Board of Directors
Officers
President
Angel Garrett
Vice President/President-elect
Irene Yang
Treasurer
Roland Chang
Secretary
Patty Tsai
Directors at Large
Kevin Benedicto
Monica Chang
Jaysen Chung
Jenny Jin
Julia Peng
Tam Thanh Pham
Kriti Rajput
Anjali Srinivasan
Kevin Yeh
Officer Biographies
ANGEL LIN GARRETT, PRESIDENT
Shareholder
Littler Mendelson P.C.
101 Second Street, Suite 1000
San Francisco, CA 94105
Angel represents plan sponsors, fiduciaries, and service providers in ERISA class action and single plaintiff lawsuits nationwide. She has a broad range of experience in employee benefits law and fiduciary breach matters. Angel has counseled and defended clients in matters involving employer stock option plans, employee stock valuation, inclusion of employer stock in retirement plans, investment of plan assets, management and recordkeeping fees, executive compensation arrangements, disability claims, and church and governmental plans. She has managed employee benefits and ERISA cases in all stages of litigation in state and federal courts, and before arbitration panels and administrative agencies.
Angel has been recognized as a 2015 and 2016 Rising Star by the Northern California Super Lawyers publication. She is admitted to practice in California and Michigan. Angel is also fluent in Mandarin and Taiwanese.
IRENE YANG, Vice President/President-elect
Partner
Sidley Austin LLP
101 California Street, 35th Floor
San Francisco, CA 94111
Irene Yang litigates intellectual property and commercial disputes in the high tech and life sciences industries. She represents clients in patent cases across a variety of technologies including cases involving FRAND obligations for the licensing of standard essential patents. In addition, she litigates cases involving trademarks, trade dress, copyright, business torts, and antitrust claims, and she counsels clients on IP issues. Her pro bono work encompasses immigration and asylum proceedings, veterans’ benefits claims, and employment discrimination litigation. Prior to joining the Board of Directors, Irene served as a co-chair of the Professional Development Committee. She earned her J.D. from the University of California, Davis School of Law and a B.S. in Computer Science from Stanford University.
ROLAND CHANG, Treasurer
Roland Chang is an Assistant United States Attorney in the Criminal Division of the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of California.
Before joining AABA's Board, Roland served as Co-Chair of AABA's Education Committee and on the Mentorship Committee. Roland earned his J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law and his B.A., magna cum laude, from the University of California, San Diego.
PATTY TSAI, Secretary
Partner
Weaver Austin Villeneuve & Sampson LLP
555 12th St. Suite 1450
Oakland, CA 94607
Patty Tsai is a Partner and patent attorney at Weaver Austin Villeneuve & Sampson LLP (WAVS). Patty’s practice focuses on preparing and prosecuting patent applications, including both US and foreign patent applications, and counseling clients on patent portfolio strategy. Her technical expertise includes chemistry and materials, semiconductor technologies, and electrochemical engineering. As a law student, Patty worked as a judicial intern for Judge Mariane Spearman in the King County Superior Court, externed at a film studio Vuguru, and interned as a SCCLA Fellow at Asian Americans Advancing Justice in Los Angeles.
Prior to joining the AABA Board, Patty served as a member of the Pathways Task Force and created the AABA Leadership Portal, and served as a Co-Chair of the AABA Education Committee. In addition to serving on the AABA Board, Patty also serves as a Board Member of Taiwan Culture & Education Foundation.
Patty received her B.S. in Chemistry and B.A. in Biochemistry with minor in Mathematics from the University of Washington Seattle with College Honors, authoring an Honors thesis titled “First-principles Studies of Palladium-Catalyzed Organic Synthesis” based on her research with the Li Research Group of the Department of Chemistry, and also received the American Institute of Chemists Top Chemistry Graduating Senior Award. Patty received her J.D. from UCLA School of Law with a specialization in Entertainment, Media, and Intellectual Property Law.
