About the Firm | Newhope Law, PC

Biography

Clement Cheng earned a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from UCLA and graduated from Loyola Law School, Los Angeles, in 1998. At Loyola he was an editor of the International and Comparative Law Journal and published a paper comparing campaign finance regulation in Taiwan and Canada. He also volunteered at the Asian Pacific American Legal Center and the Western Law Center for Disability Rights. After law school he worked at James Lundquist, a real estate law firm.

Today Mr. Cheng runs Newhope Law, PC, an intellectual property law office in Orange County. He handles intellectual property litigation in federal court, patent and trademark prosecution, and Trademark Trial and Appeal Board matters. He also handles U.S. Customs matters and files patent reexamination requests. He is fluent in Mandarin Chinese and is studying Japanese.

Mr. Cheng is a registered patent attorney with the United States Patent and Trademark Office and a member of the California and Texas bars.

Notable cases

Farsighted Enterprise v. Goody Windows, No. CV11-0309 R (AJWx): judgment for infringement of a design patent.
Sportspower v. Hayneedle, No. 2:14-cv-01355: stopped a retailer from selling patent-infringing products.
Pinkberry v. Masako Kawashima, No. 2:11-cv-06540 PSG (PJWx): represented the client in U.S. District Court with a successful result.

Admitted to practice before

United States Patent and Trademark Office
California Supreme Court
Supreme Court of Texas
U.S. District Court, Central District of California
U.S. District Court, Southern District of California
U.S. District Court, Eastern District of California
U.S. District Court, Northern District of California
U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois
U.S. District Court, Central District of Illinois
U.S. District Court, Southern District of Illinois
U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Texas
U.S. District Court, Northern District of Texas
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces
United States Tax Court

Industries we serve

We provide intellectual property services to U.S. and international clients in many fields, including:

Electronics and computer technology
Industrial and mechanical technology
Materials science
Clean technology and renewable energy
Automotive and transportation
Aerospace
Medical devices
Biotechnology
Life sciences
Consumer products
Fashion
Luxury goods and retail

Our philosophy: integrity and creative efficiency

Integrity is the foundation of the firm: honesty in character, in service and in professional work. We take the time to understand each client’s position and the business stakes of the case, offer several practical options, and recommend litigation only when it is the best path.

The office follows the Toyota Production System idea of reducing waste (無駄, muda), and its procedures are reviewed regularly for ways to cut it further.

Calendaring and documents are fully electronic. Patent and Trademark Office papers, court filings and litigation documents are scanned and filed electronically, so clients receive their files in a more organized form than a traditional paper file, and a copy of each filing receipt is sent to the client automatically. The entire office file is backed up routinely. Voice dictation and shared calendars and dockets keep the office efficient without passing those costs on to clients.

Without efficiency there is no value: costs balloon, and litigation can quickly reach seven figures. Even the most capable legal team cannot win for its client if it cannot keep costs under control.

Example: choosing the right forum

In American Mensa, Ltd. v. Inpharmatica, Ltd., No. 07-3283 (D. Md. filed Dec. 6, 2007), Mensa, the high-IQ society, spent over a million dollars in federal court and lost, unable to stop sales of the “AdMensa” IQ-enhancing product. Mensa then had to draw $600,000 from its life membership funds. A Trademark Trial and Appeal Board proceeding, limited to likelihood of confusion and handled by a small firm, might have cost about $100,000, leaving money for a dozen more battles. In the long run, intelligence and education are no match for creative efficiency. (Clement Cheng is a life member of Mensa and was saddened by the loss.)

Volunteer and pro bono work

Disability advocacy. At the Western Law Center for Disability Rights, Mr. Cheng worked with other law students under the litigation director on a successful appeal that allowed SSI recipients to receive home care funding. Under the old rule, recipients could only live in certified care facilities or at home with immediate blood relatives.

Publication

Clement Cheng, “A Comparative Approach to Regulating Money Politics in Taiwan: Learning from the Mistakes of Others,” 20 Loyola of Los Angeles International and Comparative Law Journal (April 1998).

Abstract: As Taiwan completes the democratization process, the Legislative Yuan must decide the future of money politics in Taiwan. As a guide to future legislation, the Legislative Yuan should examine campaign finance regulation in the United States and Canada.

Comments are welcome. To request a copy, please contact us.

Engineering projects

Designed, in CAD, a stereo-vision robot for a robotic vision and artificial intelligence project (UCLA Computer Science Department).
Designed and built the electronic circuitry for an electromechanical control system that balanced an inverted pendulum (UCLA Robotics Laboratory).
Control systems design for the UCLA Human Powered Submarine Project, whose sub raced in the West Coast Invitational.

Newhope Law, PC

Clement Cheng, Esq.