Corporate Crypto Exposure Has Quietly Become Practical

Over the past year, regulators and standard-setters have quietly made crypto ownership far more workable for public company balance sheets governed by generally accepted accounting principles, notes Ruba Qashu. This matters because crypto exposure is moving from the fringe into mainstream treasury and investment discussions. CFOs, audit committees, and boards are now facing questions from analysts and shareholders about whether digital assets belong in a modern capital allocation strategy. Understand how the rules, the risks, and the practical options are now part of responsible corporate governance.

5 Steps to Take Now Before Selling Your S Corporation in 2 Years

If you're thinking of selling your S corporation within the next two years, you need to take action now, notes John Miles. Most of the transaction process will be driven by the market, a buyer’s goals, or industry dynamics outside of the seller’s control. This article outlines five steps to take before the letter of intent is signed to preserve value, avoid unpleasant and unnecessary surprises, and position both the company and its shareholders for optimal results.

California’s New Privacy Regulations: A Wake-Up Call for Businesses Using ADMT and Conducting Other High-Risk Processing

New privacy regulations are coming from California, impacting tech companies, finance and insurance providers, or any business with large-scale data processing, notes Elaine Harwell. Learn about new regulations approved by the state cover cybersecurity audits, risk assessments, and the use of automated decisionmaking technologies (ADMT), and what leadership of companies operating in California need to do now.

Nasdaq-Listed Companies Facing Potentially Increased Risk of Delisting

Some Nasdaq-traded companies may find themselves with an increased risk of being delisted if Nasdaq follows through on changes to its rules in December, note Jennifer Trowbridge and Kelsey Tidgewell. The proposed changes would significantly tighten its approach to companies falling out of compliance with listing standards. That would leave certain non-compliant companies with virtually no grace period, increasing the chance of delisting and transfer to the over-the-counter (OTC) market while appealing.

Managing Construction Risk in 2025: What Industry Leaders Need to Know

Companies in construction, development, or any industry reliant on major capital projects, must treat contracts as strategic tools for allocating risk, note Procopio Partners Laurence Phillips and Alexandra "Sasha" Selfridge and Cavignac Principal Preston Cavignac. This includes the right escalation clauses, indemnity language, and insurance setup, because material cost pressures, tighter coverage, and shifting case law are raising exposure. earn what executives need to know to reduce financial risk.

SEC Shifts Policy on Issuer-Investor Arbitration: What’s Next?

Public companies and their in-house counsel should take note of a recent policy statement from the SEC related to arbitration clauses, notes Ruba Qashu. The existence of an issuer–investor mandatory arbitration clause in governing documents will no longer affect staff decisions to accelerate registration statements and other filings. With the focus now squarely on adequate, clear disclosure of any such provision, this would seem to reduce the likelihood of delays or rejections simply because of the existence of an arbitration clause, but it does not provide any shield against potential litigation or other laws and regulations.

The SEC Created a Cross-Border Task Force: What Public Companies Need to Know

The SEC has centralized cross-border enforcement resources to move faster across jurisdictions, align with foreign regulators, and scrutinize the gatekeepers that enable access to U.S. markets, notes Ruba Qashu. Issuers with offshore operations, counterparties, or service providers should assume heightened scrutiny and align disclosures, controls, and diligence accordingly. Learn key developments and their implications for public companies.

Procopio Legal Practices Across 5 Regions Named to 2026 Best Law Firms List with Two National Recognitions

A total of 31 Procopio legal practices across 5 regions were named to the 2026 Best Law Firms® list produced by Best Lawyers in America®. The firm was recognized for excellence in multiple categories in San Diego, Orange County, Nevada, Arizona, and Washington, D.C., with half of those practices ranked in the top tier.

Procopio’s Construction practice achieved national recognition for the fifth year in a row, recognized in two categories, Construction Law and Litigation-Construction.

This was also the first time Procopio was recognized in Washington, D.C., with our international tax practice named to the list.

Among the legal practices receiving recognition, in some cases for multiple areas of expertise, included litigation (commercial, appellate, construction, employment, real estate, intellectual property, family, and bankruptcy), corporate, real estate, tax, Native American, gaming, and intellectual property.

Find the practice that’s right for you in our press release.

Hot Topics in Privacy and AI in Dispute Resolution | webinar | 12:00 – 1:00 pm PT

Two major forces are reshaping the field of dispute resolution: the increasing prominence of privacy issues and the transformative impact of artificial intelligence. Elaine Harwell joins a panel that takes a comprehensive look at how privacy litigation and AI are influencing both traditional and alternative dispute resolution (ADR) processes. Sponsored by the San Diego County Bar Association, the program provides 1 hour of California general CLE credit.

