Asatur Karapetyan is a versatile transaction attorney and private equity professional. Asatur advises private equity sponsors in acquisition, divestiture, and carve-out transactions.

Asatur also advises clients in variety of industries on commercial and corporate legal matters, including corporate governance, software and intellectual licensing, and financing.

Prior to joining Cypress, Asatur worked in-house for private equity sponsors, providing  sponsor-level strategic counsel and serving as general counsel to portfolio companies in wide-range of industries, including entertainment, travel and leisure, technology, and aviation. He worked hand-in-hand with the sponsors to restructure distressed portfolio companies, successfully addressing contentious legal disputes, liquidity constraints, management deficiencies, and waning employee morale.

Previously, Asatur worked for a global macro hedge fund that invested in swaps, currencies, and interest rate products. Asatur was responsible for the firm’s compliance and operations.

Combined with his finance and business training, Asatur’s vast and varied experience allows him to offer clients holistic legal advice focused on value creation.

Chris Khasho represents clients in a broad array of business litigation matters and counsels them in corporate and transactional matters. He focuses on creating value by finding creative and practical solutions to his clients’ legal problems.

Chris represents clients in commercial contract disputes and in bankruptcy matters. He counsels in-home service providers on health law issues, including HIPAA, Medicare, and Medicaid compliance.

He also represents employers across industries in state and federal courts and before state and federal agencies to resolve single plaintiff, class, collective and representative actions, including wage and hour disputes, alleged labor code violations (including PAGA), discrimination and retaliation charges and claims, and whistleblower claims. He counsels clients on compliance with new developments in the law to minimize risk and prevent litigation before it becomes necessary.

This Los Angeles native’s legal career began in Des Moines, Iowa while his wife was studying to become a doctor. Chris clerked in Iowa’s Fifth Judicial District for multiple Polk County District Court Judges. During his clerkship, he helped judges analyze civil, criminal, and family law cases with issues ranging from complex commercial litigation and administrative appeals to state constitutional law and termination of parental rights.

When not practicing law, Chris can’t get enough of exploring the outdoors and spending time with his wife, friends, and family.

Hayley Schaul is a paralegal with experience in civil litigation. Eager to expand her expertise, Hayley is committed to providing quality support to our attorneys. Some of Hayley’s strongest qualities are her ambition and optimistic attitude.

Hayley is originally from the San Francisco Bay Area. Outside of the law, Hayley enjoys trying new cuisines, rooting for the Oregon Ducks, exploring the outdoors and staying active.

Alysse has worked in the legal field since 2008, getting hands-on experience at a boutique white collar criminal defense firm in Los Angeles. As a paralegal, she supports attorneys with an innovative approach to all aspects of a case, from pre-litigation to discovery to trial/arbitration/settlement. She has successfully aided her colleagues in preparing for mediation, arbitration, and trial in civil litigation, securities, personal injury, employment, trade secrets, and criminal defense cases. She adapts to the needs of clients and finds creative solutions to the challenges presented by the cases she works on. She is always looking for new skills to add to her repertoire and innovative ways to approach her craft.

A Los Angeles native, Alysse is a lifelong Dodger fan, Disney aficionado, and culinary explorer. When she’s not paralegal-ing, you can find Alysse crafting, hiking, planning road trips, and dabbling in photography.

John Wollman is a seasoned civil litigator with over 23 years of experience representing individuals and leading U.S. and foreign companies in complex and high-stakes business and other civil litigation matters involving negligence, fraud, breach of fiduciary duty, contract, real estate, partnership/entity, and intellectual property disputes and appeals.

John loves golf, the tenor saxophone, singing in the church choir, and spending time with his wife, Deidre, and their two children, Olivia and Jack.

Noteworthy:

• Obtained a $6.8 million summary judgment in favor of an overseas bank and drafted appellate briefs on Ninth Circuit appeal to affirm the judgment.
• Obtained favorable award and judgment for client in multi-million-dollar case between former business partners involving complex real property, fiduciary, contractual, and employment issues after inheriting case on eve of 7-day arbitration.
• Favorably settled sensitive multimillion-dollar contract dispute against internet marketing company.
• Obtained dismissal of federal court action against Danish company on international abstention grounds.
• Obtained dismissal of federal court action by California resident against Florida residents on res judicata grounds.
• Obtained stipulated injunction and substantial monetary settlement in federal court trademark infringement and cybersquatting action and ICANN arbitration against Georgia company that infringed client’s trademark and misappropriated client’s domain name.
• Obtained injunction against insurance broker for misappropriation of trade secret customer list.
• Successfully handled multiple appeals of judgments and orders involving family law, breach of contract, attorney’s fees, summary judgment, and arbitration issues.

