Driving Diversity in Law & Leadership – Los Angeles

Jonathan Kwong is the Vice President, General Counsel of the Americas for KARL STORZ, which is a leading global medical device company. There he is responsible for managing the legal affairs of the company and provides strategic legal advice to the business on a broad range of issues, including healthcare fraud and abuse laws, FDA regulations, M&A activities, commercial and IP matters, and products liability litigation. In his role, Jonathan has also led and driven transformational initiatives through the company in the areas of healthcare and regulatory compliance with an emphasis on creating a global culture of compliance, improving effectiveness and efficiency in execution, and remaining competitive in the marketplace. Additionally, he is the proud executive sponsor for the company’s first AAPI employee resource group and is intent on finding ways to not only build community amongst AAPI employees, but to raise up AAPI leaders and establish solidarity with other ERGs.

Prior to KARL STORZ, Jonathan was a senior attorney in the diabetes division of Medtronic and the cochlear implant division of Sonova AG (Advanced Bionics) before that. He received his Juris Doctorate from Boston College Law School and bachelor’s from UC Irvine. He currently resides in Los Angeles with his wife, 5-year-old and 2-year-old sons.

Michelle Choe is Senior Counsel for Apple Media Services at Apple Inc., advising clients across various products and services, including Apple Music, Apple TV, and Apple Fitness+. Prior to joining Apple, Michelle was a technology transactions and copyright litigation associate at Covington & Burling LLP, representing clients on music, software, and entertainment deals, in mergers and acquisitions, and in general commercial, copyright infringement and constitutional rights litigation. She also was an inaugural Barbara A. Ringer Honors Fellow at the U.S. Copyright Office, advising Congress and the U.S. Department of Justice on complex copyright issues and conducting industry-wide policy studies and rulemaking proceedings. Michelle received her J.D. from Columbia University School of Law and her B.A. from Columbia University.

Kevin currently serves as Associate General Counsel, Patents for Meta, where he has pioneered new ways to increase patent submissions from underrepresented inventor groups at Meta. He also counsels on legal issues related to the development of augmented and virtual reality products, including the Meta Quest line of VR products. Kevin currently resides in Southern California. His hobbies include golf and teaching his four-year-old son how to surf.

Sanjesh Sharma is Senior IP Counsel at Johnson & Johnson Vision, where she manages all aspects of intellectual property for the company’s Refractive Surgery and Laser Cataract Surgery product lines, including managing domestic and international patent portfolios, litigation support, opposition practice, product clearances, due diligence for asset acquisitions and licensing, as well as copyright and trademark compliance.  Before moving in-house, she worked at various national and global law firms, focusing mainly on patent and trademark litigation, licensing, due diligence, and counseling involving a wide range of technologies, including biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, and consumer electronics.

Sanjesh received her undergraduate degree in Microbiology from University of California, San Diego, and her law degree from Loyola Law School.  She currently serves as a member of the Executive Committee and Chair of the Patent Interest Group for the IP Section of the California State Bar.  She regularly speaks on patents and in-house practice, and has been named Rising Star in Intellectual Property by Super Lawyers.

Ted Suzuki is Vice President and Associate General Counsel for AT&T. Currently, his team is responsible for support of Marketing and Growth Organization for AT&T. In this capacity, his team provides legal guidance and support for all consumer and business advertising matters which consists of AT&T’s wireless, broadband and other products and services. In addition, the team supports the company’s Brand and Sponsorship teams. Prior to the AT&T-DIRECTV merger, he was the attorney for DIRECTV’s Sales, Marketing, Advertising and Public Relations functions. In his role, he negotiated numerous deals involving sales, marketing, promotional and advertising matters for DIRECTV, including deals for National television ads featuring such celebrities and athletes like Kate Upton, Rob Lowe, Charlie Sheen, Beyoncé Knowles, Peyton and Eli Manning, Deion Sanders and Albert Pujols, among others.

Sundi Bonfiglio is Associate General Counsel, Labor & Employment and Corporate Affairs and Assistant Secretary for Panasonic Avionics Corporation.  With over 16 years’ experience providing in-house counseling to global technology companies, she currently advises Panasonic Avionics and leads the legal teams that support labor & employment, litigation, legal operations, international expansion and corporate governance.

An imaginative legal strategist with a passion for people, Sundi is repeatedly selected by corporate leaders to navigate delicate personnel matters with sensitivity and courage, and tackle challenging projects that require creative problem-solving, diplomatic collaboration, and tactical savvy. With her theatre background and easygoing charm, she is as comfortable pitching plans in the boardroom as cracking jokes in the breakroom. She excels in environments that value curiosity, authenticity, and diversity of thought.