Defending Healthcare Retaliation Claims: Key Strategies & Case Insights | webinar | 12:00 – 1:00 pm PT

Health care leaders, administrators, and counsel will hear from Mindy Morton and Jacob Poorman in this complimentary webinar that provides real-world tools to defend against physician and employee retaliation claims, focusing on California Health & Safety Code §1278.5 and related frameworks. This webinar is pending 1 California MCLE credit.

Mandatory Ethics Training for Charter School Board Members – Last Chance, Includes New Brown Act Rules! | webinar | 3:00 – 5:00 pm PT

For charter school board members who still need to complete the required AB 1234 ethics training, Greta Proctor and Kevin Davis offer one more chance to do so in a group webinar before the January 1, 2026, deadline. This webinar will also include training on the new Brown Act requirements enacted by Senate Bill 707 and going into effect in 2026, and is approved for 2 hours of general California MCLE credit.

We're excited to welcome Genevieve Halpenny, PhD, an experienced life sciences intellectual property attorney, to Procopio. Genevieve brings clients extensive experience in IP strategy, patent prosecution, and complex IP litigation. Having earned a PhD in inorganic & polymer chemistry, materials science, and biotechnology before becoming an attorney, she has drafted and prosecuted patents directed to technologies including chimeric proteins, RNA affinity filtration purification ligands, materials, and systems, systems for making conductive textiles, and endoscope cleaning systems. Previously a patent attorney at a pharmaceutical company developing siRNA technologies, she partnered with scientists and senior leadership on patent portfolio development, siRNA technologies, and IP risk management.

Please welcome Devang Thakor, PhD, the latest addition to our award-winning intellectual property team. Devang is a seasoned IP attorney and biomedical scientist joining our Silicon Valley office. He has deep experience spanning patent prosecution, biotechnology research, and legal leadership in the life sciences industry. He previously served as in-house IP counsel at a venture-backed startup focused on mRNA therapeutics and epigenetic reprogramming, where he built the company’s IP strategy and patent portfolio. A California native, Devang holds a PhD in Biomedical Engineering from UCLA, with research experience developing gene delivery, stem cell, and tissue engineering technologies and their neuroscience applications. Prior to entering private practice, Devang was a patent examiner at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, rising to Primary Examiner with full signatory authority. 

Congrats to Silicon Valley Partner and IP Litigator Mindy Morton on her appointment as Section Advisor to the National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws and its Uniform Trade Secrets Act Drafting Committee on behalf of the American Bar Association Intellectual Property Section. Nearly a decade after the passage of the groundbreaking 2016 Defend Trade Secrets Act, the National Conference is considering whether changes should be made to the Uniform Trade Secrets Act, of form of which is enacted in almost 50 states. Mindy is a logical choice to be the ABA's liaison to this important effort. She leads Procopio's Trade Secrets practice, and earlier this year was named to the WIPR Global Trade Secrets list of top attorneys in the world.

Partner and Intellectual Property Team Leader Miku Mehta led a discussion on artificial intelligence and its disruption of IP October 15 in our Silicon Valley office in a Keizai Silicon Valley event. Speakers on a panel titled “Leveraging Intellectual Property in a Global and AI-Driven World” included Gamma Law, Professional Corporation Managing Partner David B. Hoppe, New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) Senior Director Mai Miyaoka, Orange Head of Legal Takayuki Ueda, and Intralink group Research Analyst Sachi Sawamura. Many Procopio clients are operating at the center of AI innovation, represented by attorneys specializing in a wide variety of law, including IP, corporate law (funding/VC, M&A, capital markets), employment, real estate, privacy, and more.

We were proud to play a role in supporting improved care for San Diego County residents by sponsoring a hole at the 52nd annual Sharp HealthCare Foundation Golf Tournament. A total of $345,000 was raised to create cutting-edge clinical facilities, innovative medical and information technology, and improved access to care. Real Estate attorney Mike Polvi was on hand to lend his support.

It was an inspiring gathering last week in Washington, D.C., as ChIPs Network marked its 20th anniversary with its 2025 Global Summit. Procopio Partners Mindy Morton (tech/IP litigation), Jessica Lazur (corporate law) and Marina Gruber (employment law) were on hand for a robust conference of inspiring speakers and networking. Founded in 2005 by leading Silicon Valley IP attorneys Julie Mar-Spinola, Mallun Yen, Michelle K. Lee, Noreen Krall, Emily Ward, Mona Sabet and Anirma Gupta to promote women in IP, ChIPs has grown over the last 20 years to become a major force helping women across tech, law, and policy support and learn from each other.

Let's Work Together.