Lilian is an experienced litigator committed to achieving the best outcomes for her clients. This includes diving deep into each case to understand her clients and their goals. 

Lilian was thrown into an 8-week trial as a young attorney, which taught her the importance of smart preparation and creative problem-solving. She applies these principles to every case. She will use all the information and tools at her disposal (see if you can spot the sentence written by ChatGPT). However, you can’t outsource attention to detail, which Lilian has in spades. She has built a reputation as a trustworthy and effective advocate. 

Lilian’s versatility comes from representing plaintiffs and defendants in a wide variety of legal areas. Her experience includes a deep understanding of the legal system and ability to navigate complex legal issues.  

Lilian enjoys mental stimulation in the form of the New York Times Crossword and The Great British Baking Show. She appreciates a good Excel formula and is conversant in Mandarin Chinese. 

Relevant Experience: 

Employment

• Defeated multiple attempts by plaintiffs to conditionally certify a Fair Labor Standards Act (“FLSA”) collective action resulting in favorable settlement 
• Stayed federal litigation for employer based on arbitration provisions resulting in early resolution
• Negotiated prelitigation settlement for former employee  

Intellectual Property & Business Litigation

• Narrowed claims and number of defendants in motions to dismiss in various trade secret cases 
• Obtained dismissals for a tech service provider under Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act 

Real Estate 

• Initiated claims on behalf of commercial real estate landlord over breached lease agreements due to COVID-19 pandemic
• Resolved contentious landlord/tenant disputes without litigation

Personal Injury

• Won complete defense verdict for a national automobile manufacturer in an eight-week trial
• Obtained seven-figure settlement for eggshell plaintiff on eve of trial

With years of comprehensive experience navigating the complexities of intellectual property and startups, Stephen offers unparalleled advice for innovators and investors focusing on climate, web3 and IP development.  His practice areas highlight his expertise in financing transactions, governance and litigation. He represents startups, novel crypto initiatives and capital allocators.

Ever since his older brother took credit for naming their first Dalmatian, Spot, Stephen has understood the value of protecting and defending a good idea. He has done some impressive things like defend the design of Volkswagen autos in Court and seen the joy of eleven different juries judge his capabilities in a courtroom. Clients enjoy Stephen for being authentic, confident, and able to engage in profoundly entertaining discussions on how a tall man lives in a world not designed for him. They also enjoy that Stephen understands the high stakes of their toil, sweat, and intellectual capital, and responds accordingly.

Stephen began his career advising the largest manufacturers in the world on their extensive intellectual property portfolios. He then moved to advise startups on their formation, governance and litigation, including leading projects in the crypto and climate space.

Now, Stephen plays an integral role in advising various crypto-focused companies, DAOs and capital firms. Stephen also navigates his clients through complicated matters that reach litigation; negotiating settlements and trial victories against major semiconductor manufacturers, NFT issuers and IP developers of all types. 

A surfer, crossfitter, yogi, and life-long volleyball player, Stephen fits all the stereotypes his clients have of a Southern Californian. Ask him about Mavericks (the wave) or Maverick (the pilot) and sit back for some time. Behind the scenes, Stephen will tell you not to be deceived by your first impression, he is actually an approachable guy.

Outside of his practice, Stephen sits on the board of the Los Angeles Center for Law and Justice providing pro bono immigration and domestic violence services to the citizens of Los Angeles County. Stephen is also on the board of the Los Angeles Intellectual Property Law Association and Los Angeles County Bar Association, Entertainment Law and Intellectual Property Section. 

Stephen is also a leader with the Surfrider Foundation, dedicated to maintaining access to safe beaches for all to enjoy, just as he does.

Noteworthy: Stephen has appeared on numerous Web3 and IP panels and podcasts discussing the current state of how startups can best manage and develop their IP portfolios. Some of these appearances include: 

• “Creation and Maintenance of IP Rights with On-chain Activities”
• “The Legal Regime of Non-Fungible Tokens Between IP, Tax and Consumer Law”
• “Copyrights and NFTs”, U.S. Copyright Office
• “My Client is a DAO?”
• “IP Licenses and NFTs”

Stephen has also negotiated and finalized significant litigation, including: 

• Leadfactors, LLC v. Cisco Systems, Inc. (San Jose, California) Resurrected on appeal a trade secret case that was dismissed on summary judgment (2018) and procured a $3,000,000 stipulated judgment for the client. (2022)
• Monarch Medical Technologies, Inc. adv. Glytech, LLC (U.S. Dist. Court, Southern Dist. of S. Carolina) Favorably resolved a trade secret lawsuit with a competitor in the medical services industry. (2021)
• Ivalua, Inc. adv. Periscope Holdings, Inc. (NY State Court, Manhattan) Favorably resolved a Silicon Valley-based software client’s claims and defense of crossclaims in matter involving alleged trade secret misappropriation. (2021)

