ALUMNA SPOTLIGHT: SAI JAHANN GENERAL COUNSEL, TRIPACTIONS, BE THE SAME PERSON AT WORK AS YOU ARE IN LIFE PRO BONO: JUDGE DENA COGGINS A PUBLIC SERVANT FOR THE SACRAMENTO COMMUNITY ALUMNI UPDATES 21 IN THIS ISSUE FIRM UPDATES 9 MORRISON & FOERSTER ALUMNI NEWS FALL 2021
1 | MoForever Fall 2021 3Alumna Spotlight Q&A with Sai Jahann, General Counsel, TripActions INSIDE 17 Pro Bono Update Spotlight on Judge Dena Coggins, Sacramento County Superior Court 9Firm Updates New to MoFo 21 Alumni Updates New MoFo Alumni, Latest Moves, and Accomplishments
MoForever Fall 2021 | 2 I’m inspired by the accomplishments of our MoFo community over the last several months. While navigating the ongoing pandemic, our extended MoFo community has come together to reinforce the values that are central to the Firm, including our commitment to diversity and inclusion, pro bono service, charitable giving, and delivering exceptional client service. I am very proud to report that MoFo was ranked first among firms with “601+ lawyers” in Law360’s annual 2021 Diversity Snapshot. The Firm was also recognized for having the highest percentage of minority equity partners, underscoring the continued emphasis that the Firm places on diversity and inclusion and racial justice in the legal field. Additionally, I am honored to report that MoFo was selected once again as a Top 10 firm in The American Lawyer’s annual A-List rankings. The annual list recognizes the 20 most wellrounded firms in the Am Law 200. It is widely considered the most important ranking in the industry. Focusing on more than just firms’ financial performance, the A-List evaluates firms based on a number of values that are core values here at MoFo – diversity and inclusion, pro bono, and retention and development of associates. In this edition of MoForever, we highlight two exceptional MoFo alumnae who are using their leadership roles to make a difference in the legal profession and their local communities. First, you will read about Sai Jahann. She is currently General Counsel for TripActions, where she manages the company’s global legal needs, leads the in-house team, and directs outside counsel. Sai credits her time at MoFo, including the impactful pro bono work she undertook while at the firm and the great mentorship she received, for shaping the business leader she is today. Thank you, Sai, for your contributions. You will also read about the professional journey of Sacramento County Superior Court Judge Dena Coggins, who credits a jury service during her freshman year in college as having started the road toward her future career on the bench. That chance encounter plus the exceptional mentorship she received during her five years at MoFo, have made a profound impact on her career path and inspired her to be the judge who she is today. Thank you, Judge Coggins, for your contributions. Additionally, I am proud to report that in 2020, The Morrison & Foerster Foundation made $3.2 million in charitable contributions. The Foundation’s giving included special matching opportunities to inspire firmwide support of charities working to advance equity and racial justice, protect voting rights and free and fair elections, and respond to the widespread health, education, and economic effects of the pandemic, particularly as it impacted low-income communities and communities of color. The Foundation also supported efforts to diversify the legal profession through scholarships and collegebound programs, and to create the next generation of public interest lawyers through equal justice fellowships, among other special programs and grants. Reinforcing our commitment to delivering exceptional client service, since the start of the year, MoFo welcomed 17 new standout lateral partners to the Firm across the Firm’s global offices and practices. Read more about them and their practices in this issue. I hope you enjoy reading this edition of MoForever and you are as inspired by our Alumna and Pro Bono spotlights as I am. The significant milestones that our extended MoFo and alumni community have achieved over the last several months is both uplifting and a testament to the great work and dedication of our people. Thank you for your time and for making our MoFo alumni network a wonderful destination for staying connected. I look forward to staying in touch and am excited for what is to come. Larren M. Nashelsky CHAIRMAN'S LETTER WELCOME TO THE 2021 FALL ISSUE OF MOFOREVER.
