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Credentials
Admissions
- State Bar of California
- U.S. District Court, Northern, Central, Southern, and Eastern Districts of California
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit
- U.S. Supreme Court
Education
- J.D., Santa Clara University School of Law
- B.S., University of California, Riverside
Languages
- Arabic
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Experience
Representative Matters
- Obtained the complete dismissal, on summary judgment, of an action for alleged business torts, seeking hundreds of millions of dollars in damages, against a Chinese public company in the solar energy industry.
- Obtained decertification of a class action brought by consumers under the Consumer Legal Remedies Act and the California Unfair Competition Law, against a major Silicon Valley technology company.
- Successfully defended a Silicon Valley Corporate executive after a jury trial in federal court, in an action for misappropriation of source code.
- Successfully represented a client in a federal securities fraud investigation for insider trading by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ).
- Obtained the complete dismissal of an action filed against a commercial lender in a dispute involving a failed merger between two companies in the clean energy industry
- Overturned a three-panel decision of the Ninth Circuit, upon rehearing en banc, arguing before a panel of 11 Ninth Circuit judges that the federal government acted in bad faith, entitling the client to an award of $3.8 million in attorneys’ fees.
- Successfully prosecuted three appeals on behalf of a Stanford graduate student from Malaysia who found herself inexplicably on the No-Fly List, and obtained a judgment in favor of her client. In a decided victory, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals agreed to allow federal trial judges to adjudicate the makeup of the No-Fly List.
- Represented a major Silicon Valley company in a malicious prosecution action based on an underlying patent infringement lawsuit. Defended the same company in a copyright infringement action.
- Secured a favorable appellate decision in an action for misappropriation of trade secrets, in a published opinion by the California Court of Appeal for the Sixth Appellate District.
- Represented Feld Entertainment, Inc., dba Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, obtaining the dismissal of a federal action filed against Feld Entertainment and successfully defending its former star performer, Mark Oliver Gebel, in a criminal trial, obtaining an acquittal in record time. Also secured her client’s right to do business without unwarranted interruption in an unpublished Ninth Circuit opinion.
- Secured a favorable judgment in an action against a local municipality seeking records under the California Public Records Act.
Reported Cases
- Ibrahim v. U.S. Department of Homeland Security, 912 F.3d 1147 (9th Cir. 2019).
- Ibrahim v. U.S. Department of Homeland Security, 669 F.3d 983 (9th Cir. 2012).
- County of Santa Clara v. Superior Court (2009) 171 C.A. 4th 119.
- Sutter’s Place v. Superior Court (2008) 161 Cal.App.4th 1370.
- Ibrahim v. U.S. Department of Homeland Security 538 F.3d 1250 (9th Cir. 2008).
- Jasmine Networks, Inc. v. Marvell Semiconductor, Inc. (2004) 117 Cal.App. 4th 794.
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Awards & Honors
Awards
- Northern California Super Lawyers, 2021 – 2024
- Winning Litigators, The National Law Journal, 2020
- Women of Influence, Silicon Valley Business Journal, 2012
- Minority 40 Under 40 Lawyers, The American Lawyer & The National Law Journal, 2011
- California Lawyer Attorney of the Year (CLAY) Award, Civil Rights, 2009
- Top 100 Litigators of 2009, Daily Journal.
- Top 20 Under 40 California Lawyers, Daily Journal, 2009
- Northern California, Top 40 under 40, Silicon Valley Business Journal, 2009
- YWCA of Silicon Valley Tribute to Women and Industry (TWIN) Award, 2009.
- Northern California Super Lawyers – Rising Stars, 2009
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Articles & Blogs
Articles
- “The Not-So-Powerful Nondisclosure Agreement” Daily Journal
- “10 Tips for Deciding When to Litigate” The Recorder
- “Practical Lessons for Litigating a Complex Case” Daily Journal
- “Staying Off the ‘No-Fly’ List ” The Recorder
Blogs- The Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA)
- 6 Key Things to Consider When Leasing Commercial Property
- The Appellate Oral Argument
- The Not-So-Powerful Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA)
- Reboot and Rediscover Your Passion for the Law
- To Litigate or not to Litigate: Practical Considerations for Every Business
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Speaking Engagements & Presentations
- Blazing Trails in Law, IGNITE: A Women’s Empowerment Conference, 2024
- Overcoming Ally Pitfalls: Addressing Macroaggressions and Bias from Allies , 2021 Annual Business Conference of the California Minority Counsel Program (CMCP)
- Women and Law of Santa Clara University and The Family Law Society, Having It All As A Woman in the Legal World
- Federal Appellate Process Workshop, Legal Secretaries, Incorporated (LSI) 85th Annual Conference
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Professional & Community Contributions
- Member, Planning Committee, California Minority Counsel Program 2021 Annual Business Conference
- Former Member, Board of Advisors, Katharine & George Alexander Community Law Center, Santa Clara University School of Law
- U.C. Berkeley, Instructor, Business Law
- Organization of Pakistani Entrepreneurs (OPEN Silicon Valley), Guest Speaker
- California State Bar, Guest Speaker
- San Mateo County Bar Association, Guest Speaker
- Federal Bar Association, Member
- Standing Committee on Professional Conduct, U.S. District Court, Northern District of California, Former Member
- Zaytuna College, Management Committee, Former Member
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Marwa
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Marwa
Elzankaly
Of Counsel
Recently named to The National Law Journal’s “Winning Litigators”, Marwa specializes in high stakes commercial litigation.
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Credentials
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Experience
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Awards & Honors
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Articles & Blogs
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Speaking Engagements & Presentations
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Professional & Community Contributions