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)

Corporate and Transactional

  •  Represented issuers, investors and lenders in venture capital, private equity and debt transactions.
  • Represented partners, sellers and purchasers in the purchase and sale of entities, assets and businesses, and the creation of partnerships and joint ventures.
  • Represented issuers, underwriters and lenders in public equity and debt transactions.
  • Represented various parties in complex, strategic agreements, including intellectual property licenses and transactions and hybrid deals involving financing and IP.
  • Advised Boards of Directors and executive management teams on corporate governance issues.

Litigation

Mr. Cheng has managed dozens of complex litigation matters to successful conclusion for clients, including various shareholder and stakeholder disputes, breaches of contract, wrongful termination, and the following intellectual property matters:

Intellectual Property

  •  Provided advice re: prosecution, protection and enforcement of intellectual property rights.

Employment Matters

  •  Represented employers and executives in negotiating employment and severance agreements.
  • Provided counseling to clients re: employment issues involving employee relations and terminations, equity compensation and other long term incentives.

Real Estate

  • Represented purchaser of commercial buildings.
  • Represented tenants in numerous leases and buildouts.

Mr. Cheng earned his J.D. from University of California, Berkeley School of Law, received his A.B. magna cum laude from Harvard University in History & Science, and is a proud graduate of Lowell High School in San Francisco, California.

  • Serves on the Board of Industry Leaders of the Consumer Technology Association (CTA), the largest technology focused trade association in the world and the operator of the Consumer Electronics Show.
  • Member, Board of Trustees of the CTA Foundation
  • Board of Directors, Asian American Legal Foundation
  • Board of Directors, Center for American Liberties
  • Board of Directors, Lowell High School Alumni Association
  • Board of Directors, Friends of Lowell Foundation
  • Formerly served on the Board of Directors of the Asian American Coalition for Education, the Association of Corporate Counsel-Southern California Chapter, the Harvard Club of San Francisco, the Asian American Coalition for Education, and the Organization of Chinese Americans-San Francisco Chapter.
  • National Asian Pacific American Bar Association-Member, Founder and Chair emeritus of the Prospective Partners Program.

Additional Specialties

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