Attorneys

Pleasanton, California
Partner
phone (925) 621-2113
fax 925-621-2119
email

ARTHUR J. BEHIEL is a patent attorney with over fifteen years experience writing, prosecuting, and litigating patents. Since helping found Silicon Edge Law Group in 2003, Art has focused his prosecution practice around a small number of clients, most notably Rambus. Art currently manages a docket of several hundred Rambus cases and a few dozen for other clients. He also performs due diligence investigations related to patent purchases, and serves as litigation counsel for clients involved in patent suits. Most recently, Art worked with his partner Tom Lathram to defeat Oracle and Diversified Technologies on behalf of relatively smaller clients.

Prior to joining Silicon Edge Law Group, Art was in private practice with one of his current partners, Mark Lauer, for six years. Art provided litigation support for Samsung, LG Phillips LCD, and Xilinx. He also wrote and prosecuted patent applications for a range of large and small companies, including Microsoft, Sony, Xilinx, and Rambus. Before going into private practice, Art was an associate attorney at Skjerven, Morrill, MacPherson, Franklin, and Friel, a major Silicon Valley law firm at that time. At Skjerven, Art prosecuted foreign and domestic patent applications covering diverse technologies. He also represented Samsung and QuickLogic in complex patent cases involving flat-panel displays and field-programmable logic, respectively.

Art served four years in the U.S. Marines as an electronic-countermeasures technician, and was honorably discharged as a sergeant in December 1986. Art immediately enrolled in college and began working as a technician at SC Technology, Inc., at that time a year-old start-up building optical test equipment. SC Technology introduced Art to Silicon Valley, and Art’s work there both encouraged and funded his undergraduate education. Art graduated from U.C. Berkeley in 1991 with a B.S. in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science.

Art enrolled at the University of California’s Hastings College of the Law, San Francisco, in 1991. He wrote and prosecuted patent applications at Skjerven for much of his time at Hastings, taking a semester off to extern at the U.S. District Court in San Jose. Art graduated from Hastings, passed the California bar, and accepted an associate’s position at Skjerven in 1994.

Areas of Practice:

• Patent Litigation
• Prosecution
• Licensing

Education:

• University of California, Hastings College of the Law, San Francisco, California
  Juris Doctor
• University of California, Berkeley, California
  B.S.
  Major: Electrical Engineering and Computer Science

Professional Associations and Memberships:

• State Bar of California, Bar No. 172,164
  Member
• Admitted to practice in the Northern District of California.
• Registered to Practice before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, Reg. No. 39,603

Pleasanton, California
Partner
phone (925) 621-2131
fax 925-621-2119
email

D. JAMES CHUNG is a patent attorney and a partner with Silicon Edge Law Group LLP. Mr. Chung has worked as a patent attorney for about fifteen years, specializing in all aspects of patent law including prosecution, licensing, and litigation.

In addition, Mr. Chung has extensive experience in due diligence investigations related to patent sale or purchases, valuation, negotiations, licensing, and monetization of patents. He has also handles matters involving patent reexaminations, patent interferences, validity opinions, infringement opinions, international patent prosecution, and trademark prosecution.

Mr. Chung studied electrical engineering at University of Michigan, graduating in 1985 with a B.S. in Computer Engineering with honors. As an engineer, Mr. Chung worked with General Electric and IBM for several years in the areas of automation, robotics, user interface, data communication, and satellite systems in commercial and military applications (requiring U.S. military secret clearance). Mr. Chung studied law at University of Southern California School of Law, graduating in 1995 with a J.D. while earning American Jurisprudence Awards for Corporate Law and being a Senior Editor of USC Interdisciplinary Law Journal.

Even before graduating from USC, Mr. Chung worked as an associate attorney with Poms, Smith, Lande & Rose LLP (merged with Oppenheimer Wolff & Donnelly LLP) where he prosecuted foreign and domestic patent applications covering diverse technologies. Thereafter, Mr. Chung worked as an associate attorney with Michell, Silberberg & Knupp LLP handling litigation matters involving patents, trademarks, and copyrights as well as a number of other issues including real estate, taxes, collections, environmental law, and international transactions.
Before helping found Silicon Edge Law Group LLP, Mr. Chung was in private practice representing a number of large technology companies and including, for example, Hewlett Packard Company, Agilent Technologies, Inc., and Cree, Inc. as well as a number of smaller entities. He also worked as an in-house attorney for Agilent Technologies, Inc.