3 | MoForever Fall 2021 When Sai Jahann decided to attend law school, it wasn’t because she longed to argue cases in court. “I didn’t love litigation,” she said. “So I picked antitrust as a middle-of-the-road, counseling-focused practice. I did a lot of HSR and merger clearance work; in those types of matters you get to peek behind the curtain into the business at the rationale for these complex deals, learn a lot about different industries, and understand the goals of business clients and help them achieve them. I liked that work.” SAI JAHANN: BE THE SAME PERSON AT WORK AND IN LIFE
MoForever Fall 2021 | 4 SAI JAHANN GENERAL COUNSEL, TRIPACTIONS ALUMNA SPOTLIGHT
5 | MoForever Fall 2021 Sai earned a bachelor’s degree in Biomedical Engineering from Columbia University and a J.D. from Stanford Law School, then began her legal career at Morrison & Foerster’s Washington, D.C. office, later moving to the firm’s San Francisco location. After four years with MoFo, she served as Managing Counsel for Collective Health, and later as Senior Counsel, Commercial & Product for Sunrun. Sai is currently General Counsel for TripActions, a Palo Altobased travel management company for businesses and business travelers, where she manages the company’s global legal needs, leads the in-house team, and directs outside counsel. Opportunities Came to Sai Early On Sai acknowledges that opportunities came to her early in her career. “I tend to be pretty risk-tolerant— probably not as conservative as most other lawyers when it comes to personal decisions. Although four years is pretty early to go in-house, I knew I wanted to do so; Collective Health was willing to take a chance on me, and it was a good fit,” she said. “I learned a lot about health insurance, how to be a product lawyer, and how to be a commercial lawyer there, as well as how to be a people manager, so it was an excellent first in-house experience.” According to Sai, she was open to opportunities that came through her network, which helped her land the various roles she has held. “I’ve had friendships with people at all these different points in my career, and
MoForever Fall 2021 | 6 they were willing to open doors for me. And I’ve been willing to make changes that on paper might have looked sudden or risky, but have worked out well. So people can offer to open the door for you, but you have to decide to walk through it and make the most of it.” Pro Bono Work Proved to Be Rewarding During her time at MoFo, Sai became a robust pro bono contributor. “I always tried to have at least one active pro bono matter going,” she said. “I worked on an asylum case for an undocumented trans woman. I worked on a prison administration case to get an innocent inmate out of solitary confinement. I helped an organization in D.C. complete a 501(c)(3) process. Those were all rewarding experiences and a way to explore different areas of law.” Pro bono work still inspires Sai, who now lives in the Bay Area of California. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she partnered with Bay Area Community Services (BACS), an organization focused on providing services to unhoused people in the form of short-term shelter and supportive housing. BACS developed a “House a Year” Program, an initiative that purchases existing homes and converts them into permanent, affordable housing to promote housing equality. Sai strongly supports BACS’s mission. “The fact that we let our fellow community members remain unhoused is an incredible moral and political failure of our time. “I ALWAYS TRIED TO HAVE AT LEAST ONE ACTIVE PRO BONO MATTER GOING...THOSE WERE ALL REWARDING EXPERIENCES AND A WAY TO EXPLORE DIFFERENT AREAS OF LAW.”
7 | MoForever Fall 2021 Unfortunately, we’re all complicit in this. My goal is to continue contributing to BACS and other Bay Area organizations to reduce inequality and improve conditions for our most disadvantaged neighbors,” she said. As U.S. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez once said, “[I]n our modern, wealthy society, no person should be too poor to live,” a stance that Sai said she supports. Championing Others Through Mentorship Mentorship—specifically female mentorship—has always been a vital part of Sai’s life and career. “For me, there’s a focus on women because in the legal profession, unfortunately, we’re still in the process of getting to full equality of representation and experience. But it’s also been important to me to seek out other Middle Easterners, other first-generation Americans, twoculture kids, people with unusual family dynamics,” she continued. “A main way to make people feel seen and valued is to provide them with examples of others who have come before them, who are like them, and who have been successful.” Mike Sachdev, a senior associate in MoFo’s D.C. office when Sai joined the firm, was a strong mentor for Sai there and again later at Sunrun. “Mike is brilliant, honest, funny, and kind,” said Sai. “He offered the right combination of challenge and nurturing that helped me come into my own as a lawyer in the earliest days of my career.” Toward the end of her time at MoFo, Sai also had the opportunity to work with George Harris on pro bono and other matters. She says of this experience: “George had such an unusual perspective on legal practice specifically, work generally, and life overall. He is someone who always lowers the temperature in the room and helps make tough situations feel “IT’S IMPORTANT TO FOCUS ON HAVING LOTS OF DIFFERENT KINDS OF RELATIONSHIPS THAT FEED YOU HOLISTICALLY.”
MoForever Fall 2021 | 8 manageable. That’s something I’ve tried to emulate throughout the inhouse experiences I’ve had because I remember how steadying that presence was for me.” As significant as mentorship is for Sai, she feels that other workplace relationships can be even more critical. “I don’t think mentors are the most important relationship that you have in the workplace,” she said. “It’s important to focus on having lots of different kinds of relationships that feed you holistically. Good bosses who will hold you to a quality standard and model strong professional skills. Colleagues whom you can bounce ideas off and vent to in a safe space. It’s also essential to have people outside of your profession—whether that’s parents, other family members, or colleagues from other fields—who can give you a broader sense of the world and your place in it so that you can avoid getting too tunnel-visioned into your path.” For Sai, fulfillment comes by first acknowledging reality. “Sometimes it’s important for someone to just acknowledge another person’s experience. That doesn’t mean you’re going to be able to change the world in that one moment, and you don’t always have to,” she said. “Sometimes you just need to do the thing that’s best for you at that time. You don’t have to be constantly hammering at the glass ceiling. You can simply live your life.” Sai says her personal and professional goals are the same. “I want to be a good person. Sometimes it’s because of my job I can do that, and sometimes it’s despite my job. But the goal is to be the same person at your work that you are in your life. Those two things need to be pretty consistent.”