Prior to her in-house experience, Sundi spent several years practicing labor and employment law at firms in Washington DC, and is proud to call herself a “Double Hoo” of the University of Virginia, where she received both her B.A., Psychology with High Distinction, and her Juris Doctorate.

Yaphett K. Powell is a corporate and entertainment deal lawyer and executive. He has over 22 years of experience representing privately- and publicly-held domestic and foreign companies, institutions, and individuals in complex corporate and business transactions and related regulations, including licensing, distribution, acquisitions, mergers, joint ventures, and related financing and capital raises, with recent emphasis on international and cross-border deals in the entertainment, sports, media, and content streaming technology sectors. As a senior attorney and strategic advisor, he focuses on closing complex deals, leading high-performing legal teams, and protecting his clients’ interests. His strengths include advancing global businesses, negotiating and structuring multimillion-dollar deals, and building strong business relationships.

Since 2018, Mr. Powell has also served as an Adjunct Law Professor at the top 20-ranked University of Southern California (USC) Gould School of Law where he teaches International Business Transactions, covering the legal principles and practices involved in private business transactions and movement of goods, services, capital, knowledge, and technology across the boundaries of different nation-states. Since 2022, he has also served on the Advisory Board for the USC Center for Transnational Law & Business (CTLB), which promotes world-class policy analysis, research, and educational opportunities in international business, law, and policy and serves USC, the State of California, the nation, and the world.

Christina Yates is currently the associate general counsel at Gemological Institute of America, Inc. (GIA) where she focuses on intellectual property, technology, litigation, working with GIA’s laboratory staff and law enforcement to return lost and stolen diamonds to their rightful owners.

Prior to joining GIA, Ms. Yates spent five years with DLA Piper in its Intellectual Property and Technology group counseling clients on trademark and copyright issues, and strategizing with clients and advising them on domestic and global trademark portfolios.  She also represented clients in state and federal court, as well as in USPTO actions.

JoAnna Brooks brings clients a wealth of experience in class action litigation, having handled over 80 class actions in California over the past decade.

JoAnna’s practice focuses on advising clients on employment best practices and providing defense counsel in a variety of cases, including those involving harassment, discrimination, breach of contract, wage and hour disputes, and unfair business practices. JoAnna also provides in-person interactive training for clients.

JoAnna’s experience includes defending clients through trial, as well as representing clients before the California Labor Commissioner, California Unemployment Insurance Appeals Board and California Workers’ Compensation Appeals Board, showcasing her comprehensive approach to client advocacy.

Shaneeda is a Partner with the law firm Benesch Friedlander, Coplan and Aronoff where she specializes in financial crimes, regulatory violations, and compliance counseling. During her nearly 20-year career, Shaneeda has successfully defended corporations and individuals charged in criminal and parallel civil matters with allegations of fraud, AML violations, insider trading, antitrust violations, securities fraud, and other financial crimes. She also regularly conducts internal investigations related to financial, regulatory, and compliance issues for corporations, municipalities, and public agencies. Shaneeda holds a bachelor’s and a master’s degree from Stanford University and a J.D. from New York University School of Law.

Briana Williams is an accomplished litigator with specific expertise in complex litigation.

Briana specializes in providing strategic legal advice to business owners, C-suite executives, and investors. She also represents employers in matters involving discrimination, harassment, and whistleblower retaliation claims. She is highly skilled in drafting complex pleadings, arguing motions, and managing the discovery process to ensure favorable outcomes.

Briana earned her Juris Doctor from Harvard Law School, where she was actively involved in extracurricular activities and served as the Director of Communications for the Harvard Black Law Students Association. She also holds a Bachelor of Science in Legal Studies from Saint John’s University, where she graduated with honors and demonstrated leadership as the President of Phi Alpha Delta.

Karin Bohmholdt is Co-Chair of Greenberg Traurig’s Los Angeles Litigation Practice with primary focus on Financial Service and Fiduciary Litigation and Appellate Practice in both the state and federal courts. Following a clerkship with the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, Ms. Bohmholdt obtained experience in a wide variety of litigation and appellate matters, including real estate disputes, financial services and banking litigation, trust and estate matters, class actions, employment matters, securities law, ADA matters, public entity representation, and Federal False Claims actions.

