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About Me

I am a trial and appellate lawyer. In the fields of antitrust and intellectual property law in which I have specialized, what I bring to the table – in addition to a deep knowledge and understanding of the substantive legal doctrines and modes of analysis – are the following skills and attributes:

Judgment – I provide my clients (whether public or private) with the benefit of my sound judgment, honed through the whetstone of experience, both from cases lost as well as cases won. As a trial and appellate lawyer, I am keenly aware that decisions generally have attendant risks and consequences, and that making a particular decision usually means taking a particular path towards a limited set of possible outcomes. I therefore strive to give my clients as crisp and clear a field of view as possible, with appropriate guidance, so that they can make informed choices and decisions at critical junctures.

Diligence – Trial and appellate work has taught me that there are no shortcuts to excellent results; cases are won by dint of diligence, full effort, and perseverance (as well as a bit of luck). That means knowing the facts, issues, and theories firsthand, and inside and out. In particular, the practice of antitrust and intellectual property law demands a hands-on approach because the disputes that arise in these fields generally call for a fact-intensive inquiry.

Advocacy – It goes without saying that advocacy is any trial and appellate lawyer’s stock in trade. But the term means more than just argument. In my book, advocacy is about persuasion, and argument alone does not, and will not, persuade unless it is made with a nuanced appreciation of how a decision maker wields his or her discretion. I have learned this through the many cases I have argued, tried, and appealed.

Work experience

Jan 2013Present

Trial Attorney, Bureau of Competition

U.S. Federal Trade Commission

I try merger and non-merger antitrust cases brought by the Commission's Bureau of Competition and assist in other ways in developing and sharpening the Commission's advocacy before the administrative tribunal and the federal courts.

Jan 2011Jan 2013

Attorney Advisor, Office of Commissioner J. Thomas Rosch

U.S. Federal Trade Commission

Working for Commissioner Rosch, I learned first-hand what it means to act in the public interest and how that principle guides the exercise of prosecutorial discretion.

Sep 2005Jan 2011

Partner

Howrey LLP

At Howrey, in addition to serving clients, I managed, supervised and mentored younger lawyers on cases and through in-house training programs.

Mar 2001Sep 2005

Partner

Fenwick & West LLP

Fenwick & West taught me to what it means to be a Silicon Valley lawyer who can be counted on to give trusted, practical advice.

Apr 1996Feb 2001

Senior Associate

Hunton & Williams

Hunton & Williams taught me the importance of public and community service to a lawyer's professional life.

Apr 1993Apr 1996

Associate

Williams Mullen LLP

Williams Mullen taught me how to adapt and retool as a lawyer -- career survival skills that are just as important today as they were fifteen years ago.

Sep 1990Mar 1993

Associate

Wolcott Rivers Gates

Wolcott Rivers was where I cut my teeth as a junior lawyer, learning how to think on my feet in state and federal courts.

Education

Aug 1987May 1990

J.D.

University of Virginia School of Law

During law school, I worked as production editor of the Virginia Law Weekly, which basically means that I pulled an all-nighter once every week to lay the edited copy out in newspaper format using a Macintosh computer and what was then called Aldus Pagemaker.

I was a recipient of the John M. Olin Prize in Law and Economics, and I credit my law school education in shaping my current practice interests in antitrust and intellectual property law, both of which have been heavily influenced by the application of economics and econometrics.

Sep 1983May 1987

B.S.

Yale University

I graduated cum laude with a B.S. degree in Biology and did graduate level work in anthropology and evolutionary biology. Indeed, anthropology remains one of my avocations today.

In my spare time, I pursued a variety of interests--from hanging lights as a member of the stage crew to performing modern dance and ballet.

Diversity in the Profession

I served for a number of years as co-chair the Intellectual Property Committee for the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association, which is the national voice for the Asian Pacific American legal profession.

Pro Bono Services

I chaired the Federal Circuit Bar Association's Pro Bono Committee from 2007-2010. Here is one of my favorite inspirational quotes about pro bono work: Lawyers, like all those who practice a profession, have obligations to their calling which exceed their obligations to the State. Lawyers also have obligations by virtue of their special status as officers of the court. Accepting a court's request to represent the indigent is one of those traditional obligations...[I]t is precisely because our duties go beyond what the law demands that ours remains a noble profession. Justice Anthony M. Kennedy, concurring in Mallard v. United States District Court for the Southern District of Iowa, 490 U.S. 296, 310-11 (1989).

Community Service

In 2008-2009, I served as president of the Board of Directors of the Asian Law Alliance, a non-profit, public interest law office that serves the San Jose, California community through individual legal assistance, community legal education and community advocacy.

What I Have Been Talking About

What I Have Been Writing About

Certifications

Registered Patent Attorney

United States Patent & Trademark Office

Member

California, District of Columbia and Virginia Bars

Professional Recognition

Sustaining Life Fellow, American Bar Foundation (membership is by election and limited to one third of one percent of the lawyers in each state)

Fellow, Litigation Counsel of America (membership is limited to less than one half of one percent of American lawyers)

Litigation Star, California Attorneys, Benchmark Litigation - The Definitive Guide to America's Leading Litigation Firms and Attorneys (2011)

Northern California Super Lawyer, Intellectual Property Litigation (2004, 2006-08)

Why VisualCV?

You might ask why I am bothering to spend the time creating this VisualCV. There are two major reasons.

First, curriculum vitae is Latin for "course of life." And that is exactly how I want people to view this page--a record of my professional journey. Where I am today and where I am headed tomorrow are no more important than the route I took yesterday and the stops I have made along the way.

Second, I firmly believe that a lawyer's professional life is defined just as much by the external world in which one chooses to be a public actor as it is by the internal, private domain that is defined by one's employer, education and skill sets. This page allows me to highlight the issues that shape who I am today.

My Passions

Outside of my professional life, I avidly pursue a number of interests. I am a Recreational Coach with the United States Professional Tennis Association, and I have volunteered as a tennis instructor at Cuesta Tennis Center in Mountain View, California.

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