9 | MoForever Fall 2021 UNITED STATES Aly El Hamamsy joined the firm as a partner in the Mergers + Acquisitions and Private Equity Investments + Buyouts Groups in New York. Aly brings the firm nearly 20 years of experience in global M&A transactions. He joins Morrison & Foerster from another leading global law firm, where he advised large, multinational corporations on a range of complex matters, including public and private acquisitions and divestitures, restructurings, joint ventures, corporate governance, and hostile takeovers. Aly has extensive experience advising clients in a wide variety of industries, including private equity, financial services, asset management, healthcare, technology, energy, and consumer goods. His transactional practice encompasses both U.S. and cross-border M&A and joint ventures. (J.D., 2000, Columbia Law School) Larry Medvinsky joined the firm as a partner in the Global Corporate Department in New York. He brings to the firm nearly three decades of experience advising boards of directors, public and private companies, and executive management teams on a broad range of corporate transactions. Larry’s practice focuses on representing issuers and underwriters, particularly in the REIT and Specialty Finance spaces, in IPOs and securities offerings, private equity and other sponsors in the raising of capital for funds, private REITs, and permanent capital vehicles and other private companies in transactions such as mergers and acquisitions (including UPREIT and DownREIT, and real estate acquisitions), joint ventures, dispositions, and other exit transactions, among others. (J.D., 1993, New York University School of Law) NEW TO MOFO New York Office
MoForever Fall 2021 | 10 Jeff Silberman joined the firm as a partner in the FinTech and Financial Services Groups. He brings to the firm nearly two decades of legal experience in the FinTech, financial services, and capital markets space, including nine years as in-house and general counsel at prominent FinTech and financial services companies. Jeff’s clients range from startups to mature-stage FinTech companies and financial institutions. Prior to MoFo, he served as global co-chair of the FinTech practice at another leading international firm. His focus includes bank/FinTech partnerships, mobile banking and app-based financial services, e-commerce and marketplace business models, blockchain and smart contracts, crypto currencies, and payments. Jeff has extensive experience advising financial institutions and high-growth companies on the various legal, regulatory, and operational complexities associated with creating digital-first financial products, Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) and licensing arrangements, and the adoption and scale of online, app, and cloud-based business models. (J.D., 2004, New York Law School) New York Office Boston Office FIRM UPDATES UNITED STATES Anthony (Tony) Fiotto joined the firm as a partner in the Litigation Department in Boston, and serves as the office’s Litigation head. Tony brings to the firm 30 years of broad litigation and arbitration experience, including extensive first-chair trial experience. His practice focuses on complex commercial and securities litigation, as well as partnership and shareholder disputes, and disputes involving corporate mergers and acquisitions. Tony has been lead trial counsel on countless matters over the course of his career, including multiple trials in the Delaware Chancery Court. He represents a broad range of clients in matters involving private equity, venture capital, real estate investment, hospitality, and healthcare and life sciences. (J.D., 1987, Boston University School of Law)
11 | MoForever Fall 2021 UNITED STATES Maria Earley joined the firm as a partner in the Financial Services and FinTech Groups in the Washington, D.C. office. Maria joins MoFo from another prominent international firm, where she served as financial services regulatory and enforcement partner and built the firm’s FinTech practice. Prior to working in private practice, she served for three years as a Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) enforcement attorney, where she focused on issues related to consumer protection laws and emerging technology. Maria’s practice focuses on advising and representing financial services and FinTech companies with respect to product development, regulatory compliance, state and U.S. federal enforcement and examination, state licensing, and transactional matters. Her regulatory compliance work spans a range of loan products, bank products, payments, mortgage technology, alternative financing arrangements, and digital currencies. (J.D., 2002, The George Washington University Law School) Washington, D.C. Office Stacy Cline Amin joined the firm as a partner in the Life Sciences + Healthcare practice in Washington, D.C. She co-leads the firm’s FDA Regulatory and Compliance practice with Bethany Hills. Stacy joined the firm after a decade serving at the highest levels of government, where she most recently served in a dual role as Chief Counsel of the Food and Drug Administration and Deputy General Counsel of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). She led the FDA’s Office of the Chief Counsel and served as a trusted strategist and advisor to the FDA Commissioner, the Center Directors, and other FDA leaders, and the Secretary of HHS. Stacy played a critical role in nearly every aspect of the FDA’s COVID-19 pandemic response effort, which included record numbers of emergency use authorizations, guidances, and enforcement actions, and served as one of the key leaders of the teams that issued the first two COVID-19 vaccine authorizations. (J.D., 2004, Harvard Law School)
MoForever Fall 2021 | 12 UNITED STATES Brian Kidd joined the firm as a partner in the Investigations + White Collar Defense Group in Washington, D.C. Brian joined MoFo from the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), where he served as Chief of the Market Integrity and Major Frauds (MIMF) Unit in the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section. In this senior role, he supervised a team of roughly 40 federal prosecutors investigating and prosecuting complex securities, commodities, and other major corporate fraud cases. (J.D., 2003, Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law) Ann Lilienthal joined the firm as part of a new Agency Finance team in the Finance Department in Washington, D.C. With Greg Smith, Ann co-leads the firm’s Agency Finance team, which handles complex financing transactions for development finance institutions, multilateral agencies, regional development banks, and export credit agencies around the world. Her practice focuses on complex cross-border financing transactions in emerging markets worldwide, with a particular focus on Latin America, Central and South Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa, and the Middle East. (J.D., 2009, University of Pennsylvania) Washington, D.C. Office