Practice Areas
Joint venture and partnership disputes
Real estate litigation
Complex business litigation
Intellectual property litigation

Nabil Abu-Assal is seasoned in many areas of civil litigation, having spent more than 30 years helping real estate, technology, entertainment, and other business clients efficiently and successfully resolve complex business problems. He has conducted highly complex real estate, banking, partnership, and probate trials. He has extensive experience handling construction defect matters for both commercial and residential property. Clients seek his general counsel and advice as a legal and business troubleshooter. He represents publicly traded companies, including Kilroy Realty Corporation and Camden Properties, Inc., private corporations in numerous industries, including venture capital firms, homeowners’ associations, and high net worth individuals.

Nabil believes that in high-stakes litigation, a rational, analytical approach, by itself, does not always succeed. “Opposing lawyers are often equal on the facts and analytical aspects,” says Nabil. “I work to move the judge or jury psychologically, to elicit a visceral response that makes them see things our way and ‘re-envision’ what’s being battled over.”

Nabil also loves the intellectual challenges presented by highly convoluted and legally challenging conflicts. His favorite cases involve what many lawyers might consider unbelievably difficult factual and technical issues. “It often requires an attorney to put on a ‘new brain’ to grasp the intricacies and nuances of a specific case,” he says. He aspires to be a relentless advocate who can surgically get to the heart of a case. He wants to understand all stakeholders in a case, including the opposing parties and attorneys, so that he can maneuver his way to the best result for his clients.

His clients appreciate the rich and diverse trial background he brings to the table. He has started and run businesses. He knows how to efficiently resolve cases by always standing in the shoes of his clients.

Nabil cites his Egyptian background (he came to the U.S. at age seven) as a “huge advantage” in his trial approach, enabling him to see issues from two different cultural traditions.

Noteworthy:

• Successfully resolved several joint venture real estate disputes for Kilroy Realty Corporation, one of which concerned a $440 million worth of commercial buildings.
• Successfully prosecuted and defended several disputes for publicly traded REITS, including Camden Properties, Inc.
• Litigated and arbitrated an entertainment partnership dispute concerning distribution of films.
• Successfully handled a plaintiff’s patent lawsuit for a server designer and manufacturer against several server manufacturers.
• Prosecuted and tried a patent-infringement lawsuit against AT&T and Cingular Wireless.
• Successfully defended the Hong Kong company Stone-Sapphire in a copyright infringement case, where over $10 million was in dispute.
• Led an investigation by Amp’d Mobile into misappropriation of its trade secrets.
• Handled lawsuits against video game companies Namco Bandai and Midway for distribution and copyright infringement issues.
• Served as outside intellectual property counsel for Fidelity National Title, handling copyright and patent cases, and trademarks and copyrights for Mammoth Mountain, Inc.
• Represented creative talent such as Joe Eszterhas and Matt Groening in cases involving copyrights.

Brent Bradley is an experienced mergers and acquisitions lawyer who provides strategic legal advice and expert, highly personalized representation to entrepreneurs and private equity sponsors as they plan and execute acquisitions, divestitures and financings of middle market private companies. He provides instrumental advice and oversight to private companies and their owners with respect to their operations, strategic transactions and exit planning.

Brent also applies his skills and experience representing business clients to help guide nonprofit and social impact organizations in their formation, governance, operations and strategic planning. For newer businesses, he is well-versed in the mechanics of business entity and capital formation and frequently advises the firm’s stable of start-up clients on how to launch, manage and protect their businesses.

Prior to founding Cypress, Brent served as Fund General Counsel of The Gores Group, a prominent Los Angeles private equity firm. Before joining Gores in 2002, Brent was a lawyer in the corporate and securities group at the Los Angeles law firm Christensen, Glaser, et. al., for five years.

Brent finds time, when not serving clients and running a law firm, to play tennis, cook, travel and eat good food with his wife and two teenage sons, and even occasionally finish one of the books that he is constantly starting.

Noteworthy:

• Order of the Coif, Loyola Law School
• Editor of Loyola Law Review

Robert is a business litigator, trial and appellate attorney. He represents clients in federal and state courts and arbitrations throughout the United States. His 25-plus years of expertise covers a diverse area of business, partnership, and employment matters. Robert is recognized as one of California’s leading intellectual property lawyers with expertise in patents, trade secrets, copyrights, and trademarks. He also is dedicated to sharing his knowledge of new trends in the law as a frequent lecturer.