At Silicon Edge Law Group LLP, Mr. Chung continues to practice in the areas of patent prosecution, licensing, and litigation as well as patent transactions. Recently, he completed a number of major patent purchase transactions where, for each transaction, a portfolio of patents was analyzed for its validity, value, and applicability to the Client’s goals. He also negotiated the price and the terms of the transactions.
Mr. Chung maintains an office in Pasadena, California as well as the Pleasanton, California office.

Areas of Practice:

• Patent Transactions, Due Diligence, Investigations
• Patent Prosecution, Licensing, and Litigation

Education:

• University of Southern California Law Center, Los Angeles, California
  J.D.
  Honors: American Jurisprudence Award for Corporate Law
  Law Journal: USC Interdisciplinary Law Journal, Senior Editor
• University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, 1985
  B.S.
  Honors: Cum Laude
  Major: Computer Engineering, Department of Electrical Engineering
  Minor: Physics

Classes/Seminars Taught:

• Speaker, Intellectual Property Seminar, California Bar Association, 1998

Professional Associations and Memberships:

• State Bar of California
• Registered to Practice before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
• Admitted to practice in the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
• Admitted to practice in the Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
• Admitted to practice in Southern, Central, and Northern District Courts of California
• Tau Beta Pi and Eta Kappa Nu (Engineering and Electrical Engineering Honorary Societies)

Pleasanton, California
Partner
phone (925) 621-2111
fax 925-621-2119
email

Kevin graduated with honors with a B.S. in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science from the University of California, Berkeley. Kevin also holds a Master’s Degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of California at San Diego and a J.D. from Stanford Law School, where he graduated Order of the Coif. Kevin combines training in law and technology with over 12 years of experience in the wireless telecommunications industry. During his first 6 years as an engineer at Qualcomm, he designed cutting edge integrated circuits for satellite and cellular wireless applications. He led teams designing industry-leading code division multiple access (CDMA) chips for use in second and third generation cellular systems. He spent a subsequent 3 years in Qualcomm’s legal department, working on intellectual property issues, primarily patent prosecution and licensing. Following law school, Kevin joined the startup venture capital firm Integrity Partners as an associate partner, evaluating investment opportunities and working alongside entrepreneurs in portfolio companies, providing strategy, fundraising, and M&A analysis. He continues to manage the Integrity Partners portfolio in addition to his law practice. Qualcomm remains a key client.

Areas of Practice:

• Intellectual Property Law

Bar Admissions:

• California, 2000

Education:

• Stanford Law School, Stanford, California
  J.D.
  Honors: Order of the Coif
• University of California, San Diego, California
  Master’s Degree
  Major: Electrical Engineering
• University of California, Berkeley, California
  B.S.
  Honors: With Honors
  Major: Electrical Engineering and Computer Science

Past Employment Positions:

• Qualcomm, Engineer
• Startup Venture Capital Firm Integrity Partners, General Partner

Pleasanton, California
phone 925-621-2110
fax 925-621-2119
email

Twila’s practice focuses on advising clients on the formation and financing (seed capital, venture capital and public offerings) of corporations, limited partnerships and limited liability companies. Her specialties include securities law compliance and preparation of Securities Exchange Act reports and statements for publicly traded companies. Twila also has extensive experience in mergers and acquisitions and provides a variety of clients with general business advice.

Twila has represented corporate clients recently as they have grown their businesses through strategic acquisitions. Twila has also recently represented venture capital backed companies in the sale of their companies to publicly traded buyers in consideration of the issuance of stock of the buyer. She has also represented start-up companies in recent financings, including investments by venture capitalists and corporate partners.