13 | MoForever Fall 2021 UNITED STATES Greg Smith joined the firm as part of a new Agency Finance team in the Finance Department in Washington, D.C. With Ann Lilienthal, Greg co-leads the firm’s Agency Finance team, which handles complex financing transactions for development finance institutions, multilateral agencies, regional development banks, and export credit agencies around the world. His practice focuses on complex cross-border financing transactions in emerging markets worldwide, with a particular focus on Latin America, Central and South Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa, and the Middle East. (J.D., 1993, Georgetown University Law Center) Washington, D.C. Office David Shaw joined the firm as a partner in the Global Antitrust Practice Group in Washington, D.C. David joined MoFo from the U.S. Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division, where he most recently served as Deputy Chief of Staff and Counsel to the Assistant Attorney General, as well as Acting Chief of Staff for transition. He brings to the firm extensive experience across the breadth of our antitrust practice, including merger clearance litigation, cartel representations, and counseling, as well as deep knowledge of state attorney general antitrust enforcement. (J.D., 2009, Georgetown University Law Center) Alex Okuliar joined the firm as a partner and co-chair of the Global Antitrust Practice Group in Washington, D.C., alongside co-chairs Lisa Phelan and Jeff Jaeckel. Alex brings to the firm over two decades of experience, both in government sector and private practice roles. He joins MoFo from the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), where he most recently served as Deputy Assistant Attorney General for Civil Enforcement in the Antitrust Division. In this role, he oversaw the civil merger and conduct sections responsible for enforcement related to technology and digital platforms; defense, industrials, and aerospace; banking and finance; and media, entertainment, and communications. Alex also played a key role in setting Division enforcement policies and priorities, particularly around technology, intellectual property/antitrust, and financial practices. (J.D., 1999, Vanderbilt University Law School)
MoForever Fall 2021 | 14 Adam Braverman joined the firm as a partner in the Investigations + White Collar Defense Group in San Diego. He brings to the firm more than two decades of litigation, white collar, and internal investigations experience, most recently in senior-level leadership positions within the United States Department of Justice (DOJ). Adam has served as an Associate Deputy Attorney General in multiple administrations. Since 2019, he has advised three Deputy Attorneys General on litigation and policy matters involving some of the most important priorities for the DOJ. At the start of the pandemic, he was designated by the Deputy Attorney General to coordinate the DOJ’s efforts to investigate and prosecute fraud connected to COVID-19 and CARES Act relief funds. As an Associate Deputy Attorney General, he worked closely with the DOJ’s law enforcement agencies (the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the United States Marshals Service), INTERPOL, and the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force, as well as state and local law enforcement. (J.D., 2000, The George Washington University Law School) Brandon Van Grack joined the firm as a partner in the National Security, Global Risk and Crisis Management, and Investigations + White Collar Defense Groups in Washington, D.C. Brandon joined MoFo after more than a decade of service at the United States Department of Justice (DOJ), where he most recently served as Chief of the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) Unit, and previously as a lead prosecutor in the office of Special Counsel Robert S. Mueller III. As chief of the FARA Unit, he was the first official to supervise all foreign influence matters across the DOJ, and revitalized and transformed the enforcement of FARA, which requires agents of foreign governments and companies to disclose their activities on behalf of those foreign entities. As Senior Assistant Special Counsel for the Special Counsel’s Office, he led teams investigating the Russian government’s efforts to interfere in the 2016 U.S. presidential election. (J.D., 2006, Harvard Law School) UNITED STATES Washington, D.C. Office San Diego Office
15 | MoForever Fall 2021 Babak Nikravesh joined the firm as a partner in the Global Tax Department, resident in the Palo Alto office. He brings to the firm 20 years of experience representing sovereign investors in their investments and other activities in the United States and abroad. His practice focuses on advising non-U.S. institutional investors and managers on their cross-border investment strategies and operations, with a particular focus on complex tax and regulatory issues. He works closely with sovereign wealth funds, public sector pension funds, social security funds, and other international organizations in particular. (J.D., 1996, University of California, Los Angeles, School of Law) Hogene Choi joined the firm as a partner in the Patent Strategy + Prosecution Group. She brings over 20 years of combined experience in technical software engineering, data analytics, machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI), patent prosecution, and litigation to the firm. Hogene focuses her practice on working with clients at the forefront of technological development on a wide range of intellectual property matters, including patent prosecution, transactions, and counseling. She also has significant patent litigation experience. Hogene holds a computer science degree in addition to her law degree and is considered a thought leader in her field. Hogene has received recognition for her work, written extensively, and participated in numerous speaking engagements on topics related to IP protection and patents for startups and AI and robotics in manufacturing. (J.D., 2007, University of California, Hastings College of the Law) Palo Alto Office UNITED STATES
MoForever Fall 2021 | 16 EUROPE & ASIA London Office Tokyo Office Ed Borrini joined the firm as a partner in the Global Real Estate Group and Finance Department. He brings to the firm 20 years of experience representing lenders and borrowers in all aspects of banking transactions, with a particular emphasis on real estate finance and emerging markets deals. Ed’s practice focuses on real estate finance across a number of asset classes for both investment and development transactions. He represents clients in the hotels, care homes, business parks, retail, and residential sectors, among others. Ed also advises clients on the financing of non-performing loan portfolio acquisitions and other event-driven transactions. His experience in emerging markets extends to all types of energy- and commodity-related transactions, with a focus on Africa, CIS states, and Latin America. (L.P.C., University of Law, 1997, Chester) Takahiro (Taka) Nonaka joined the firm as a partner in the Litigation Department in Tokyo. Taka’s practice focuses on cross-border commercial litigation, investigations, and compliance issues, including anti-corruption, antitrust, data privacy, government, and regulatory matters. He represents multinational companies, particularly in the life sciences and technology sectors, in liaising with government officials and other regulatory agencies, conducting internal investigations and training, and drafting internal codes and policies. Taka advises multinational companies on U.S. antitrust law and FCPA compliance, data privacy issues in the EU and other jurisdictions, and cross-border disputes, with a particular focus on tort claims and product liability in the U.S., and general commercial litigation, including system development contracts, real estate lease agreements, and various types of labor disputes in Japan. He also regularly advises clients on employment, trade/export control compliance, and white-collar crime defense matters. (LL.M., 2011, Georgetown University Law Center)
