MoForever Alumni News - Summer 2020

13 | MoForever Summer 2020 UNITED STATES San Francisco Office James Sigel , a member of the Litigation Department and part of the firm’s Appellate + Supreme Court Group , has handled appeals in many areas of law, including class actions, securities, false advertising, antitrust, and environmental regulation, and he has briefed dozens of appeals in federal and state appellate courts throughout the country, including the U.S. Supreme Court. Mr. Sigel has also had 10 oral arguments in the Ninth Circuit and the California appellate courts. His successful argument in the Ninth Circuit resulted in a victory for his client in false claims litigation that had been ongoing for more than a decade. (J.D., 2011, Harvard Law School) Diek Van Nort , a member of the Litigation Department and part of the firm’s Patent Litigation and PTAB Litigation Groups , focuses his practice on intellectual property litigation, representing patent owners and accused infringers in U.S. district court and Patent Trial and Appeal Board litigation, and he applies his experience as a senior engineer in the semiconductor industry, director in the IP licensing field, and patent prosecution attorney, to litigating complex and high-stakes IP cases. Mr. Van Nort also represents requesters and patent owners in post-grant review proceedings, and has advised many clients with respect to reexaminations and inter partes reviews. (J.D., 2010, Santa Clara University School of Law) Julia Balas , a member of the Corporate Department and part of the Project Finance Group , represents developers of renewable energy projects, and assists them with all aspects of their project development needs, including negotiation of construction and balance of plant contracts, equipment and services supply agreements, power purchase agreements, interconnection matters, buy-side and sell-side purchase and sale agreements, build-own- transfer agreements, financing agreements, tax equity agreements, and other contracts that arise in the context of developing, constructing, selling, and owning renewable energy projects. Ms. Balas also has experience advising clients on such matters as private equity investments, sponsor-backed leveraged buyouts, mergers, debt, and equity securities offerings. (J.D., 2009, Columbia Law School) Los Angeles Office