JP Shih is Director, Associate General Counsel at Rivian and is the company-wide legal lead for Privacy and Cybersecurity. JP also serves on Rivian’s AI Advisory Committee. Prior to Rivian, JP was Strategy Counsel at Google, where he oversaw a cross-functional team of legal and compliance professionals that strategized on company-wide/high-stakes issues across Alphabet. Before Google, JP was Associate General Counsel and legal lead for Meta’s suite of Media, Gaming, and Strategic Community products from concept through launch.

JP was also formerly the head attorney for EA Los Angeles (regional legal team) and served as primary counsel for many premium product development studios at EA, including Maxis (Sims/SimCity), BioWare (Mass Effect), Respawn (Apex Legends, Titanfall), PopCap (Bejeweled, Plants v. Zombies), The Simpsons: Tapped Out, Scrabble, Monopoly, and more.

JP was formerly an Associate at Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP, where he practiced in the Intellectual Property, Data Privacy & Technology departments. JP was also previously associated with Sullivan & Cromwell LLP, as well as Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz. Before law school, JP was a management consultant in the financial services and health care industries where he specialized in managing the development and execution of business turnaround plans.

Tiffany S. Fordyce concentrates her practice on commercial litigation, with an emphasis on labor and employment. She is Chair of the Chicago Labor & Employment Practice and Co-Chair of the firm’s Labor & Employment Practice’s Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Group. Her employment litigation practice includes all types of discrimination and retaliation claims, wage and hour claims, trade secret misappropriation claims, whistleblower claims, restrictive covenants, Fair Credit Reporting Act claims, Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA) claims and WARN Act claims. She defends single plaintiff, class action and collective action employment cases. Tiffany represents employers in federal, state and administrative courts, as well as before administrative agencies.

Anne Marie Ellis is the California Chair of Buchalter’s Products Liability Practice Group and Chair of the Chemical Law and Prop. 65 Industry Group. With deep expertise in product liability defense, personal injury, and commercial litigation, Anne Marie offers a client-centered approach, providing practical and efficient legal solutions tailored to her client’s needs. Her mastery of general liability, regulatory compliance, and Proposition 65 requirements helps her to navigate complex legal landscapes.
Anne Marie has a proven track record in litigation and trials, excelling in state and federal courts, including complex class actions. She is skilled in preventing and defending against Proposition 65 claims and effectively handles high-exposure cases involving catastrophic injuries and wrongful death.
Anne Marie provides proactive compliance guidance, helping clients adopt best practices to minimize litigation risks. As a frequent author and speaker on industry trends and regulatory updates, she leads conversations on PFAS claims and Prop 65 compliance strategies.

Susannah is a highly-skilled, experienced labor and employment lawyer with significant experience in a range of employment and labor matters. Her expertise in wage and hour and discrimination disputes is particularly praised by clients and peers. Susannah also conducts independent investigations on behalf of companies into high-profile allegations of employee misconduct, in addition to her work on enforcement of non-compete agreements, background check procedures, employee discipline and termination, and related matters. She has a notable track record of defending and representing clients in a diverse array of industries including the technology, telecommunications, airline, staffing, financial services, technology, and private equity sectors. The Legal 500 recommended Susannah as a Next Generation Lawyer in 2021 for her work in labor and employment disputes.

Cecilia (“Ceci”) O’Connell Miller is a Shareholder in Buchalter’s San Diego Office. She is Co-Chair of the Firm’s Insurance Law practice group and a Member of the Firm’s Board of Directors. Ms. Miller’s practice focuses on complex commercial litigation and pre-litigation counseling with an emphasis on insurance coverage recovery for policyholders under numerous lines of coverage including commercial general liability, D&O, employment practices liability and pollution legal liability. She has also been named to the Best Lawyers in America list from 2022-2024 in the area of “Litigation – Insurance.” Ms. Miller was also named a Women of Influence in Law 2023 by the San Diego Business Journal.

Mahnush Mashayekh is an accomplished attorney in Blank Rome’s Corporate, M&A, and Securities practice group. She has experience representing buyers and sellers in mergers and acquisitions of privately held and publicly traded companies. Mahnush plays a pivotal role in facilitating company growth through strategic acquisitions and venture capital investments. Her expertise extends to advising high-level executives and board members on corporate governance matters.

Mahnush represents a diverse client base, encompassing both domestic and international entities, including Fortune 500 companies. Her industry reach is broad, covering sectors such as alternative energy, entertainment, sports, artificial intelligence, technology, textiles, construction, professional services, and hospitality.

Before her current role, Mahnush advised multinational companies about the federal and international tax implications associated with their business operations.