17 | MoForever Fall 2021 ALUMNI UPDATE PRO BONO For Sacramento County Superior Court Judge Dena Coggins, the idea that someone can have their day in court never gets old. As an 18-yearold college freshman summoned for jury duty, Dena had never seen the inside of a courtroom, didn’t know any lawyers, and wasn’t aware that she was witnessing what is known as due process. Still, her juror experience shaped Dena’s career and her life. “After I sat for that trial as a juror, I found out that I could get a copy of the master calendar that would indicate which cases were on each day. Even though I worked full time while in college full time, any time that I had off I would go to watch,” she said. “I would sit in the back of the courtroom and listen to the arguments. I’d watch the examination of witnesses and the argument of motions. Not because I thought I could be an attorney—I didn’t come from a family of college graduates. It was just so interesting to me.” Paving the road to diversity on the bench Sacramento Superior Court Judge Patricia Escrow noticed Dena’s frequent presence in her courtroom, and one day pulled her into chambers to ask her why she was in court so often. According to Dena, “I told her I just thought it was interesting, and she said, ‘Well, have you ever thought SUPERIOR COURT JUDGE DENA COGGINS: LEVERAGING DIVERSITY, PRO BONO WORK TO SERVE SACRAMENTO
MoForever Fall 2021 | 18 PRO BONO UPDATE about going to law school?’ I hadn’t, of course, but she was the first one to plant that seed.” Dena did end up going to law school, earning a Juris Doctor degree from the University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law in Sacramento. While there, she continued to sit in on court proceedings whenever she could, still fascinated. Dena went on to extern for Judge Kimberly J. Mueller, Chief U.S. District Judge of the Sacramento Division of U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California and the first female district judge in the Eastern District. Although a career on the bench was still not Dena’s intention, Judge Mueller proved to be a great mentor for her. “Watching her gave me a perspective of what a judge is there to do, the importance of the role, and making sure that people get their constitutional rights,” Dena said. “Keeping that relationship with her throughout practicing always piqued my interest in law and helped pave the way for me to eventually become a judge.” Dena was summoned for jury duty again in 2020 after serving as an administrative law judge for six years (“just to get a feel for what judging was and how to be a good one”). While Dena was serving on the jury, another judge encouraged her to apply for a Superior Court SERVING THE SACRAMENTO COMMUNITY COMES FULL CIRCLE JUDGE DENA COGGINS, SACRAMENTO COUNTY SUPERIOR COURT
19 | MoForever Fall 2021 appointment, stressing the importance of diversity on the bench. At the end of April 2021, California Governor Gavin Newsom appointed Dena to serve as a judge on the Sacramento County Superior Court. “Those judges who took a moment out of their day to talk to some random person that just happened to show up in their courtroom got me where I am today,” she said. “I’m just so thankful to everyone who did that for me.” Inspired by MoFo’s commitment to diversity and pro bono work Morrison & Foerster brought Dena in as a summer associate in 2007. “They took a chance on me,” Dena said of her five years at MoFo. “Because I didn’t have an Ivy League background, I was maybe not who they would typically have brought in as a summer associate or as a returning associate, but MoFo recognized the importance of having diversity on all sorts of different levels. I’m very thankful for that.” While at MoFo, Dena learned about the value of mentorship first-hand. “My mentors and the partners that I worked with at MoFo shaped me into the attorney that I was when I practiced and the judge that I’ve become,” she said. Dena credits MoFo attorneys James Brosnahan, Tony West, Jack Londen, and George Harris with helping to mold her into the judge she is today. “They gave me great advice about practicing and taught me how to analyze evidence not just from an advocacy perspective, but as a judge would analyze it because ultimately that’s what we’re doing,” she said. “We can advocate for our clients, but it’s important to look at evidence from the perspective of the fact finder, to step into the judge’s shoes. Those experiences prepared me for my current role.” According to Dena, the highlight of her career occurred while working on a pro bono case involving two brothers-in-law seeking asylum in the United States after being threatened by a notorious El Salvadorian gang. “We worked on the case for over a year and billed so much time to it, but no one ever came down on us,” she said. “The concern was always, ‘How’s it going? Do you need support? Can we be of assistance?’ That has been my proudest moment —working for a firm that prioritizes pro bono work and the good that we can do in the community. MoFo’s
MoForever Fall 2021 | 20 commitment to pro bono work is not just lip service; it’s real.” Note to self: You’re good enough Despite her success, Dena struggled with self-doubt while growing up. Fears she wasn’t smart enough, didn’t come from the right schools, and didn’t have an Ivy League education often occupied her thoughts. But if Dena could write a letter to her younger self today, she said it would go something like this: “You are good enough, and your experience is helpful not only for you, but for those you serve, those you work with, and your clients. Your different perspective makes you unique, but not in a way that means you’re not as good. It’s a plus because your perspective is a unique perspective that others don’t always get. That’s what I would say.” For Dena, serving as a judge in Sacramento—the same community where she grew up and still lives— makes her work especially meaningful. “The people that come before us are people living in the community where we have a vested interest,” she said. “My family’s here, and my children go to school here. When it is your community and these are your people, I think you naturally have an added incentive to make sure you’re providing due process. That’s my role; I’m a public servant to the community that raised me.” “MY MENTORS AND THE PARTNERS THAT I WORKED WITH AT MOFO SHAPED ME INTO THE ATTORNEY THAT I WAS WHEN I PRACTICED AND THE JUDGE THAT I’VE BECOME.”
