Lee C. Cheng

Shareholder and Chair of the Greater China Practice Group

Direct: (949) 224-6471
WhatsApp: 1(626) 2555861
WeChat: lcheng 1971
Email: [email protected]
Languages: Mandarin
Offices: Orange County, Los Angeles
Bar Admissions: California

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Lee C. Cheng is a Shareholder based in the firm’s Orange County office, a member of the Corporate, Intellectual Property, and Litigation Practice Groups, and the Chair of the Greater China Practice Group. Mr. Cheng’s practice spans a broad array of disciplines, from corporate (formation, M&A, finance, venture/PE, and corporate governance), to intellectual property (licensing, technology transactions, and litigation management and strategy). He has extensive expertise planning and structuring complex transactions, defending companies cost effectively against frivolous lawsuits (especially in the intellectual property arena), fighting for or clarifying the rights of stakeholders (equity, debt and otherwise). He prides himself on having a deep understanding of what clients need from outside counsel.

Mr. Cheng’s insights on client service comes from more than 20 years at top law firms, including almost 15 as a C-level legal and operations executive. His business experience includes executive positions at venture funded startups like LightCross, Inc. (VP of Administration and Legal Affairs) and GeneFluidics, Inc. (General Counsel), and global, multi-billion dollar revenue companies like Newegg.com (Chief Legal Officer, SVP Corporate Development, SVP Human Resources, Corporate Secretary, Chief of Staff to Chairman) and Gibson Brands, the owner of Gibson Guitars (Chief Operating Officer).

Mr. Cheng has been recognized a number of times for his thought leadership in the legal profession. He is a two-time winner (2014 and 2016) of the National Law Journal’s America’s 50 Outstanding General Counsel, and numerous other awards for innovation and excellence in the practice of law. He was named an “Intellectual Property Trailblazer & Pioneer” (2014)–also by the National Law Journal, and received the IP Vanguard Award (2013) from the IP Section of the State Bar of California. In 2018, he became the recipient of the inaugural Champion of Equal Opportunity Education Rights Award of the Asian American Coalition for Education.

He has testified before the US Senate, the US House of Representatives, and the US Civil Rights Commission, and has been interviewed and invited to speak extensively on topics ranging from intellectual property to legal function management to civil rights.

Awards and Recognitions

2018 Champion of Equal Opportunity in Education Rights, Asian American Coalition for Education (2018)
Corporate Leadership Award, Asian American Bar Association of New York (2017)
America’s 50 Outstanding General Counsel, National Law Journal (2016, 2014)
In-House Impact Award, The Recorder (2015)
Top 50 IP Trailblazer and Pioneer, National Law Journal (2014)
Vanguard Award, State Bar of California IP Section (2013)
In-House Counsel of the Year, Daily Journal (2013)
Innovation Award, NYU-Polytechnic (2011)
Top 10 Law Department Innovation Award, InsideCounsel Magazine (2011)
Institute for Civil Justice Southern California Leadership Counsel of the top 50 lawyers in Southern California, RAND Institute
Best Lawyers under 40, National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (2009)

Areas of Practice

Industry Specialties

Hospitality, Food and Beverage Industry Law

Additional Specialties

Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Blockchain
E-Commerce
Life Sciences
Medical Devices
Logistics
Photonics
Retail
Semiconductors
Software
Telecom