Chanwoo Park is an associate in MoFo’s New York office. His practice focuses on intellectual property litigation, including patent, trade secret, and copyright disputes in federal courts and before the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC). He has represented clients in intellectual property matters involving a broad range of technologies, including semiconductors, consumer electronics, software as a service, automotives, biotechnology, and pharmaceuticals.
How has being a diverse lawyer affected your career or personal development?
My decision to become a litigator was largely impacted by my experience as a first generation Korean American. My parents immigrated to the United States speaking very little English, but because of the generosity of others and the educational and career opportunities in this country, they were able to have successful careers and raise a family. From a young age, I was taught the importance of standing up for others, particularly those who are most vulnerable and need representation. My parents have always emphasized that their journey would not have been possible without the many people, including strangers, who supported and advocated for them along the way. Those lessons led me to initially become a public school teacher and, later, a litigator.
Why do you feel MoFo’s IP Litigation Group stands out from similar practices at other firms?
I think MoFo’s IP Litigation group is truly a global practice. We represent clients from around the world, across a broad range of industries, to solve their most complex and challenging intellectual property matters. Our IP litigators are rooted in Asia, North America, and Europe, and come from diverse technical and professional backgrounds. This allows us to assemble teams of IP litigators who are uniquely suited to address our clients’ needs. While my practice focuses on intellectual property litigation in U.S. federal court and before the ITC, I routinely work with colleagues in our Asia, West Coast, and East Coast offices on my intellectual property matters and we each bring different perspectives and skill sets to our practice.
Can you tell us about any specific situations in which you felt the diversity of your legal team contributed to a positive result?
I represented an elderly Asian American woman who lived in public housing in New York City’s Chinatown neighborhood and who spoke only Mandarin Chinese. Despite her repeated complaints for years about the conditions in her apartment, the city consistently failed to provide adequate heat and hot water in her apartment, in addition to committing other housing violations. Our team was able to help our client navigate the New York City’s housing court system and bridge the language barrier she was facing as a Mandarin speaker, to fully understand the scope of the housing violations and demand that the city fix them, which they did.
Read more from MoFo’s team of diverse IP litigators.