Li Zhu is a Partner at Robins Kaplan LLP in the Intellectual Property & Technology Litigation Group. With over a decade of experience, he litigates high-stakes patent, trade secret, and technology disputes for Fortune 500 companies and startups in industries like A.I., software, biotech, consumer electronics, and medical devices. He also has deep expertise in IP licensing, from identifying value in portfolios to leading international campaigns across jurisdictions, including Germany and China.

His fierce advocacy extends to those unable to afford legal services, providing pro bono representation in state and immigration courts. His proudest victories include obtaining asylum for a Cameroonian immigrant persecuted for political activism and defending an abused mother and her child under the Hague Convention on International Child Abduction.

Teri Witteman is chief legal officer and secretary of Beyond Meat, Inc., a leader in plant-based meat. Ms. Witteman is an accomplished C-suite legal professional with demonstrated leadership negotiating and implementing complex commercial and business transactions on behalf of public and private companies. With more than 25 years of experience, including more than 20 years as both internal and external general counsel, and 10 years as a public company secretary, she serves as a trusted board advisor on business strategy, legal compliance, and corporate governance.

Ms. Witteman joined Beyond Meat as its general counsel and secretary in May 2019 and has served as its chief legal officer and secretary since April 2021. In this role, she oversees the company’s global legal operations, including developing and implementing enterprise legal strategy, advising on global expansion, mergers and acquisitions, real estate, commercial contracts, and SEC reporting. She also advises all business units, including Finance, Operations, Supply Chain, Quality/Regulatory, Innovation, Marketing, Brand, Creative, and Human Resources, on cross-functional execution of Beyond Meat’s global initiatives which include helping humans eat healthier, fighting climate change, preserving natural resources and helping animals live better lives. Ms. Witteman serves on the Policy Committee of the Plant Based Foods Association and on the Bord of Directors of the El Segundo Economic Development Corporation.

She started her career with Latham & Watkins LLP in Los Angeles, where she focused on representing media and retail companies in M&A transactions and securities offerings, and representing underwriters in public offerings of equity, debt, and sophisticated derivative securities by technology, media, and retail companies.

She received her Juris Doctor degree, Order of the Coif, from UCLA School of Law, and her B.A. degree in Economics, with honors and distinction, from the University of California, Berkeley.

Michelle van Oppen is Senior Counsel, Litigation for Paramount Global.  She manages litigation across Paramount subsidiaries in a wide range of subject areas, including intellectual property and commercial disputes.  She is a co-chair of the Media Law Resource Center’s California Chapter and serves on the Association of Media and Entertainment Counsel’s Women Who Lead Board.  Before joining Paramount, she was a managing associate in the commercial litigation group of Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP.

Berenika Palys is a litigator with experience in complex fields such as commercial, professional liability, intellectual property, construction, employment and business disputes. She is in the Business Litigation Group at Womble Bond Dickinson LLP advising a wide range of clients from Fortune 500 companies to small businesses.

Berenika earned her J.D. from the University of San Diego School of Law where she currently serves on the Alumni Board of Directors. During law school, she was a judicial extern for the Hon. Justice Richard Aronson of the 4th District, California Court of Appeal.

Before law school, Berenika was the Executive Director of a non-profit where she designed programs and implemented strategies for community engagement.

Berenika earned her bachelor’s degree from Harvard University magna cum laude with highest honors and her master’s degree from Oxford University, Christ Church College. Prior to her legal career, Berenika graduated from the Juilliard School and was a professional concert pianist.

Berenika serves on the Los Angeles County Bar Association’s President’s Advisory Committee for Women in the Legal Profession.

Jennifer Coleman is a trial lawyer with an active practice in intellectual property, labor and employment, and complex litigation cases. Her experience includes patent damages, trade secret misappropriation, remediation, single plaintiff and class action wage and hour controversies, unfair competition and employee mobility matters.

Jen also handles employment disputes involving claims of wrongful termination, discrimination, harassment, and retaliation; leaves of absences; employment policies and procedures; employee discipline; hiring practices; workplace violence; and fraud relating to complex financial transactions. She regularly advises and counsels employers of all sizes on various day-to-day legal issues.

Jordan Grotzinger is the longstanding Co-Chair of the Los Angeles Litigation practice. He is a trial lawyer and trusted problem solver focusing on trade secret law and challenging business disputes, often in the entertainment space. Jordan represents companies across various industries in trade secret litigation and counseling matters, and has represented some of the most significant entertainment and media companies in high-profile litigation. Jordan also founded and hosts Greenberg Traurig’s Trade Secret Law Evolution Podcast, a popular podcast on trade secret law since 2019, which offers monthly updates and takeaways on the latest developments and trends in this area.