Directors at Large Biographies
KEVIN BENEDICTO
Founding Partner
Benedicto & Simonovich LLP
490 Post Street
Suite 500 PMB 2344
San Francisco CA 94102
Kevin is a founding partner of Benedicto & Simonovich LLP and a seasoned litigator. His experience includes complex litigation, data privacy and cybersecurity, securities investigations and litigation, corporate disputes, insurance coverage litigation, and toxic torts. In particular, he has advised clients in the technology industry on issues surrounding cybersecurity, data privacy, cyber-insurance, compliance with new laws and regulations, data incident response, and the impact of artificial intelligence on their businesses.
Before founding BenSim Law, Kevin practiced at leading law firms where he represented clients across a range of industries. Kevin also served as a judicial extern to The Honorable Paul J. Watford, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.
Kevin has practiced before state and federal courts in California and across the country, including in every federal district court in California, representing small businesses and large international corporations in high-stakes litigation matters. He serves the City and County of San Francisco as Vice President of the San Francisco Police Commission, the policy and oversight body of the San Francisco Police Department. As a Commissioner, Kevin presides over disciplinary hearings and police officers’ appeals from discipline imposed by the Chief of Police, and has advised law enforcement agencies nationwide on their use of force policies.
Kevin is committed to community service and pro bono representation. He has served as a Voting Rights Fellow at the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights, assisting in election protection and voting rights litigation. He has also represented pro bono clients in immigration cases, domestic violence appeals, veteran’s benefits cases, and guardianship cases. In 2021, he was awarded the Bar Association of San Francisco Award of Merit for organizing representation for local businesses in San Francisco’s Chinatown facing frivolous and predatory lawsuits brought under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
Kevin previously served as co-chair of the AABA Civil Rights and Employment committees, and currently serves on the Board of the Barristers Club of the Bar Association of San Francisco, and the San Francisco Superior Court Committee on Elimination of Bias. He received his B.A. from UC San Diego and his J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law. Kevin previously served as a Voting Rights Fellow at the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law and as a judicial extern to the Hon. Paul J. Watford of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit.
MONICA CHANG
Partner
Morgan Lewis
One Market, Spear Street Tower, 28th Floor
San Francisco, CA 94105-1596
Monica H. Chang works primarily on the structuring, formation, and governance of, and investment in, US domestic and international private investment funds in all asset classes. Monica advises fund sponsors and investment managers on fund formations and the structuring of separately managed account vehicles, secondary transactions, portfolio investments, and matters relating to fund governance and issues of state corporate and partnership law.
JAYSEN CHUNG
Gibson Dunn
One Embarcadero Center
Suite 2600
San Francisco, CA 94111-3715
Jaysen Chung is a partner in the San Francisco office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP, and is a Co-Hiring Partner for the office. He focuses on patent and appellate litigation, and has experience in a range of arts and practices, including pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, artificial intelligence, virtual networking, and semiconductor products and processes. Jaysen previously served as a law clerk to the Honorable Randall R. Rader, then-chief judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. Jaysen has been named a “Top Attorney Under 40” by Law360 for Intellectual Property, a “Top Intellectual Property Lawyer” by the Daily Journal, and a “Patent Star” and “Rising Star” by Managing IP. Before joining AABA’s Board of Directors, Jaysen served as a co-chair of the LGBTQ+ Committee. He earned his J.D. from the University of Southern California Gould School of Law and a B.S. in Psychobiology from UCLA.
JENNY JIN
Lead Appellate Attorney
First District Court of Appeal
Jenny is a Senior Appellate Attorney at the First District Court of Appeal. She works closely with various Justices in researching and drafting opinions in both criminal and civil appeals. Prior to joining the court, Jenny was a litigation attorney at a mid-size firm in San Francisco, where she specialized in Professional Liability and in particular, defense of real estate brokers.
Prior to joining the AABA Board, Jenny served as Co-Chair of AABA’s Social Committee for two years. Jenny received her B.A. in Legal Studies from the University of California, Berkeley, and her J.D. from Indiana University School of Law. While in law school, Jenny also served as the Vice President of the Asian American Law Student Organization.