21 | MoForever Fall 2021 NEW MOFO ALUMNI Brian Fritzsche joined Consumer Bankers Association as Assistant Vice President, Regulatory Counsel in June 2021. At MoFo, Brian began as a Summer Associate in 2018 and became an Associate in the Financial Services group in 2019 until 2021 in the Washington, D.C. office. Brennen Brodersen joined Synthego Corporation as Senior Corporate Counsel in April 2021. At MoFo, Brennen was a Corporate Associate from 2018 to 2021 in the San Diego office. Claire Gunner joined the Urban Justice Center as Staff Attorney for the Safety Net Project in February 2021. At MoFo, Claire was a Litigation Associate from 2018 to 2021 in the New York office. John Carlin joined the U.S. Department of Justice as Acting Deputy Attorney General in January 2021. At MoFo, John was a Partner and Chair of the Global Risk and Crisis Management group from 2017 to 2021. He was based in the Washington, D.C. office. David Hambrick joined EFG Bank as Senior Counsel in Litigation & Investigations in May 2021. At MoFo, David was a Litigation Associate from 2018 to 2021 in the Singapore office. Mingda Hang joined the World Bank as E T Consultant (Investigator), Integrity Vice President in May 2021. At MoFo, Mingda was an Associate in the Anti-corruption, Investigations & White Collar Defense Group from 2017 to 2021. He was based in the Washington, D.C. office.
MoForever Fall 2021 | 22 Michael Hill joined Prologis as Director, Corporate Counsel in March 2021. At MoFo, Michael was an Associate Attorney specializing in Mergers and Acquisitions from 2019 to 2021 in the Denver office. Caroline Jury joined ED&F Man as Senior Legal Counsel in July 2021. At MoFo, Caroline was a Partner in the Finance and Projects Group from 2018 to 2021 in the London office. Huang Huang joined Nuvation Bio as a Patent Attorney in April 2021. At MoFo, Huang was a Corporate Associate from 2016 to 2021 in the San Diego office. William Herbert joined AppFolio as Associate Corporate Counsel in April 2021. At MoFo, William was a Litigation Associate from 2014 to 2021 in the Los Angeles office. Dan Hubin joined Facebook as Associate General Counsel in March 2021. At MoFo from 2011 to 2021, Dan was an Associate in the Litigation Group in the Palo Alto office. ALUMNI UPDATES Shunkou Kinoshita joined Sequoia Consulting Group as Senior Corporate Counsel in March 2021. At MoFo, Shunkou was a Finance Associate from 2019 to 2021 in the San Francisco office.
23 | MoForever Fall 2021 Janet Lee joined Linden Lab as Counsel in March 2021. At MoFo, Janet was an Intellectual Property Associate from 2019 to 2021 in the Palo Alto office. Emiko Kurotsu joined Upstart as Senior Legal Counsel in May 2021. At MoFo, Emiko was Of Counsel from 2016 to 2021 in the Palo Alto office. Brianna Liang Velasco joined Google as Associate Corporate Counsel in April 2021. At MoFo, Brianna was an Associate in the Technology Transactions Group from 2018 to 2021 in the San Francisco office. Kevin Kwon joined Sorrento Therapeutics, Inc. as Associate General Counsel in February 2021. At MoFo, Kevin was a Litigation Associate from 2013 to 2021 in the San Diego office. Catherine Liu joined Princeton Digital Group as General Counsel in June 2021. Catherine joined MoFo in 2015 as an Associate in the Private Equity/ M&A Group and became Of Counsel in 2019. She was based in the Hong Kong office. Christina Neitzey joined Cornell Law School’s First Amendment Clinic as a Stanton Fellow in July 2021. At MoFo, Christina was an Associate in the Securities Litigation, Enforcement, and White-Collar Defense Practice Group from 2019 to 2021. She was based in the San Francisco office.
MoForever Fall 2021 | 24 Brittani Ojogho-Fields joined Amazon as Associate Corporate Counsel for Prime Video in May 2021. At MoFo, Brittani was an Associate in the Technology Transactions Group from 2019 to 2021 in the San Francisco Office. Aaron Rauh joined the U.S. International Trade Commission as an Investigative Attorney in the Office of Unfair Import Investigations (OUII) in April 2021. At MoFo, Aaron began as a Summer Associate in 2013 and became an IP Litigation Associate from 2014 to April 2021 in the Washington, D.C. office. Rose Zukin Pierson joined Chevron as Assistant Secretary and Senior Counsel in March 2021. At MoFo, Rose was a Senior Associate from 2014 to 2021 in the Washington, D.C. and San Francisco offices. David Newman joined the U.S. Department of Justice as Associate Deputy Attorney General in January 2021. At MoFo, David joined as Of Counsel in the Global Risk & Crisis Management Group in 2017 and was promoted to Partner in 2019. He was based in the Washington, D.C. office. Sarah Prutzman joined Facebook as Associate General Counsel, Platform Enforcement and Litigation in September 2021. At MoFo, Sarah was a Senior Litigation Associate from 2010 to 2021 in the New York office. ALUMNI UPDATES Kristofer Readling joined the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission as Special Counsel in March 2021. At MoFo, Kristofer was an Associate in the National Security and Financial Services Group from 2019 to 2021 in the Washington, D.C. office.