Robert’s decades of courtroom advocacy skills now make him a trusted advisor to business owners from start-ups to mid-market and large firms. He is frequently sought out by C-Suite executives, employees, and independent creators looking for experienced, strategic, and effective solutions in complex business as well as litigation matters.

As a passionate supporter of the performing arts, Robert chairs the Board of Directors of Kaleidoscope, a Southern California chamber music orchestra. He is also deeply involved in advancing education opportunities for young adults from diverse communities and serves on the Foundation Board of his New York State undergraduate college.

Before becoming an attorney, Robert was an investigator with the New York State Commission on Judicial Conduct and spent a season at sea as a commercial fisherman in the Aleutian Islands of Alaska.

Noteworthy Litigation:

• Leadfactors, LLC v. Cisco Systems, Inc. (San Jose, California) Resurrected on appeal a trade secret case that was dismissed on summary judgment (2018) and procured a $3,000,000 stipulated judgment for the client. (2022)
• Fuse Technologies, Inc. v. Network Travel, Inc. (Los Angeles County Superior Court) Favorably settled trade secret claims asserted against the client. (2022)
• Monarch Medical Technologies, Inc. adv. Glytech, LLC (U.S. Dist. Court, Southern Dist. of S. Carolina) Favorably resolved a trade secret lawsuit with a competitor in the medical services industry. (2021)
• Ivalua, Inc. adv. Periscope Holdings, Inc. (NY State Court, Manhattan) Favorably resolved a Silicon Valley-based software client’s claims and defense of crossclaims in matter involving alleged trade secret misappropriation. (2021)
• Grupo Cultural AfroReggae v. Google, Inc. (Santa Clara County Superior Court, San Jose, California) Favorably resolved for a Brazilian non-governmental organization a breach of contract and fiduciary lawsuit alleging Google’s failure to provide the NGO with credit for a digital mapping project in the Rio de Janeiro favelas (slums) leading up to the 2016 Summer Olympics. (2018)
• Represented Good Technology Corporation, a Silicon Valley-based mobile enterprise software company, in multiple patent lawsuits in California, New York, Texas, Delaware, and Georgia, and advised the company on its patent litigation in the United Kingdom (London) and Continental Europe (Germany, Finland, and Sweden). (2014 – 2018)
• Angelin v. Brescia, California Court of Appeal, Case No. B213088 (Los Angeles County Superior Court) Won an appeal for the client, vacating a $4.9 million jury award which resulted in a favorable settlement of the trade secret claims. (2012)
• Transglobal Comm. Group, USA v. Stone Sapphire, Ltd., U.S. Dist. Court (US District Court, Central Dist. of California, Los Angeles). Won summary judgment dismissal of a copyright infringement lawsuit. (2010)
• Experian Marketing Solutions, Inc., v. Martin Worldwide, Inc., U.S. Dist. Court Case (U.S. Dist. Court, Central Dist. of California, Los Angeles). Successfully defended and resolved a multi-million-dollar trademark infringement lawsuit. (2010)

Honors

• Top Trade Secret Lawyers 2019, Daily Journal, California
• Intellectual Property Litigation, Super Lawyers, Southern California (2013 to present)

Law Association Memberships:

• Los Angeles Copyright Society
• Los Angeles Intellectual Property Law Association (LAIPLA)
• Entertainment Law and Intellectual Property Section, Los Angeles County Bar Association

Board Memberships

• Kaleidoscope Chamber Orchestra, Los Angeles, Chair (2020 – present)
• State University of New York, Geneseo, Foundation Board (2022 – present)

Speaking Engagements:

• Los Angeles County Bar Assn. Intellectual Property Law Association, Employee Mobility: Goodbye Intellectual Property!? (2020)
• Daily Journal Trade Secrets Forum: Trade Secrets, Cross Border Disputes, and Global Best Practices, San Jose, California (2019)
• California Trade Secret Law, Bridgeport Continuing Education
  • Prosecuting and Defending Trade Secret Cases (2016, 2014, and 2012)
  • Drafting Trade Secret Complaints (2015)
  • Trade Secret Law Conference (2014)
• Rio Content Market, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Copyright Law: Brazil and the United States (2017)
• Motion Picture Assn. of America, Los Angeles, VOD and Innovation in the US and Beyond (2016)
• Institute of Attorneys of Sao Paulo, Brazil, “Site Blocking” on the Internet; A US Perspective (2016)
• Rio de Janeiro Bar Assn. (OAB/RJ), US Data Privacy and Security (2016)
• Rio Content Market, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, A Global Perspective on Intellectual Property (2016)

As the head of the family law department at Cypress LLP, Stacy represents clients engaged in high-stakes divorce proceedings involving complex property issues and custody disputes. Stacy brings 16 years of sophisticated civil litigation and family law experience to the firm in the areas of asset division, spousal and child support, and division of complicated business entities. She also concentrates much of her practice in the areas of high conflict child custody matters, parenting issues, guardianship of a minor, and post judgment modification. Stacy also offers private, step-parent, second-parent and adult adoption services.