Twila helped organize three California Forums on Small Business Capital Formation, which were modeled after the successful Securities and Exchange Commission’s annual forums on Small Business Capital Formation.
Twila is a frequent panelist at programs sponsored by the Business Law Section of the California State Bar on recent developments in California corporate law and drafting and negotiating business agreements. Twila, through her State Bar Business Law Section activities, has also been involved in the drafting of many of the recent changes to the California Corporations Code.

Education:

• Harvard Law School, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 1980
  J.D
• University of California, Berkeley, 1977
  B.A.
  Honors: Degree awarded with great distinction
  Honors: , Phi Beta Kappa, Regents Scholar
  Major: Political Science

Classes/Seminars Taught:

• Paralegal Programs, Teacher, St. Mary’s College Paralegal Program, John F. Kennedy University, 2004 – 2006

Professional Associations and Memberships:

• California State Bar, 1980 – Present
  Member
• Executive Committee of Business Law Section of State Bar of California
  Chair (2000-2001), Vice-Chair (1999-2000), Advisor (2001-2005)
• State Bar of California Business Law Section Opinions Committee, 2001 – Present
  Member
• Partnerships and Limited Liability Companies Committee of Business Law Section of State Bar of California
  Member (1993-1997), Chair (1996-1997)
• Corporations Committee of Business Law Section of State Bar of California (1990-1993), 1990 – 1993
  Member

Past Employment Positions:

• Yorkshire Ventures LLC, General Counsel for a strategic consulting company, 2004 – 2007
• Reed Smith LLP, Partner, Corporate & Securities Group, 2003 – 2004
• Crosby, Heafey, Roach & May, Director, Corporate Group, 1999 – 2002
• Jackson, Tufts, Cole & Black, LLP, Partner, 1980 – 1999

Santa Monica, California
phone 310-922-2206
fax 925-621-2136
email

Steve Hassid is a registered patent attorney who handles all types of intellectual property matters. His practice focuses on obtaining, protecting and licensing patents and trademarks and representing clients in patent and trademark litigation and related proceedings.

Mr. Hassid’s experience and capabilities cross through many technical disciplines ranging from medical devices, supplements, sports and nutrition products, pharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals, orthodontics, and other health related products to computer, music, television and mobile device hardware and software, business methods, internet technologies, industrial machinery and mechanical devices.

Prior to beginning his legal career, Mr. Hassid founded Innovative Business Solutions, a computer design and networking company. Building and managing a successful technology-based business from scratch provided Mr. Hassid with skills that help him quickly and effectively serve his client’s particular business interests.
Mr. Hassid was the lead Associate in Beckman Coulter Inc. v Applera Corporation, where he helped obtain a settlement of $35 million dollars and licenses to valuable Applera Corporation technology for Beckman Coulter Inc. Mr. Hassid helped Beckman Coulter Inc. assert infringement of its patents directed to replaceable gel technology used in capillary electrophoresis instruments used by Celera Genomics to be the first to map the entire human genome and thermal cycler lid technology.

In a patent infringement case involving a business method patent directed to on-line poker tournaments, Mr. Hassid coargued against Plaintiff’s motion for preliminary injunction. After oral argument, the Court issued a written order that completely denied Plaintiff’s entire motion and made it clear that Plaintiff had little to no chance at prevailing at trial. As a result, the Plaintiff voluntary dismissed its entire case against Mr. Hassid’s client and agreed to pay all costs associated with the suit.

Mr. Hassid successfully represented an independent inventor of cardiac medical devices in breach of contract dispute resulting favorable arbitration award in excess of $500,000 and future royalties.

Areas of Practice:

• Patent and Trademark Litigation
• Obtaining Patents and Trademark from the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office
• IP Counseling
• Infringement Opinions
• Patentability Studies
• Designing Around Others Patents
• Contract Negotiations
• Licensing and Technology Transfer
• IP Due Diligence and Portfolio Analysis
• Strategic Patent Acquisition and Enforcement

Bar Admissions:

• California
• U.S. District Court Central District of California
• U.S. District Court Eastern District of California
• U.S. District Court Northern District of California
• U.S. District Court Southern District of California
• U.S. Court of Appeals 9th Circuit
• U.S. Court of Appeals Federal Circuit
• U.S. Patent and Trademark Office