25 | MoForever Fall 2021 Jae In Yoo joined Vontier as Vice President and Associate General Counsel for Mergers & Acquisitions and Strategy in March 2021. At MoFo, Jae was a Corporate Associate from 2015 to 2021 in the Palo Alto office. Michelle Sosa-Acosta joined the City of Santa Barbara as Deputy City Attorney in April 2021. At MoFo, Michelle began as a Summer Associate in 2018 and became a Litigation Associate from 2019 to 2021 in the San Francisco office. Theodore Wan joined Cormorant Asset Management as Compliance Associate in May 2021. At MoFo, Theodore was an Associate in the Lending and Financial Transactions Group from 2019 to 2021 in the Boston office. Sara Salameh joined Barclays Investment Bank as Assistant Vice President for M&A Advisory group in February 2021. At MoFo, Sara was an Associate in the M&A Group from 2020 to 2021 in the London office. Yasmin Monteiro joined Amazon Lab126 as Corporate Counsel, Devices in March 2021. At MoFo, Yasmin was an Associate in the Technology Transactions Group from 2019 to 2021 in the San Francisco office. Amber Shubin joined the McDonald’s Corporation as Counsel for Global Labor and Employment in January 2021. At MoFo, Amber was a Senior Associate in the Employment and Labor Group from 2013 to 2021. Alexander Kwonji Rosenberg joined Google as Associate Commercial Counsel in June 2021. At MoFo, Alexander began as a Summer Associate in 2016 and became a Technology Transactions Associate in 2017 until 2021. He was based in the San Francisco office. David Yang joined Mithera Capital as Director in June 2021. At MoFo, David was a Patent Attorney from 2000 to 2021 in the Los Angeles office. Sylvia Rivera joined America Honda Motor Co., Inc., as Senior Corporate Counsel in February 2021. In this role, Sylvia is responsible for defending Honda in complex business litigation, including product related class actions. Sylvia spent nearly 19 years at MoFo, where she was a Litigation Partner in the Los Angeles office.
MoForever Fall 2021 | 26 COMMITTED TO EXCELLENCE IN THE LEGAL PROFESSION Our strength and success come from the diverse and collective talent at MoFo and a long-standing commitment to diversity, inclusion, and pro bono work. Law360’s Diversity Snapshot: #1 Ranked first among firms with “601+ lawyers” in Law360’s annual 2021 Diversity Snapshot. Recognized for having the highest percentage of minority equity partners, and the second-highest percentage of minority associates. 2021 Am Law A-List: Top 10 Firm Selected among the Top 10 on Am Law’s 2021 list. 17th year the firm has been named to the A-List. Standout scores in the Diversity, Female Equity, and Pro Bono categories.
27 | MoForever Fall 2021 Steve Andersen joined Ancestry as Senior Corporate Counsel in March 2021. Prior to joining Ancestry, Steve worked at Microsoft as Corporate Counsel and was Associate Corporate Counsel at Amazon Web Services. At MoFo from 2014 to 2017, Steve was a Corporate Associate in the Palo Alto office. Jim Black joined Northern Data AG as Head of Legal, North America in May 2021. Previously at MoFo from 2016 to 2020, Jim was Of Counsel in the Washington, D.C. office. Nicole Elemen joined Roku, Inc. as Director, Employment Counsel in February 2021. Nicole joins Roku from Workday, where she acted as Senior Employment Counsel. At MoFo, Nicole was an Employment and Labor Associate in the Palo Alto office from 2015 to 2019. Michele Lau joined GoDaddy as Chief Legal Officer and Corporate Secretary in July 2021. Michele previously acted as Senior Vice President, Corporate Secretary, and Associate General Counsel, at McKesson Corporation. At MoFo, Michele was a Corporate Attorney in the San Francisco office from 2002 to 2008. Gloria Lee joined Newsela as General Counsel and Corporate Secretary in April 2021. Prior to joining Newsela, Gloria was Director, Legal at Google following its acquisition of Fitbit, where she was VP, Deputy General Counsel for over five years and Lead Counsel at McKesson for nearly eight years. She spent three years in the Oakland City Attorney's Office before moving in-house. At MoFo, Gloria was a Litigation Associate in the San Francisco office from 1999 to 2005. ALUMNI ON THE MOVE
David Melaugh joined Element Biosciences as General Counsel, Corporate Secretary in April 2021. Prior to joining Element, David spent 11 years at Apple, where he was Senior Director of IP Litigation. At MoFo, David was a Litigation Associate, then Partner, in the San Francisco office from 2001 to 2010. Ali Nardali joined Splunk as a Director in Splunk's Corporate Legal Group in 2021, where he is focusing on executive compensation and related board, compensation committee, corporate governance and stockholder outreach matters. Previously at MoFo from 2010 to 2019, Ali was Of Counsel in the Executive Compensation practice in the San Francisco office. Annemarie O’Shea joined General Motors as Lead Counsel, e-Commerce and Global Innovation in August 2021. Prior to joining GM, Annemarie was Managing Counsel at Walmart Global eCommerce from 2012 to 2021. At MoFo, Annemarie was in the Litigation group in the San Francisco office, as Of Counsel from 2000 to 2012, and as an Associate from 1995 to 1999. Kevin Yung joined MasterClass as Associate General Counsel in January 2021. Prior to joining MasterClass, Kevin acted as Associate General Counsel at Twitch and was Corporate Counsel at Vessel and Marvell Semiconductor. At MoFo, Kevin was a Corporate Associate from 2012 to 2014 in the San Francisco office. MoForever Fall 2021 | 28 ALUMNI UPDATES CHECK ON WHAT YOUR FELLOW ALUMNI ARE DOING NOW