JULIA PENG
Senior Associate
Reed Smith
101 Second Street, Suite 1800
San Francisco, CA, 94105
Julia Peng is an associate with the Global Commercial Disputes Group and is based out of the San Francisco office. Prior to joining Reed Smith, Julia worked at Cotchett, Pitre & McCarthy where she was the lead associate in several large class action lawsuits. Julia has experience with complex and class action litigation in both California state and federal courts, and has represented both plaintiffs and defendants.
Julia graduated from the University of California Los Angeles with a J.D. in 2017, and from the University of California San Diego with a double degree Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Arts in 2012. Julia is licensed to practice in the State of California. Prior to being on the AABA Board, Julia was a co-chair of the AABA Education Committee.
TAM THANH PHAM
Principal
Polsinelli LLP
Three Embarcadero Center
Suite 2400
San Francisco, CA 94111
Tam Thanh Pham integrates complex technological and legal concepts to provide practical and timely advice to help clients reach their business goals. Evolving almost as quickly as the technologies it protects, patent law can have an impact on any entity that uses, makes, sells, or otherwise interacts with technology. From start-ups to publicly traded companies, clients rely on Tam to craft and implement intellectual property strategies aligned to their particular challenges and objectives.
Prior to being on the AABA Board, Tam was a co-chair of the AABA Mentorship Committee.
KRITI RAJPUT
Associate General Counsel
Qualia
Kriti is Associate General Counsel at Qualia where she provides strategic legal counsel for commercial partnerships, business development, and corporate matters at a leading real estate technology and fintech platform. She supports high-velocity growth initiatives across banking partnerships, underwriter relationships, marketplace expansion, and embedded payments programs.
Prior to Qualia, she was Senior Corporate Counsel at AppDynamics (part of Cisco) where she primarily supported the transactions team.
She has built her legal career as an in-house counsel generalist and gained extensive experience in product, commercial, and privacy practice areas at a variety of tech companies including Brand Metrics, LendingClub, MLSListings, CipherCloud, Oracle, and Zuora. Kriti graduated from Santa Clara University School of Law with her JD/MBA. She completed her undergraduate education from the University of California, Irvine with a B.S. in Earth and Environmental Sciences and a B.A. in Political Science.
Prior to joining the AABA Board, she was an AABA In-House Committee Co-Chair for 2 years and helped launch and conduct the Bay Area In-House Counsel Compensation Survey both in 2018 and 2020. She lives in Mountain View and enjoys spending time with her loved ones and sassy cats.
ANJALI SRINIVASAN
Partner
Keker, Van Nest & Peters LLP
633 Battery Street
San Francisco, CA 94111-1809
Anjali Srinivasan is a trial lawyer and a partner at Keker, Van Nest & Peters. She represents clients across a broad range of industries in a wide variety of litigation matters. From pharmaceutical companies facing bet-the-company patent and trade secret litigation to founders’ disputes at small start-ups, Anjali represents her clients’ interests in courtrooms in state and federal court. Anjali also maintains an active pro bono practice that includes reproductive justice cases, excessive force and wrongful conviction matters. . Prior to joining the Board of Directors, Anjali served as a co-chair of the Partners’ Committee. She formerly served as an Assistant District Attorney in the San Francisco District Attorney's office where she investigated and prosecuted police misconduct cases and reviewed wrongful conviction matters. She also clerked for the Hon. Thelton E. Henderson of the Northern District of California and the Hon. Barrington D. Parker of the Second Circuit Court of Appeals. She earned her J.D. from the Yale Law School and a B.A. in International Relations from New York University.
KEVIN YEH
Director at Large
Kevin Yeh is an Assistant United States Attorney in the Criminal Division of the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of California, where he serves in the National Security and Special Prosecutions Section. Kevin is also a Commissioner on the San Francisco Ethics Commission. He was previously a Deputy City Attorney in the Complex and Affirmative Litigation Unit of the San Francisco City Attorney’s Office, a Trial Attorney in the Antitrust Division of the U.S. Department of Justice, and a senior associate at Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP. While at Gibson Dunn, he was seconded to Uber Technologies, Inc. Kevin served as a law clerk to Judge William H. Orrick of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California and then-Chief Judge R. Guy Cole, Jr., of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. A San Francisco native, Kevin graduated from Cornell University and the University of Pennsylvania Law School.