Solving the California Housing Crunch: New Legislation May Spur Development if Signed into Law

Is help on the way for California's housing crunch? Matt Abbot and Daniel "Rock" Rockholt note a bill awaiting Governor Gavin Newsom's signature could empower housing developers to launch new projects. The Abundant & Affordable Homes Near Transit Act (SB 79) aims to ease zoning restrictions, streamline approvals, and grant transit agencies new authority to build on their own property.

Navigating SEC Reporting: Small and Mid-Cap Companies Face a New Reality

For small and mid-cap public companies, SEC reporting has never been more demanding. Lean finance and legal teams, fast-moving regulatory updates, and heightened investor scrutiny mean that even small mistakes can carry significant costs. Ruba Qashu and Jennifer Trowbridge explain why compliance success depends on ownership, consistency, and preparation.

Compliance Booster: New Charter Laws Now in Effect for 2025–26

With the 2025–26 school year underway, new legal requirements for California public schools are now in effect. These changes span instructional supports, student health and safety, transportation, governance, and employee training. Greta Proctor and Julia Choi highlight significant new California laws that charter school leaders need to be aware of as they plan for the school year. 

IRS Scrutinizing Puerto Rico Tax Residency Claims Under Act 60

The IRS is sharpening its focus on taxpayers who claim residency in Puerto Rico under Act 60, formerly Act 22, note Jorge Obén Cuadros and Pedro Corona de la Fuente. The program was designed to attract investment by offering generous tax incentives to bona fide residents. While the law has drawn high-net-worth individuals and entrepreneurs to the island, it has also raised concerns in Washington about potential abuse.

It's back! The Annual Procopio Labor & Employment Seminar

Calling all California Employers: Get ready to elevate your workplace game! It’s that time of year again, and Procopio is back with a bang to present our much-awaited Annual Labor and Employment Seminar with timely, informative panels curated just for you.

Dive into the dynamic world of labor and employment as we bring together community colleagues and our seasoned legal luminaries on November 5th to learn about the latest trends, regulations and strategies that will supercharge your workplace practices. Whether it’s navigating complex labor laws, fostering a thriving work culture, or staying up-to-date with compliance, we’ve got you covered!

AGENDA

12:30 – 1:00 p.m. | Registration and Lunch
1:00 – 4:45 p.m. | Program (Sessions 1-4)
4:45 – 6:00 p.m. | Networking Reception

November 5, 2025

Hilton La Jolla Torrey Pines

This seminar is pending approval for 2.25 HRCI and SHRM credit and up to 2.25 California General Participatory MCLE.

Breaking Down California’s New ADMT Regulations: Automated Decisions, Real Consequences | Procopio's Del Mar Heights Office | 5:00 - 7:00 pm PT

In-house counsel will hear from Elaine Harwell in a deep dive on California’s newly passed Automated Decision Making Technology (ADMT) regulations under the CCPA, recently finalized by the California Privacy Protection Agency, in this event with ACC San Diego. Attendees will walk away with a step-by-step compliance roadmap, including conducting risk assessments and updating internal policies. If your business uses automated tools to make decisions on employment, healthcare, or to profile individuals, this session will give you the foundation to act now and mitigate risk in advance of the enforcement deadline.

Boards, Governance, and Shareholder Activism: What Public Companies Need to Know Now | webinar | 12:00 – 1:00 pm PT

Gain tools and insights to tackle governance pressures and activism with your publicly traded company. Dennis Doucette addresses board refreshment and independence (what the SEC and investors expect); proxy season prep and staying ahead of activist campaigns; executive compensation disclosures and clawback rule updates; and the SEC’s cybersecurity rules and governance integration.

2025 Procopio International Tax Institute | San Diego

Celebrating its 20th anniversary and held again in collaboration with the Graduate Tax Program of Georgetown University and International Fiscal Association, this premier educational and networking event is again dedicated to the latest developments in U.S. and Mexican international tax law. This year's PITI comes as tax policies are evolving with the new U.S. and Mexican presidential administrations.

Procopio Named 2025 Outstanding Law Firm of the Year by San Diego Volunteer Lawyer Program

The San Diego Volunteer Lawyer Program named Procopio its 2025 Outstanding Law Firm of the Year, noting “Procopio attorneys generously volunteer across all SDVLP’s programs and are a constant presence at our Downtown Domestic Violence Restraining Order Clinic, helping survivors of domestic violence and elder abuse prepare restraining order petitions to protect themselves and their children. Thanks to their invaluable assistance, clients leave the courthouse feeling seen and heard, with a renewed sense of dignity and hope.”

As an example of that commitment, Procopio Senior Associate Juan Arau devoted significant time over the past year to assisting SDVLP clients in life-threatening situations and helping them obtain urgently needed restraining orders.

Procopio has cherished its decades-long relationship with SDVLP and is proud to support its work providing critical legal services to those in need,” said Sean Sullivan, a Procopio partner who serves on SDVLP’s Board of Directors. “I’m honored to play a small role in continuing that partnership for decades to come.”

Client and Biotech Innovator Ventoux Biosciences Secures Critical Patent Protection

Kudos to client Ventoux Biosciences on securing a U.S. patent covering methods of treating immune-fibrotic disorders, including Dupuytren’s disease! Procopio Life Sciences co-leader Xiaofan "Frank" Yang used the USPTO’s Track One procedure to achieve quick approval.

Ventoux CEO Kurt Harrington called the patent a “major milestone,” noting that while individuals with Dupuytren’s—a condition that impacts hand function and is far more common than rheumatoid arthritis—Ventoux’s platform “has the potential to deliver meaningful, disease-modifying outcomes” by addressing the underlying biological pathways that drive fibrosis.