Ms. Kennedy defends companies, managers and executives in employment class actions and Private Attorney General Act (“PAGA”) cases concerning disputes over the classification of workers, overtime pay, payment of wages, and meal and rest breaks, as well as single and multiple plaintiff unlawful harassment, discrimination, and retaliation cases.

Mindful of business goals and purposes, Ms. Kennedy regularly helps companies to comply with employment laws and to develop compliant policies and practices for the recruitment and hiring of employees, exemptions from overtime pay, compensation, leaves of absence, workplace accommodations, workplace privacy, discipline, and separation of employees. She frequently drafts or reviews employment agreements and policies as well as compensation plans.

Utilizing her previous in-house experience at publicly traded, technology companies, Ms. Kennedy regularly provides counsel to companies on employment issues in mergers and acquisitions and to executives on employment transitions.

Ms. Kennedy represents businesses in audits and actions brought by the U.S. Department of Labor, the California Labor Commissioner, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and the Department of Fair Employment and Housing.

Ms. Kennedy successfully defends companies and negotiates settlements in Americans with Disabilities Act and California disability access cases, specifically with respect to allegedly physical access barriers and non-compliant websites. Ms. Kennedy defends businesses sued for allegedly violating federal and California fair housing laws.

Ms. Kennedy’s clients include a wide variety of companies ranging from closely held to large, publicly traded companies hailing from a broad spectrum of industries, including semiconductor, senior home care, automotive, real estate, hospitality, medical and professional services.

Elaisha Nandrajog represents employers in a wide range of matters in state and federal court as well as before administrative agencies, providing preventative counsel that helps successfully resolve litigious matters. She has experience defending companies in single-plaintiff and multi-plaintiff cases against claims of wrongful termination, discrimination, harassment, retaliation, and failure to accommodate. Her work involves complex wage and hour class actions as well as representative actions brought under California’s Private Attorneys General Act.

In addition to her litigation practice, Elaisha advises employers and managers on hiring, screening, retention, and termination practices as well as various wage and hour compliance issues. She is also involved in the development and review of company policies to identify risk and ensure compliance.

Elaisha also provides due diligence review of target companies in mergers and acquisitions and has conducted internal employment investigations for public and private employers throughout the Bay Area. Her commercial litigation experience includes work on breach of contract, fraud, and unfair competition and interference claims.

Jacqueline Beaumont focuses her practice on the representation of clients in wage-and-hour class action and PAGA disputes, complex employment matters, wrongful termination, disability, and discrimination claims, and all areas of employment litigation and advising. Her results include successful jury and bench trial verdicts, summary judgment, injunctions and dismissals. She has been recognized in Super Lawyers as one of Orange County’s “Top 25 Up-And-Coming Attorneys,” as a “Women in Business” nominee in the Orange County Business Journal, a “Woman Making a Difference” by the County of Orange, and has been in various leadership positions within the Orange County Bar Association. Her practice at Call & Jensen, a 40-year old California trial firm, is motived by a desire to represent clients strategically to address business needs.

Madeleine (“Madi”) Lee litigates a wide variety of employment matters, with emphasis on class action, representative (California Private Attorneys General Act/PAGA), and collective action defense. She implements class/PAGA defense strategies in a variety of industry contexts (e.g., manufacturing, consumer products, transportation, communications, technology, agriculture, retail, infrastructure, hospitality, government contractors), including those involving unionized workforces. She partners with employers to develop pragmatic workplace strategies to manage employment-related risk as to high-stakes class litigation, including meal period and rest break compliance, regular rate calculations, and arbitration agreements in today’s unprecedented business environment. Madi is also experienced in comprehensive employment litigation, training, and counseling of businesses involving employment discrimination, harassment, wrongful termination, whistleblowing, leaves of absence, accommodation, reductions in force/terminations, and emerging, cutting-edge principles of law.

Cory is a partner in the Vorys Orange County office and a member of the labor and employment group. He represents employers in a variety of industries on a wide range of employment matters, including the Fair Labor Standards Act, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act, the Family and Medical Act Leave, Title VII, state anti-discrimination and retaliation laws, as well as noncompetition, Trade Secret Law and other restrictive covenants.
Cory also provides training and counseling on daily workplace issues, including hiring decisions and disciplinary issues, employment agreements, handbooks, workplace policies and noncompetition, nonsolicitation and confidentiality agreements.