“Who you hire in a family law matter can be the most the important decision of the entire case. It’s crucial to have a lawyer who knows how to work towards settlement when feasible, and who is also willing to fight for your goals when you need it.  I always tell my clients, it’s a gut instinct.  You should feel that your lawyer will handle your case in the same way your closest friend or family member would–with careful consideration to your needs and wants while guiding you towards the best decisions you can make for yourself.”

Stacy also provides legal services in the area of pre-nuptial, post-nuptial, and cohabitation agreements. Stacy works with each client to hand-craft an agreement, making sure they understand the agreement and how it impacts their rights under California law. In addition to her regular law practice, Stacy offers mediation services, working with both spouses to help them through the dissolution process and find common ground for settlement.

Prior to joining Cypress, Stacy practiced family law at Oates, Knezevitch, Gardenswartz & Kelly PC, a prominent Aspen, Colorado law firm where she handled divorce litigation involving division of assets of high net worth individuals, complex business valuations, drug and alcohol related custody concerns, and child support/spousal support contempt issues. Before that, Stacy was an associate at the Los Angeles law firm Christensen, Glaser, et. al., where she practiced business litigation.

Stacy is a member of the Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles.

Noteworthy:

• Recognized by Super Lawyers as a Rising Star for Family Law in 2011, 2012, and 2013.
• Author of published family law articles in The Huffington Post about sperm donation laws.

Carlo D’Itri is an experienced transactional lawyer who provides strategic legal and business counsel to clients in a variety of industries. In addition to his many years of law firm experience, Carlo co-founded a venture-backed startup and served as in-house General Counsel to a digital media and consumer packaged goods startup. His experience as both a provider and a consumer of legal services has taught Carlo that, in addition to having a superior grasp of the relevant legal issues, an excellent lawyer must also provide client-focused, responsive, and practical counsel. Carlo enjoys getting to know his clients and their businesses well and works closely with his clients to ensure that their legal strategies map to their overall objectives.

Carlo often serves as outside general counsel to his clients, guiding them through all stages of the business lifecycle. He handles a wide range of matters, including business formation and governance, shareholders’ and operating agreements, commercial transactions, licensing and intellectual property transactions, joint ventures, employment matters including employee compensation and separations, venture financing, and private company mergers and acquisitions. Carlo works with clients in many industries, including technology, software, mobile apps, fintech, media, the arts, content production and delivery, e-commerce, crowdfunding, consumer products, Web3, and B2B and IT services.

Before joining Cypress in 2008, Carlo was an associate of Pircher, Nichols & Meeks, where he worked on complex real transactions. Prior to that, he was a business litigator in the intellectual property practice group at Glaser Weil.

Daniel is a leading international art attorney who practices law in California and in England.

He has a reputation for being a deal maker and for providing strategic advice tailored to the needs of his art industry clients. He worked in the art world before practicing law.

Daniel’s advises artists, estates, dealers, galleries, advisors, collectors, museums and foundations worldwide. He negotiates and structures high-value and complex art transactions. He advises on art and cultural property disputes, including relating to sale, authenticity, ownership and export. He works with artists and artists’ estates to provide long-term strategic advice and regular troubleshooting, including navigating gallery relationships and protecting and monetizing their intellectual property.  He advises clients regularly on commissioning contemporary art works.

Daniel is a co-founder of Luna Luna LLC which has rescued and brought ‘Luna Luna’ (1987) the lost art amusement park back to life.

Recognized as a leading US art lawyer in Art News, ‘Top 200 Collectors’ edition (2024).

Regular speaker and panelist on art law issues, including at Art Basel and the Art Business Conference.  Former member of the International Bar Association (Art Law Committee).

Daniel has published extensively on art law (see select publications below).

Member of The Courtauld Institute of Art Association Committee.

Recent Noteworthy:

• Advising (ongoing) Powder Mountain, Eden, Utah, on its commissioning of contemporary public artworks
• Structuring high-value secondary art market transactions coupled with escrow services in securing the transactions (ongoing)
• Advising a top-tier collector on the acquisition and loan of high-value abstract painting to a museum in Oregon, mitigating the client’s tax liabilities
• Advising a prominent Hong Kong collector on art finance loans with U.S. banking institutions
• Advising (ongoing) Delahunty Fine Art in cross-border litigation over the ownership of the Basquiat painting ‘Humidity’ following the Inigo Philbrick fraud
• Advising (ongoing) prominent Jewish families on the restitution of Nazi-looted artwork and valuables from their collections

Select Publications

• Commissioning Contemporary Art: A Handbook for Curators, Collectors and Artists (with Louisa Buck)
• Artist, Authorship & Legacy: A Reader (commissioning editor)

Doug Roy handles litigation matters with an emphasis on employment and intellectual property. He also serves as outside general counsel for clients.

