Education

Law School/Year: UCLA School of Law, 1989

College/Year: Rice University, 1984

Bar Admissions

California; Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals; Second Circuit Court of Appeals; Southern, Central, Eastern and Northern Districts of California; Northern District of Texas

Practice Areas

Business Litigation; Civil Litigation; Construction; Intellectual Property; Patent, Trademark & Copyright

Major Cases

Cases I’ve handled resulting in published opinions include Valley Engineers v. Electric Engineering Co. (9th Cir. 1998); Lyons Partnership v. Giannoulas (5th Cir. 1999); and Harcourt Brace Jovanovich Legal & Professional Publications Inc. v. Multistate Legal Studies Inc. (9th Cir. 1994).

I’ve tried and arbitrated cases involving a range of issues, including copyright, trademark, trade dress, fraud, contract, insurance coverage, tortious interference, defamation and real property. Significant jury and bench trials I’ve won include NNWS v. Hughes Network Systems, a $64 million breach of contract case (San Diego Superior Court); Food Barn v. Safeway, a $140 million fraud and fraudulent conveyance action (U.S. Bankruptcy Court, E.D. Mo.); and KIFM Broadcasting Limited Partnership v. Concha, a partnership dispute involving fraud and breach of fiduciary duty claims (San Diego Superior Court).

I’ve also led internal corporate investigations, and advised boards and committees on a number of SEC, accounting, disclosure and governance issues.

Professional Background

I served as a law clerk to the Honorable Howard B. Turrentine, U.S. District Court, following graduation from the UCLA School of Law, where I served on the Law Review and was elected to the Order of the Coif. I have practiced at Latham & Watkins ever since, handling a wide variety of commercial litigation matters. My mentor and teacher at Latham & Watkins was the late Joseph J. Wheeler.

While my practice has focused on trial practice, I have litigated cases and counseled clients in complex matters across a broad spectrum of subjects. I have also published and lectured on advanced intellectual property litigation, litigation management for in-house counsel, false advertising and unfair competition, electronic discovery and complex construction litigation.

Professional Affiliations

American Bar Association, Litigation and Intellectual Property Sections; California Bar Association, Litigation and Intellectual Property Sections; San Diego County Bar Association, Committee on Civility, Integrity & Professionalism, and Co-Chair, Drafting Subcommittee for Attorney Code of Conduct; Association of Business Trial Lawyers (Board of Governors, 2002-2004); Federal Bar Association

Personal Affiliations

I serve on the board of directors of STAR/PAL, San Diego’s Police Athletic League, which provides athletic and educational opportunities to at-risk youth, and I am on the Governing Council of the Shepherd Society, supporting the Shepherd School of Music at Rice University.

Personal Background

I play the trumpet, and majored in music in college. I’ve played professionally with the San Diego Symphony, the San Diego Opera, the San Diego Chamber Orchestra, the Houston Symphony and the Festival Guadalquivir Orchestra in Tarija, Bolivia. I am currently the principal trumpet of the La Jolla Symphony Orchestra. I love skiing, triathlons, mountain biking, playing basketball and caring for my four children.