Education:

• University of California, Hastings College of the Law, San Francisco, California, 2001
  J.D.
• University of California, San Diego, California, 1998
  B.S.
  Major: Biology- Physiology and Neuroscience

Published Works:

• Co-Author, Effects of Ganaxolone in a Rodent Model of Cerebral Hematoma, Stroke Journal, 1999
• Co-Author, Synergistic Combinatorial Stroke Therapy: A Quantal Bioassay of a GABA Agonist and a Glutamate Antagonist, Cerebral Blood Flow and Metabolism, 1999
• Co-Author, Neuroprotective Efficacy of Neurosteroids CCD-1042 and Pregnanolone in Collagenase Hematoma Model, American Heart Association Stoke and Cerebral Circulation, 1998
• Co-Author, Synergism in Combinatorial Stoke Therapy: a GABA Agonist and Glutamate Antagonist, Stroke and Cerebral Blood Flow, 1998

Classes/Seminars Taught:

• Speaker, Protecting The Crown Jewels: How To Protect And Profit From Your Company’s Most Valuable Intellectual Property, American Herbal Products Organization Reception at Expo West, May 22, 2008
• Speaker, Neuroprotective Efficacy of Neurosteroids CCD-1042 and Pregnanolone in Collagenase Hematoma Model, American Heart Association 23rd International Conference on Stroke and Cerebral Circulation, 1998
• Speaker, Neuroprotective Efficacy of GABA Agonists and Glutamate Antagonists in Intercerebral Hematoma, University of Southern California, Summer Research Conference and Faculty Research Symposium, 1997

Honors and Awards:

• First Undergraduate to have Clinical Research Paper Published by American Heart Association
• Ronald E. McNair Baccalaureate Scholar, 1997
• U.C.S.D. Stroke Center Young Investigators Award, 1996 – 1997
• Presenter at 23rd International Conference on Stroke and Cerebral Circulation

Professional Associations and Memberships:

• Los Angeles Intellectual Property Lawyers Association
• American Intellectual Property Lawyers Association
• Beverly Hills Bar Association
• American Business Trial Lawyers Association
• Los Angeles County Bar Association

Past Employment Positions:

• Innovative Business Solutions, Founder

Languages:

• Persian

Pleasanton, California
Partner
phone (925) 621-2122
fax 925-621-2119
email

Tom is an intellectual property attorney specializing in patent infringement and other IP litigation. Tom is a member of the patent bar and has over 25 years of litigation experience in U.S. District Courts and the courts of the State of California; Tom also has substantial experience in mediation, arbitration and other alternative dispute resolution methods, and has handled appeals in both the federal and state courts. Tom successfully argued the Microsoft and Oracle matters which led to significant victories for Silicon Edge’s clients. Tom has successfully tried and/or settled numerous matters of all sizes and complexities. For a list of recent cases, see the firm’s list of Recent Representative Cases on this website.

Tom also has extensive experience licensing patents and other IP rights in software, semiconductors, and other forms of technology, and has prosecuted patents related to the Internet, networking, software/business methods, electronics and the mechanical arts.

In addition to being a registered patent attorney, Tom has an undergraduate degree in physics from Duke University, a JD from the University of San Francisco School of Law (where he was a member of the McAuliffe Honor Society), and an IP law certification from the University of Santa Clara School of Law. Tom is a founding member of the Silicon Edge Law Group. Prior to Silicon Edge, Tom was a long time litigation partner in the San Francisco office of the international law firm of Thelen Reid Brown Raysman & Steiner, L.L.P.