Doug handles all aspects of business disputes for a range of clients, including publicly traded companies, REITs, production companies, private equity firms, non-profits, and entrepreneurs. By economically resolving critical intellectual-property, business, and HR issues, he takes pressure off his clients so they can focus on their work.

In his employment practice, Doug represents both employers and employees. He handles wage-and-hour claims, harassment and discrimination, termination issues, and class action and PAGA claims. Doug also advises employers on compliance and HR matters to increase efficiency and avoid litigation.

In his role as outside GC, Doug works closely with photographers, designers, and artists, as well as with the managers, producers, and agents who team with them. He devotes the attention necessary to understand the issues, objectives, and challenges that are unique to the business of art. “My clients trust that I understand them and their business well enough to catch issues without having to be asked. With every client, I get to immerse myself in a new creative world.”

Handling business and legal issues is creative work for Doug. “There is no script and there are a hundred different ways to approach an issue. I work hand-in-hand with my client to find what makes the best sense financially. I am here to help my clients get their product to market, and help them protect it once it’s there.”

Ada Berman, who helped launch Cypress LLP in 2008, serves as the firm’s Executive Director and Controller. She is responsible for helping oversee the firm’s finances, administration, and support teams.

Ada also plays an integral role in helping define the firm’s strategic vision and in managing its donor-advised fund and giving campaigns. “We take our work beyond the law to better our Los Angeles community. Through our donor circle, we use our unique problem-solving skills and financial resources to contribute to a thriving community.”

Prior to joining Cypress, Ada practiced at the law firms Jacoby, Capogrosso & Wahl, and at Stevens, Kramer, Averbuck & Harris, where she specialized in handling complex litigation in the areas of trade secrets, insurance bad faith, premises liability, and contract and general business disputes. She also served as pro bono counsel before the California Board of Prison Terms, where she represented a battered woman serving a life sentence for the murder of her abusive spouse.

In pursuit of her dual passions for gardening and food justice, Ada serves on the Board of the Los Angeles Community Garden Council (LACGC), helping to foster, build, and advocate for community gardens, green space, and yard-sharing projects across Los Angeles.

Ada was born in the Ukraine and is fluent in Russian. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband Brent Bradley and their two sons, and enjoys traveling, reading, and eating good food.

Noteworthy:

• Senior Production Editor of the Loyola of Los Angeles International and Comparative Law Journal

Dan Corren’s passion for exploring new ideas, finding creative solutions to problems, and stepping into another’s perspective guides his representation of Cypress’s entrepreneurial clients. Maintaining a broad range of practice areas helps Dan identify creative solutions and opportunities to seize an advantage.

As a member of Cypress’s business litigation and intellectual property practices, Dan helps clients stay ahead of the shifting cybersecurity and intellectual property landscape to secure their ideas and businesses against infringement and threats.

Dan is active in Cypress’s personal injury and employment law practices, where he represents both plaintiffs and defendants. Dan represents landlords in contract disputes with tenants, both commercial and residential. He has successfully resolved numerous cases involving the right to possession (unlawful detainer), contract disputes involving failure to pay rent and abandonment, and ADA complaints involving both website access and physical barriers on behalf of businesses and landlords. He has also represented homeowner’s associations advised them regarding the drafting and enforcement of their governing documents.

Dan helps clients from diverse backgrounds, priorities, and experiences – both first-time litigants and sophisticated corporate entities. His priority is to make litigation efficient, successful, and easy to understand, whether the dispute involves a “simple” contract or a highly technical software dispute.

Noteworthy:

• Leadfactors, LLC v. Cisco Systems, Inc. – Represented trade secret plaintiff to the eve of trial and successfully procured a $3,000,000 stipulated judgment for the client. (2022)
• Carter v. Carter – Successfully acquired control of multi-million-dollar trust for beneficiary in parallel probate and civil actions against trustee for waste, mismanagement, and self-dealing. (2019)

Mark Lynch has successfully litigated cases in many subject areas and jurisdictions for over 34 years. This he has accomplished by establishing a foundation at the very beginning of his tenure through his work inside of judges’ chambers both in Federal and State Courts. In particular, at the start of his career Mark clerked for the Honorable Robert M. Takasugi, United States District Court, Central District of California and the Honorable Chief Judge Thomas A. Donnelly, New Mexico State Court of Appeals.

