Nixon Peabody is expanding its U.S. West Coast presence with the arrival of intellectual property partners Andrew Choung and Erica Van Loon to its Los Angeles office.

Nixon Peabody has identified West Coast growth as a priority and continues to expand its intellectual property practice based on client demand. “As we transition into a post-Covid environment, clients in core industries that help drive the region’s economy – including music and entertainment, med tech, life sciences, and esports – are experiencing significant and complex intellectual property needs,” said Justin X. Thompson, managing partner of the firm’s Los Angeles office. “Erica and Andrew bring an innovative and entrepreneurial approach that will create positive impact for our clients. This team is also among the few that have represented academic institutions in patent enforcement campaigns, which has been a hallmark of our Los Angeles IP team’s work for the last several years.”

Choung focuses his practice on high-tech, complex patent litigation and Patent Trial and Appeal Board proceedings such as inter partes review. In addition, he provides strategic counsel to clients on the development of licensing and monetization programs, patent portfolio development, and IP acquisition, licensing, and due diligence. Using his technical background, Choung’s clients represent companies in various high-tech industries including telecommunications technologies, display and display materials technologies, semiconductors and semiconductor manufacturing equipment, automotive and aeronautical technologies, software, internet technologies, business and financial methods, PC games, and virtual worlds and assets.

With experience practicing in both the United States and Asia, Choung has counseled clients on cross-border matters, including multi-country patent enforcement. He serves as advisory counsel to the Intellectual Property Desk of the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA) in Los Angeles. A key area of focus for Choung is working with Korean universities, research institutes, and companies. As one example, he successfully represented a university-based licensing entity in a patent-assertion action over FinFET technology, winning a US$400 million verdict in jury trial. From 2002-2007, he was a foreign IP counsel with Kim & Chang in Seoul.

Van Loon is an IP trial lawyer who focuses her practice on copyright, trademark, patent, rights of publicity, trade secrets, invasion of privacy, defamation, business interference, and other media and entertainment claims. Her clients extend across a wide range of industries, including entertainment and media, software and hardware, apparel and footwear, toys and video games, consumer electronics, beauty and personal care, and food and beverage. In addition, she counsels public and private companies and individuals on IP protection, enforcement, and defense strategy.