Areas of Practice:

• Litigation
• Intellectual Property Law – Patents, Copyrights, Trademarks, Trade Secrets
• Licensing

Education:

• University of San Francisco School of Law, San Francisco, California
  J.D.
  Honors: Member of the McAuliffe Honor Society
• Santa Clara University School of Law, Santa Clara, California
  IP Law Certification
• Duke University
  Major: Physics

Professional Associations and Memberships:

• Registered Patent Attorney, Registration No. 50,618
• American Bar Association, Litigation Section, Intellectual Property Law Section
• California State Bar, Litigation Section, Intellectual Property Law Section

Past Employment Positions:

• Thelen Reid Brown Raysman & Steiner, L.L.P. – San Francisco, Litigation Partner

Pleasanton, California
Partner
phone (925) 621-2121
fax 925-621-2119
email

Mark has worked as a patent attorney for about fifteen years, specializing in patent litigation, licensing and prosecution. He has experience in a broad range of electrical, mechanical and optical technologies, including computer networking and storage, computer hardware and software, transducers, memory and buses, media and disk drives, and active optical devices. In addition to litigation, licensing and prosecution, Mark has handled patent reexaminations, patent interferences, validity opinions, infringement opinions, international patent prosecution and trademark prosecution.

Notable litigations for which Mark was the lead attorney include:

Alacritech v. Microsoft, U.S. District Court, Northern District of California, C04-02057 RMW (antitrust, unfair competition) obtained favorable settlement on eve of preliminary injunction hearing by turning Microsoft’s attempt to de-certify Alacritech’s products into a risk to the continued viability of Microsoft’s Certification program.

Alacritech v. Microsoft, U.S. District Court, Northern District of California, C04-03284 JSW (patent infringement) obtained (within six months) an injunction prohibiting Microsoft from releasing the next version of Windows (now known as Vista), based on a previously untested claim of a patent written by Mark. Negotiated three-way license with Microsoft and Broadcom Corporation prompted by injunction order, obtaining license fees while allowing Microsoft to proceed with claimed features in Vista, Alacritech to partner with Microsoft, and Alacritech to license others.

Clients Mark has worked with include Alacritech, Atmel, Censtor, LG Electronics, Rambus, Read-Rite, SDL, Western Digital and Zylog.

Mark graduated magna cum laude from Thomas Jefferson School of Law, where he earned American Jurisprudence Awards for Contracts and Corporations, was awarded the Wall Street Journal Outstanding Student Award, and worked as a Judicial Extern for U.S. District Court Judge John S. Rhoades. His undergraduate degree is from UC Davis in physics and economics.

Areas of Practice:

• Intellectual Property Law

Education:

• Thomas Jefferson School of Law, San Diego, California
  Honors: American Jurisprudence Awards for Contracts and Corporations
  Honors: Wall Street Journal Outstanding Student Award
  Honors: Judicial Extern, U.S. District Court Judge John S. Rhoades
• University of California, Davis, California
  Major: Physics
  Major: Economics

Pleasanton, California
Partner
phone (925) 621-2127
fax (925) 621-2128
email

Bruce is an attorney specializing in corporate law. The services Bruce provides include: business formation and maintenance counseling, intellectual property licensing; employee benefit plan counseling, employment law counseling, formation of joint ventures and strategic alliances, private placements and venture capital financing, and mergers and acquisitions.

Bruce has a BS in business administration from University of California at Berkeley, and a JD from Hastings College of the Law. In addition to being an attorney, he is a Certified Public Accountant (Inactive). Prior to joining the Silicon Edge Law Group LLP, Bruce was partner in the Oakland office of the international law firm Reed Smith LLP.

Areas of Practice:

• Corporate Law
• Business Formation and Maintenance Counseling
• Intellectual Property Licensing
• Employee Benefit Plan Counseling
• Employment Law Counseling
• Formation of Joint Ventures and Strategic Alliances
• Private Placements and Venture Capital Financing
• Mergers and Acquisitions

Certification/Specialties:

• Certified Public Accountant (Inactive)

Bar Admissions:

• California, 1987
• U.S. District Court Northern District of California, 1987
• U.S. Tax Court, 1989

Education:

• University of California, Hastings College of the Law, San Francisco, California, 1987
  J.D.
• University of California, Berkeley, California, 1982
  B.S.
  Major: Business Administration

Published Works:

• “Operating Problems”, Counseling California Corporations, CEB 3rd ed., 2008
• “Qualified Personal Residence Trusts (QPRTS)”, Drafting California Irrevocable Living Trusts, CEB 3rd ed., 2007

Past Employment Positions:

• Reed Smith, LLP – Oakland, California