the support of fellow M&A attorneys Brett Gallow and Jeremy Burke. Others assisting were Elaine Harwell, Matt Short, Bob Ramos, David Boatwright, John Miles and Eli Mansour.

International Product Design and Manufacturing Facilitator Acquired by Leading Life Sciences Company

Kudos to client and international end-to-end product design and contract manufacturing services provider D&K Engineering on its successful sale to Burke Porter Group (BPG), a leading global supplier of automated diagnostic, testing and production solutions serving life science and specialty industrial end markets. BPG said our client’s engineering and manufacturing capabilities complement its offering medical and life sciences end markets, and the merger extends its footprint in Southern California, a biomedical hotbed. M&A group co-leader Jason Femrite led the team representing D&K, joined by Trent Andrews, Jeremy Burke, David Boatwright, John Miles, Eli Mansour and Matt Short.

Bioengineering Entrepreneur Earns Biocom Catalyst Award

Congratulations to client and life sciences entrepreneur Devan Shah on winning a 2022 Catalyst Award from Biocom California. Devan is the founder and CEO of RNAV8 Bio (“Renovate”), a new company focused on engineering and designing large RNAs to better treat chronic and acute, pre-cancerous, pre-transplant diseases. His background spans finance/VC, BD, nucleic acid manufacturing, cell/gene therapy, and computational biology. Devan receives intellectual property support from Life Sciences practice co-leader Robert “Bob” Ramos as well as corporate law assistance from M&A practice co-leader Paul Johnson and Licensing and Technology Transactions practice co-leader Eli Mansour.

Wireless Charging Entrepreneur Named to Forbes 30 Under 30 List

Kudos to client and Aira Founder and CEO Jake Slatnick on being named a 2023 Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree! Jake was recognized in the category of Manufacturing & Industry. Aira is a pioneer in wireless charging, and the company grew out of an inspiration Jake had in 2017. Emerging Growth & Venture Capital group leader Roger Rappoport provides Jake and Aira corporate law services including growth and funding strategies, and Licensing and Technology Transactions group co-leader Eli Mansour provides intellectual property transactional services.

Social Media

Kudos to Jeff Morton on being elected the 2023 IP Section Chair for the San Diego County Bar Association. Jeff represents life sciences companies across the county and was recently named to the SD 500 list of Most Influential People by the San Diego Business Journal.

We hope you didn't miss our Labor & Employment Seminar last Thursday in Torrey Pines. The band was back together and better than ever, with panels chock full of legal insights and touches of humor. We hope you'll join us next year whether you were with us this year or not!

What a lively discussion about M&A as a financing vehicle Nov. 15 with our M&A group co-leader Paul Johnson and client and biotech entrepreneur David Slack. The two broke down a complicated "merger of equals" that guided David's Cend Therapeutics into a newly combined company developing advanced cancer treatments. Thank you ACG San Diego for organizing the event in Solana Beach!

What a night in Newport Beach as we celebrated the incoming Building Industry Association / Orange County board, including incoming President Brooke Doi of Shea Homes and outgoing President Eric Nelson of Trumark Homes. Procopio was a proud sponsor, and in attendance Nov. 4 were Morgan Gallagher, John Nelson, Stephen Isbell, Alaina Persinger and Brendan Walsh.

We were proud sponsors of the Entrepreneurs' Organization San Diego Entrepreneurship Awards! Students who own and operate a business compete in local and national competitions to qualify for the GSEA Global Finals. Among those in attendance were Zag Bassirian and Matt Short.

We're looking for someone passionate about marketing & business development with an interest in and (ideally) a background in life sciences and/or intellectual property such as patents. Join an award-winning law firm recognized for diversity on its Marketing & BD team in a hybrid manager position.

Let's Work Together.