Paul Tauber served as counsel to Open SystemC Initiative (OSCI) in negotiations to form a single organization with Accellera. The two industry organizations are focused on the creation and adoption of electronic design automation (EDA) and intellectual property (IP) standards, and recently signed a memorandum of understanding, beginning the process of combining the groups in order to create more comprehensive standards to benefit the worldwide electronic design community, and facilitate efficient collaboration among their members.

In Cedar Fair v. City of Santa Clara. (2011) 194 Cal.App.4th 1150, Coblentz, Patch, Duffy & Bass litigation attorneys Jonathan Bass and Charmaine Yu prevailed in a CEQA action challenging the proposed stadium for the San Francisco Forty Niners football team.

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Paul Tauber served as lead counsel for Chronix Biomedical in solidifying an exclusive license agreement with Myriad Genetics to commercialize Chronix’s early cancer detection technology. Chronix is extremely pleased with the closing of this significant deal, one that will ultimately progress Chronix’s proprietary technology and tests.

Chronix Biomedical has pioneered a breakthrough approach to the diagnosis, monitoring and management of a broad range of cancers and other conditions through proprietary technology that measures and categorizes DNA sequences circulating in the blood that are associated with specific changes in disease and health status. Myriad Genetics, Inc., is a leading molecular diagnostic company dedicated to developing and marketing novel predictive, personalized and prognostic medicine products to assess a person’s risk of developing disease and guide treatment decisions.

“We are pleased with the partnership of our technology with Myriad Genetics given their expertise in developing and commercializing molecular diagnostic products,” said Dr. Howard Urnovitz, Chief Executive Officer of Chronix Biomedical. “The technology we have licensed from Chronix Biomedical has the potential to revolutionize the early detection of cancer through the analysis of unique DNA sequences in blood samples,” said Mark Capone, President of Myriad Genetic Laboratories, Inc.

Under the terms of the agreement, Myriad has exclusive rights in North America, South America, and Europe to commercialize tests developed from the Chronix Biomedical technology for the early detection of breast, colon, and prostate cancer. In turn, Myriad will help validate these tests and will pay Chronix an undisclosed sum in upfront fees, milestone payments, and royalty payments upon the technical and commercial success of the products. The success of the development and commercialization of these early detection cancer tests could end up being a highly profitable investment for Myriad and a significant authentication for Chronix.

Here is the complete list of the winners and finalists and their categories recognized in the San Francisco Business Times 2010 Real Estate Deals of the Year Awards:

Winner of Office Lease/Sublease for San Francisco: Zynga.

Winner of Residential Market-Rate for San Francisco: One Hawthorne.

Winner for Rehab/Renovation: Presidio Landmark.

Finalist for Infrastructure/Public-Private: Exploratorium.

San Francisco Business Times selected Danna Kozerski as one of the “2011 Most Influential Women in Business” and honored Pamela Duffy as a “Forever Influential” inductee. The publication honors women leaders who are making a difference in their companies, their industries and their communities.

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The 2011 Finance Monthly Law Awards recognizes firms that have dedicated their resources to innovation, built on their depth of expertise and have performed outstandingly over the year. Finance Monthly sent a voting ballot to over 36,000 contacts resulting in this distinction for Coblentz’s Business Practice.

Danna Kozerski was named a 2011 Dealmaker of the Year. The Daily Journal selected Danna as one of 20 California real estate attorneys whose complex real estate deals had a significant impact on local communities and the real estate market, and also demonstrated creativity, adaptability and tenacity.

Three of Kozerski ‘s 2010 accomplishments earned her the award: a 157,000 square-foot lease negotiation with Nokia Inc. on behalf of the landlord at the Sunnyvale Town Center; a lease of 270,000 square feet at the Townsend Center to Zynga Game Network Inc. (the largest San Francisco lease in five years) on behalf of TMG Partners; and the complex 66-year lease for the Exploratorium’s new home on Piers 15 and 17 in a public/private partnership financial transaction.

San Francisco School of the Arts, a public high school in San Francisco, won the San Francisco City Mock Trial Championship after three preliminary rounds of competition and a very close, hard-fought final round against Balboa High School.  The students have been preparing for the competition since October of 2010.  Coblentz attorneys Clifford Yin and Eleanor Hicks, along with staff member Raz Yekrang and a number of dedicated attorney-coaches from other firms, have provided hours of coaching and guidance.  Yin has been coaching high school students in the mock trial program for over sixteen years.  The team will now move on to the State Championship which takes place at the end of March, in Riverside.  Many students said that competing as a member of the team was one of the best experiences of their lives.

As part of this diversity pipeline program sponsored by the Bar Association of San Francisco and the Constitutional Rights Foundation, students serve as attorneys and witnesses in a simulated criminal trial.  Students prepare opening and closing statements, conduct direct and cross-examinations, and make and respond to objections.  This year’s trial included a pre-trial motion to exclude one of the criminal charges on the basis that the applicable statute violated the First Amendment of the United States Constitution.

Clifford Yin specializes in complex commercial litigation, with an emphasis on real estate litigation. Eleanor Hicks practices general corporate and securities law.

Danna Kozerski was among the top Bay Area real estate leaders whose market predictions for 2011 appeared in The Registry’s January 2011 issue.

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Coblentz is listed as one of the top three Best Trusts & Estates Firms in The Recorder’s “The Best of 2010.”  Click here to view PDF.