Client and Produce Distributor Coast Citrus Distributors Accomplishes Successful Exit

Kudos to client and leading tropical produce distributor Coast Citrus Distributors on its acquisition by GrubMarket! Founded in San Diego in 1950 by Roberto Alvarez, the company has grown into a national powerhouse with retail customers including Walmart, Costco, Sam’s Club, Albertsons, Publix, and Sprouts. It now joins GrubMarket, one of the largest global private food eCommerce companies.

Procopio Managing Partner Dennis Doucette has represented Coast Citrus for over 35 years and led the led the negotiations on behalf of the company with assistance from Jason Femrite and support from Gabriela (Gabi) Turner, Kristen Moran, John C. Lee, John Miles, Eric Swenson and David Boatwright.

Client and Dynamo AI Co-Founder Dr. Christian Lau Advises Congress on AI Policy

Kudos to Client and Dynamo AI Co-Founder and President Christian Lau on testifying before the U.S. House Financial Services Committee on how AI can enhance the financial services industry. The hearing focused on how financial services regulators and firms are using AI in areas such as lending, fraud detection, and compliance, considering both AI benefits and risks. His insights can be found in our release.

Numerous Procopio attorneys meet Dynamo AI’s legal needs, including corporate matters led by James Kramer, employment law matters led by Marina Gruber, real estate matters led by Sara Neva, privacy matters led by Elaine Harwell, and IP licensing strategy and litigation matters led by Xiaofan "Frank" Yang and Mindy Morton.

Welcome to our newly named litigation associate, Drew Jimenez! Drew assists local, national and international companies of all sizes in navigating high-stakes business disputes. He works with Procopio’s tax attorneys on real estate venture and investment transactions, and with Procopio’s deep bench of corporate and commercial litigators with matters in state or federal court, arbitration, mediation, appeals and strategic negotiations. His work spans disputes involving real estate transactions, contracts, shareholder and partnership agreements, and unfair business practices. 

Have you met the newest member of our family law practice, Brooke Hallisey? Brooke represents clients in all types of family law matters, including, divorce, legal separation, child custody and visitation disputes, child support and spousal support matters, parentage matters, and post-judgment modification matters. She also represents clients in domestic violence restraining order matters, and has experience representing clients in mediation and in litigation.

Meet our newest corporate law associate, Nathan Gelbrich! Nathan serves companies from private startups to large public companies, working with our tax attorneys on real estate venture and investment transactions, and also focuses on corporate transactions including contract reviews, terms and conditions on purchases and sales, non-disclosure agreements, routine regulatory compliance matters, corporate governance matters, securities compliance, and mergers and acquisitions.

Meet the newest member of our IP Litigation practice, Benjamin Dahl! Ben represents companies in complex patent litigation and counseling matters, with a focus on Hatch-Waxman (ANDA) litigation. He has served on several trial teams in high-stakes litigation, represented clients in inter partes review (IPR) proceedings, and counseled life sciences clients on patent portfolio analysis, due diligence, and freedom to operate issues. Ben joins us from Venable's New York City office and is based in our Washington, D.C., office, which already includes several award-winning ANDA attorneys.

Artificial intelligence is disrupting intellectual property in many ways. On October 15 in Procopio’s Silicon Valley office, Partner and IP Team Leader Miku Mehta will speak on a panel titled “Leveraging Intellectual Property in a Global and AI-Driven World.” A Keizai Silicon Valley event, Miku’s fellow panelists will be 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.

Our Capital Markets and Securities attorneys hope to see you at the Hotel Del Coronado October 29-31 for the LD Micro Main Event XIX. A premier event in the small company investing space, this conference features two full days of presentations and one-on-one investor meetings. While there, keep an eye out for our attorneys, including Ruba Qashu, Paul Johnson, Jennifer Trowbridge and Kelsey Tidgewell. We’re proud to be a sponsor of this impressive event.

If there’s a charter school conference in California, our Charter School attorneys are there in force! That was the case this week in Palm Springs at the CSDC (Charter Schools Development Conference). Our attorneys kept busy giving numerous presentations while engaging with clients and educational leaders. On Oct. 6, Greta Proctor and Julia Choi spoke on charter teacher credentialing, David Graham spoke on legal triggers and real-world solutions on “child find in action, Kevin Davis addressed school leases and Prop 39 agreements, and Greta spoke on two additional panels addressing religion in public schools and surviving a superabundance of audits. On Oct. 7 Greta and Merrick Wadsworth addressed essential charter school policies, Wendy Tucker broke down 5 mistakes employers must avoid, Kevin and Julia discussed fundraising avenues, Greta and Merrick outlined the legal landscape for charter renewals and in a separate panel how to handle complaints and discipline, David discussed special education, and Kevin joined a panel on charter school bonds. Our attorneys also spent time at our booth providing free consultations with interested attendees, which included Charter School team members Erica Halaszynski, Anastasia Sun, and Phillipa Altmann. We look forward to next year’s CSDC!

Once again Procopio welcomes National Hispanic Heritage Month, which runs from September 15 to October 15. We enthusiastically recognize Hispanic American influence on and contributions to U.S. history and culture, including the legal profession. Procopio has numerous amazing individuals of Hispanic heritage, with many attorneys representing clients on both sides of the border in our Latin America practice.

We're pleased to celebrate California Native American Day, which falls every year on September 26. We're also proud of our Native American Law practice attorneys, who do so much every day to support tribes and tribal communities. They actively advance their interests through their law practice, as well as with pro bono assistance and other charitable activities. Several members of our practice are registered tribal members, including practice leader and Partner Kerry Patterson and attorneys Gabriela Magee and Racheal M. White Hawk.

Let's Work Together.