29 | MoForever Fall 2021 ALUMNI ACCOMPLISHMENTS Tammy Albarrán was promoted from Deputy General Counsel to Chief Deputy General Counsel at Uber Technologies, Inc. in March 2021. In addition, she was named Deputy Corporate Secretary at Uber in October 2021. At MoFo, Tammy was a Litigation Associate from 2000 to 2007 in the San Francisco office. Akari Atoyama was promoted from Litigation and Compliance Counsel to Senior Litigation and Compliance Counsel at Checkr, Inc. At MoFo, Akari was a Litigation Associate from 2013 to 2021 in the Tokyo and San Francisco offices. Maddy Batliboi was promoted to Director and Associate General Counsel for Global Music Licensing at Facebook in May 2021. At MoFo, Maddy advised clients regarding licensing and other technology-related deals, and advised clients on international privacy and data security-related issues from 2005 to 2013. Gail Dolton was promoted to Senior Director, Procurement Legal, Head of Global Services and Outsourcing at Salesforce in February 2021. At MoFo, Gail was an Associate in the Financial Services Practice Group from 1986 to 1993 in the San Francisco office. Jay Donde was promoted to Senior Corporate Counsel, Privacy at Salesforce in February 2021. At MoFo, Jay was an Associate in the San Francisco office from 2014 to 2018. Malcolm Dort was promoted to Senior Legal Officer, Anticorruption at the Open Society Foundations. At MoFo, Malcolm was a Litigation Associate from 2010 to 2016 in the Tokyo and New York offices. Matt Fawcett was promoted from General Counsel to EVP, Chief Strategy and Legal Officer at NetApp in January 2021. At MoFo, Matt was a Litigation Associate from 1994 to 1997 in the San Francisco office. Michael Guo was promoted to Director, IP at Salesforce in February 2021. At MoFo, Michael was an Associate in the San Francisco office from 2017 to 2019. Alex Haskell was promoted to Senior Corporate Counsel at Salesforce Ventures in February 2021. Alex is based in London and covers Salesforce Ventures international deals across EMEA, APAC, India, and LATAM. At MoFo, Alex was an Associate in the Financial Transactions Group in the San Francisco office from 2012 to 2014. Justin Hoogs was promoted from Director, Litigation and Compliance to Associate General Counsel, Litigation and Compliance at Checkr, Inc. At MoFo, Justin was a Litigation Associate from 2009 to 2015 in the San Francisco office. Harumi Hyotani was promoted to Executive Director at UBS Securities Japan Co., Ltd. in March 2021. At MoFo, Harumi was a Corporate Associate from 2004 to 2014. Linghua (Raphael) Li was promoted to Senior Managing Counsel—Greater China at Corning Incorporated in July 2021. At MoFo, Linghua was an Associate in the Shanghai office from 2012 to 2015. Cong Luo was promoted to Associate Director, Patents at GRAIL in January 2021. At MoFo, Cong was a Senior Patent Agent from 2015 to 2018 in the Denver and San Francisco offices.
MoForever Fall 2021 | 30 James Nguyen was named Interim General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer of Robinhood Crypto in 2021. At MoFo, James was an Associate in the Financial Services Group from 2013 to 2015 in the Washington, D.C. office. Katie Nolan-Stevaux began a new role as Assistant General Counsel and Litigation Team Lead at Genentech in June 2021. At MoFo, Katie was a Litigation Associate in the Palo Alto office from 2007 to 2011. Keval Patel was promoted to Deputy General Counsel, Legal and Compliance at Zipline International Inc. in July 2021. At MoFo, Keval began as a Summer Associate in 2015 and was an Associate in the Technology Transactions Group from 2016 to 2019 in the San Francisco office. James Pincow was promoted to Vice President and Assistant General Counsel at First Republic Bank in August 2021. At MoFo, James was an Associate in the Real Estate Group in the New York office from 2012 to 2018. Dave Scannell was promoted to Deputy General Counsel at Straumann Group in August 2021. At MoFo, Dave was an Intellectual Property Litigation Associate in the Washington, D.C. office from 2009 to 2018. Kimberly Taylor was promoted to Deputy Chief Counsel (Managing Director) at Charles Schwab in January 2021. In this role, Kimberly heads the Legal Operations and Strategic Initiatives function, serving as legal counsel for acquisitions and other strategic projects and working to optimize the practice of law at Schwab. She also serves as the Chief of Staff to the General Counsel. At MoFo, Kimberly was a Financial Services and Litigation Associate from 2007 to 2010 in the San Francisco office. Su-Han Wang was promoted to Senior Litigation and Compliance Counsel at Checkr, Inc. in January 2021. At MoFo, Su-Han was a Securities Litigation Associate in the San Francisco office from 2012 to 2019. Ann Yang was promoted to Director of Intellectual Property at RefleXion Medical in March 2021. At MoFo, Ann was a Patent Agent in the Palo Alto office from 2008 to 2016. ALUMNI UPDATES UPDATE YOUR CONTACT INFO
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