Umberg/Zipser

Managing Partner: Dean Zipser

Languages Spoken: Mandarin, Cantonese, Spanish, German, Korean, Hindi, and Farsi

Founded in 2014 and headquartered in Irvine, CA, Umberg/Zipser LLP is a premier boutique law firm specializing in business litigation and intellectual property. The firm’s team, composed of nearly 20 experienced attorneys, brings extensive expertise from top national law firms and government service. Umberg/Zipser LLP provides strategic counsel across commercial litigation, intellectual property, lawyer liability and legal ethics, class actions, government and regulatory matters, and white-collar investigations and defense. Many long-standing clients value the firm’s results-driven advocacy and commitment to excellence.

Umberg/Zipser LLP represents clients in breach of contract, fraud, unfair competition, and business tort disputes, ranging from Fortune 50 companies to startups. Having tried more than 100 cases, the firm is prepared to take cases to verdict and through appeal when necessary, while also utilizing arbitration, mediation, and risk mitigation strategies to protect clients’ interests.

The firm offers comprehensive intellectual property services, including patent and trademark prosecution, global portfolio management, and trade secret protection. Its litigators handle trademark, copyright, patent, and trade secret disputes in state and federal courts, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, and the International Trade Commission. With patent prosecution expertise across industries such as biomedical, pharmaceutical, immunology, aerospace, automotive, software, consumer goods, and renewable energy, the firm helps clients safeguard and maximize their intellectual property assets.

Umberg/Zipser LLP provides strategic defense in legal malpractice, fiduciary duty claims, and ethical violation matters. The firm has successfully represented attorneys and law firms of all sizes in high-stakes disputes, including multiple trial victories. In addition, its attorneys offer ethics counseling, leveraging leadership roles on bar ethics committees and extensive experience serving as expert witnesses.

The firm has a strong track record in defending class actions across industries such as technology, consumer goods, and real estate. Its attorneys handle cases involving unfair competition, false advertising, contract disputes, and regulatory violations. One of the founding partners previously co-chaired a national law firm’s class action practice, bringing deep procedural expertise to every case.

With a founding partner who has served in local and state elected office, the White House, and as a California senator, Umberg/Zipser LLP offers unique insight into and representation regarding government operations. The firm represents clients before courts, agencies, and regulatory bodies, including the California Coastal Commission, State Lands Commission, CalEPA, and the Public Utilities Commission, helping businesses navigate complex regulatory challenges.

Umberg/Zipser LLP has extensive experience in defending and investigating allegations of white-collar criminal conduct. A founding partner—who previously served as a federal prosecutor, military war crimes prosecutor, and Deputy Drug Czar in the Clinton Administration—leads the firm’s white-collar practice. The firm has achieved favorable outcomes by persuading prosecutors not to file charges or by strategically resolving cases pre- and post-indictment. Additionally, one of its attorneys holds a TOP SECRET/SCI security clearance, allowing the firm to handle highly sensitive government and national security matters.