These early experiences are significant because they propelled him into a civil litigation practice as broad as the matters he handled in-chambers when he assisted with the Courts’ decisions.

Here are examples of the range of his litigation representation and expertise:

EMPLOYMENT: wage and hour and overtime, discrimination, harassment, wrongful termination, and human resource compliance matters for employers and employees;

BUSINESS: breach of contract, fraud, negligence and unfair business practices for individuals, business entities and their partners, members and shareholders;

INSURANCE COVERAGE: for insureds to enforce the obligations of insurers on their policies;

ELDER ABUSE: financial elder abuse on behalf of victims;

FINANCIAL INSTITUTION AND BROKERAGE: for investors in arbitrations involving breach of fiduciary duty, suitability and offering memoranda misrepresentations and omissions;

CONSTRUCTION DEFECT: for developers and builders in commercial real estate; and

IMMIGRATION: petitions for asylum and visas.

ESTATE: rights and obligations of trustees and beneficiaries

Noteworthy Examples:

• Represented a high-profile government official who was being sued in a probate proceeding for alleged wrongful acts in his individual capacity as trustee for the deceased. Mark eluded prolonged and expensive litigation and obtained a favorable settlement – – based on his exercise of judgment and experience as a litigator – – from a seasoned probate “specialist” who represented the lone beneficiary;
• Successfully defended a global real estate services corporation’s all-male executive committee against claims brought by a former female assistant general counsel for gender discrimination after she was fired.  The state court jury found 10-2 for the defense;
• Successfully defended a website developer in a contract dispute involving its outsourced software developer;
• Successfully defended a major motion picture studio by obtaining a defense judgment of claims that the studio wrongfully interfered with a contract of a feature-film director;
• Successfully defended a large New York City law firm by obtaining complete dismissals of all claims that it owed a former partner millions of dollars in partnership profits;
• Obtained favorable settlements in prosecuting construction defect litigation on behalf of private and publicly traded commercial real estate developers; and
• Represented beneficiary of trust in seven figure breach of fiduciary duty and financial elder abuse actions in Probate Court and Arbitration culminating in favorable settlements in each action.
• Board member, Conor Lynch Foundation
• Board member, Pinecrest Schools, Inc.
• JD, Southwestern School of Law, 1986; BA University of California, San Diego, 1978 Magna Cum Laude

Mark is licensed before the State Bars of California and New Mexico.

Sharmila Singh is of counsel to Cypress LLP in the firm’s family law practice. With over 25 years of family law experience, Sharmila has worked extensively with complex, highly contested cases involving custody, visitation, and support disputes, as well as property division in high-net-worth cases. Sharmila is adept at handling the intricate and emotionally fraught aspects of custody battles and strives to keep the interests of the children front and center. Sharmila’s primary goal is to achieve results without resorting to costly litigation. When cases do require litigation, Sharmila is a skilled advocate having successfully tried custody, support, and asset disputes, restraining orders, and international child abduction cases. Sharmila also drafts and negotiates pre and post marital settlement agreements.

Sharmila has a diverse clientele including professionals in the medical, legal, and entertainment fields. Working at a diverse firm like Cypress affords her clients the expertise of the firm’s civil litigation, intellectual property, corporate, and employment practices to name a few.

“Divorce can be an emotional roller coaster. Often, your attorney is the only consistent person you can talk to about your divorce. I strive to be the calm during the storm – to help my clients get through this emotional time as efficiently as possible so that they can move on and rebuild their lives.”

Sharmila has also completed extensive mediation training and mediates and consults with clients in the mediation process. Since 2013, she has volunteered as a daily settlement officer with the Los Angeles Superior Court where she assists litigants in resolving their family law cases.

Sharmila began her legal career assisting victims of domestic violence as a student attorney in the Women and the Law Clinic at American University. She volunteers with various organizations including Sahara, an organization that assists the South Asian community.

Sharmila was born in Georgetown, Guyana, grew up in New York City, and enjoys living in the suburbs of Los Angeles with her two sons and husband.

Jared Watkins represents clients in business, intellectual property, and personal injury matters. He prides himself on helping clients see the big picture and tailors a litigation strategy to meet the client’s individual goals.

Jared’s business litigation practice spans various sectors, including cannabis, start-ups, social entrepreneurism, mobile device technology, manufacturing, and commercial real estate. Whether litigating a partnership dispute, shareholder derivative suit, breach of contract, or fraud case, Jared enjoys the chess match of high stakes litigation. And while he strives to simplify, he knows how to build a more complex alter ego or conspiracy case when necessary.

