More about the SDIPLA

If you have any questions about SDIPLA please contact one of our current officers.
If you have any concerns about this website, please contact Jo Dale Carothers.

Meet Our Current Officers

PRESIDENT

Adam Powell | 858.707.4000 | adam.powell@knobbe.com
Partner, Knobbe Martens LLP.

Adam Powell has a broad practice that involves litigating all types of intellectual property cases, including patent, trade secret, copyright, and trademark matters. He also has extensive experience litigating antitrust matters, particularly those involving technologically complex issues. Adam works with various technologies, including medical devices, software, electronics, chemistry, biotechnology, solar energy, and commercial diving.

In one of his most successful cases, Adam represented Masimo Corporation in a three-week trial against Philips. The jury awarded $466 million to Masimo and rejected Philips’ infringement claims seeking $169 million. That verdict was featured in The National Law Journal‘s “Top Verdicts of 2014” as the top intellectual property verdict and number 5 verdict overall and was also listed as the “Top IP Award of 2014” by Law360. After the jury trial, Adam was responsible for defending against Philips’ antitrust counterclaims alleging patent misuse, monopolization, attempted monopolization, and technological tying. The litigation eventually settled with Philips paying Masimo $300 million and agreeing to a multi-year joint marketing and sales program in which Philips would integrate Masimo technologies in its patient monitors.

VICE PRESIDENT

Sean Lynch | 949-829-2186 | sean@lynchllp.com
Partner, Lynch LLP.

Sean spent years in an intellectual property boutique prosecuting patents and trademarks, and working on intellectual property enforcement matters. Sean is a registered patent attorney that is also licensed to practice law in California. Before law school, Sean studied mechanical engineering with a BS from Georgia Tech and an MS from UCLA. Sean earned his JD from Loyola Law School in Los Angeles.

While he specializes in patent law, Sean also counsels clients in copyright and trademark matters to help them build their businesses and brands.

Sean is licensed to practice law in California, and he is admitted to practice in patent matters before the United States Patent and Trademark Office.

Specialties: Patent and trademark prosecution

SECRETARY

Stephanie Mishaga | 858-703-3140 | smishaga@jonesday.com
Associate, Jones Day

Stephanie Mishaga is an IP lawyer who handles patent litigation and prosecution. She practices before U.S. district courts, the International Trade Commission (ITC), and the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB). Her technical experience encompasses software and hardware including artificial intelligence (AI), wireless communication systems including radio frequency identification (RFID) and distributed antenna systems (DAS), semiconductor devices, medical devices and patient monitoring systems, fitness equipment, on-board diagnostic (OBD) devices, renewable energy technologies including solar panels and electrical vehicles, lithium-ion batteries, electronic nicotine delivery systems, and utility power systems.

Steph has experience in various stages of patent litigation including fact and expert discovery, motion practice, oral argument for dispositive motions, depositions, Markman proceedings, and trial. She works closely with technical experts to develop patent invalidity and noninfringement strategies. Steph also has trial experience handling briefing and oral argument for inter partes review proceedings before the PTAB.

As a U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs-accredited attorney, she assists veterans in appealing disability ratings to the Board of Veterans’ Appeals. Steph is also a member of the Firm’s Women in IP initiative.

TREASURER

Rob C. Arbulu | 619-762-5954 | rabulu@glaserweil.com
Associate, Glaser Weill

IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT

Ruthleen Uy | 858.350.3870  | ruy@ktslaw.com
Counsel, Kilpatrick Townsend and Stockton LLP

Ruthleen E. Uy is Counsel in the Software and Electrical Engineering Team of Kilpatrick Townsend and Stockton LLP’s Intellectual Property Department. Ruthleen focuses her practice on the preparation and prosecution of patent applications in the computer, electrical, and mechanical arts, including applications directed to computer architecture, computer hardware, financial technology, mobile communications, and telecommunications. Additionally, Ms. Uy has experience prosecuting applications directed to memory management, including the restoration and recovery of memory data, data compression, data encryption/decryption, databases, and data storage. She also has experience in medical devices, including medical image processing and radiation controls.

In 2021, Ruthleen was identified by IP Toolworks as being within the top 0.3% of patent prosecutors in the field of overcoming 35 USC 101 rejections.

Ruthleen is admitted to the State Bar of California and Illinois, the District of Columbia, and is registered to practice before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.  She received her law degree from DePaul University – Chicago, where she was on the Dean’s list and earned a certificate in Intellectual Property.  Ruthleen received her B.S. in computer science from Loyola University-Chicago.

The SDIPLA Past Presidents