Hogene L. Choi joined Morrison & Foerster LLP as partner in Palo Alto.

Her background as a software engineer gives Hogene L. Choi an edge as she joins Morrison & Foerster LLP's patent strategy and prosecution group in Palo Alto.
Choi, who moved from Baker Botts LLP, focuses on patent litigation, counseling and transactions. She also finds herself working more at the intersection of life sciences and software, she said.
"There is a real expansion in the life science industry made in the last five to 10 years, in particular with the incorporation of more and more increasingly complex software to control medical devices," Choi explained.
"Software to control the manufacturing process of drugs, also all sorts of artificial intelligence, machine-learning driven techniques to assist and accelerate research and development efforts," are examples of the life science and software intersection, she said.
Choi graduated from UC Berkeley with a computer science degree and worked eight years in the high technology industry as a software engineer and project director. She received her law degree from UC Hastings College of the Law.
At Baker Botts she was one of the two co-chairs of the firm-wide patent prosecution and practice group.
She decided to move to Morrison & Foerster because "I genuinely felt like it would provide a really strong platform for my practice. They already have a lot of work in health care and life sciences areas, specifically in the areas of personal intelligence, machine learning and data analytics."
She is hoping to help clients "across all the firm's global offices, especially those at the cutting edge of innovation, the life sciences, health care and technology side."
Choi enjoys that her practice allows her to be closely involved with what her clients are doing. "You're embedded with their research and development cycle," she said. "You're really trying to help them grow the business and the cutting edge of their innovation efforts. You can see how their future is developing and all of their aspirations when it comes to expanding to different markets, expanding their existing presence and their strength."
Choi is treasurer of the National Asian Pacific Islander American Bar Association and on the board of the Asian Pacific American Bar Association of Silicon Valley, where she was president from 2016 to 2017.

Lynn M. Humphreys joined Hopkins & Carley as of counsel in San Jose.

Humphreys has experience in trademark and copyright counseling, international trademark portfolio management, brand protection, technology transactions, and advertising/ marketing review.
She is based in San Jose.

Robert Lee Wernli Jr joined Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati as partner in San Diego.

Wernli's experience as a public company and capital markets attorney includes advisory and transactional work.
He is based in San Diego.

Kristin Jolene Havranek joined Goodwin Procter LLP as partner in Los Angeles.

Havranek's practice focuses on patent prosecution and technology counseling, with an emphasis on the medical device industry.
She is based in Los Angeles.

Yelitza Virginia Dunham joined Nossaman LLP as partner in San Francisco.

Dunham's practice focuses on formulating creative strategies for securing defense and indemnity costs.
She is based in San Francisco.

Richard Michael Joyce joined Stuart Kane LLP as partner in Newport Beach.

Joyce focuses on real estate development and finance, including acquisitions, dispositions, joint ventures, complex financings, leasing and construction of office, industrial, retail and residential development projects.
He is based in Newport Beach.

Samantha Klein joined Withers as partner in Los Angeles.

She advises her clients on all aspects of family law, including divorce and complex financial issues, disputes over children and domestic violence restraining orders.
She is based in Los Angeles.

Francesca Crisera Ruiz joined Gunderson Dettmer Stough Villeneuve Franklin & Hachigian LLP as partner in San Francisco.

Ruiz advises public and private companies in a broad range of strategic transactional matters, both domestic and international.
She is based in San Francisco

Erik John Lindemann joined Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP as partner in Palo Alto.

Lindemann focuses his practice on complex merger and acquisition transactions in the technology sector and other intellectual property intensive areas.
He is based in Palo Alto.

Kevin D Lloyd joined Allen Matkins as partner in Los Angeles.

Lloyd focuses on commercial litigation and criminal defense.
He is based in Los Angeles

Shabad Puri joined K & L Gates LLP as partner in San Francisco.

He focuses on energy and infrastructure projects with an emphasis on the development of renewable energy projects.
He is based in San Francisco.

Leslie Ann Thornton joined Ropes & Gray LLP as partner in San Francisco.

Thornton advises health and research companies and organizations in compliance, regulatory and transactional matters.
She is based in San Francisco.

Jeffrey H Hammer joined King & Spalding LLP as partner in Los Angeles.

Hammer focuses on civil litigation and represents plaintiffs and defendants in a wide range of complex commercial cases.
He is based in Los Angeles.

Laura G Van Note as partner in Oakland

Note is a class action labor and employment attorney who also handles product liability, personal injury and civil rights matters.
She is based in Oakland

Matthew L Friedrich joined Winston & Strawn LLP as partner in Los Angeles.

Friedrich focuses on joint venture transactions for private equity real estate funds, operators and developers.
He is based in Los Angeles

Aaron J Gigliotti joined Lurie, Zepeda, Schmalz, Hogan & Martin as of counsel in Century City.

Gigliotti is a probate litigator who resolves disputes in all areas of probate practice.
He is based in Century City

Javad Mostofizadeh joined Latham & Watkins LLP as partner in San Francisco.

Mostofizadeh works on structuring, formation and operation of U.S. and global venture capital funds, as well as growth equity and private equity funds.
He is based in San Francisco.

Jeffrey C. Giering joined Greenberg Traurig LLP as shareholder in Orange County.

Giering specializes in biotechnology and pharmaceutical patent rights.
He is based in Orange County.

Mhare O. Mouradian joined Husch Blackwell LLP as partner in Los Angeles.

Mouradian specializes in commercial contract disputes and business tort litigation.
He is based in Los Angeles.

J. Anthony Girolami joined Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP as partner in San Diego.

Girolami focuses on project agreements for renewable energy transactions.
He is based in San Diego.

Brenda Radmacher joined Akerman LLP as partner in Los Angeles.

Radmacher specializes in construction law.
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