In his intellectual property practice, Jared has successfully represented a film producer accused of copyright infringement, obtained the dismissal of pharmaceutical company executives accused of trademark infringement, and prosecuted false advertising and unfair competition claims.

Jared thrives when fighting on behalf of victims of wrongdoing, especially when representing an underdog against a powerful interest.

As a result, he exclusively represents plaintiffs in his tort, personal injury, and wrongful death practice. Jared has successfully taken on publicly and privately held companies, high net worth individuals, and slumlords. Representative cases have involved traumatic brain injury, complex regional pain syndrome, premises liability, motor vehicle accidents, pedestrian knockdowns, product liability, animal bites, dangerous public conditions, uninhabitable living conditions, computer hacking, and conduct supporting punitive damages.

Prior to joining Cypress, Jared practiced with the New York office of Kreindler & Kreindler LLP, where he represented plaintiffs in catastrophic, transportation-related accident cases.

Jared has lived abroad in Spain and in Brazil. He has full professional proficiency in Spanish and professional working proficiency in Portuguese. He routinely draws on his language skills, including in representing a Brazilian non-governmental organization and Spanish- speaking clients, and in interviewing and deposing witnesses.

Jared and his wife, Annie, have two children. His passions include uncrowded point breaks, nature and sustainability, and the arts. He is originally from Croton-On-Hudson, New York.

Noteworthy:

• Member of the American Association for Justice and the Los Angeles County Bar Association
• Jared was named as a Southern California Rising Star in Business Litigation by Super Lawyers in 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2020
• Member of Brooklyn Law School’s Journal of International Law and Moot Court Honor Society

Jason Zedeck is a seasoned expert in the selection, acquisition, protection, prosecution and enforcement of trademarks and domain names and serves as of counsel to Cypress.

“My clients appreciate my ability to think creatively and present them with options and strategies that they may have never considered in selecting and protecting their intellectual property,” says Jason. “I learn as much as I can about their business, where it is and, more importantly, where they want it to go in both the short and long term.” Furthermore, Jason says, “with my experience as an in-house lawyer, I appreciate the bottom line and I am better able to communicate cost-effective strategies to accomplish what is necessary, as opposed to what may have been originally intended.”

Jason strives to craft customized, all-encompassing trademark strategies that advance companies’ goals now and in the future. “It’s not a one-size-fits-all process,” he says. “We engage in an ongoing dialogue that helps ensure flexibility and durability.”

Jason’s clients come not only from the entertainment industry, but include software developers, consumer product manufacturers, apparel companies, restaurants, resorts and more.

Prior to joining Cypress, Jason was in-house Senior Intellectual Property Counsel and a trademark law expert for Fox Entertainment Group. While at Fox Entertainment, Jason handled all facets of trademark, copyright and domain name matters for film and television production divisions, cable and broadcast television channels, licensing and merchandising departments, and interactive and internet units including gaming and social networking websites. He also practiced litigation at a prominent Los Angeles-based firm, handling a variety of litigation matters, including defamation and rights in publicity cases, and he was responsible for the firm’s trademark prosecution practice.

Jason serves on the board of the Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation. Jason has also served on the Board of Friends of Castle Heights Elementary School and serves on other volunteer committees for the Los Angeles Center for Enriched Studies where his three daughters attend.

Noteworthy:

• Member of the International Trademark Association (INTA) since 2001
• Member, INTA Enforcement Committee, 2020-present
• Co-Chair, INTA Task Force, “Use of Evidence of Internet Use,” 2020-present
• Panelist, “Careers in Trademark Law,” INTA Annual Meeting, 2019
• Podcast Host “The Outside Counsel/Inside Counsel Relationship,” 2013
• Table Topic Moderator “Trademark Co-Existence and Consent Agreements,” INTA Annual Meeting, 2011
• Co-Author, Proposed INTA Board Resolution “Use of Classification in Likelihood of Confusion Analysis” 2010

Other Notes:

• Member, INTA Enforcement Committee, 2020 to present, 2008 – 2011
• Member, INTA Academic Committee, 2018 – 2019
• Member, INTA Trademark Office Practices Committee, 2014 – 2017
• Member, INTA Law Firm Committee, 2012 – 2013

Garrett J. Harris is a paralegal that supports our litigation attorneys from case origination to closing. In addition, Garrett assists in a wide variety of office administration on a daily basis.

Garrett is a member of Phi Delta Theta Fraternity and serves on the Chapter Advisory Board providing assistance and guidance to current students. Garrett enjoys listening to a plethora of science fiction and fantasy novels, taking frequent trips to Disneyland, playing with his Yorkie, watching Netflix, and wine tasting in Temecula.