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HumanX 2026

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MoFo is sponsoring welcome drinks at HumanX, helping kick off one of the leading conferences built for enterprise leaders tasked...

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MoFo is sponsoring welcome drinks at HumanX, helping kick off one of the leading conferences built for enterprise leaders tasked with turning AI visions into reality. This four-day gathering brings together executives, technologists, investors, and advisors for keynotes, track sessions, and interactive workshops exploring how artificial intelligence drives real business outcomes. Speakers include senior leaders from companies such as OpenAI, Anthropic, AWS, Databricks, Meta, Google Cloud, and Microsoft. MoFo partners Tessa Schwartz, Chris McKinnon, Justin Haan, and Julie Park, among others, will be on the ground connecting with attendees throughout the week. If you’ll be there, we’d love to connect. <a href="https://www.humanx.co/" target="_blank">Learn more.</a> <hr>

HumanX 2026

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Tessa Schwartz has an active practice counseling companies on intellectual property issues, and negotiating complex intellectual property and commercial agreements. She advises on a range of strategic transactions, including key patent licenses and acquisitions, technology procurement agreements, and complex development, collaboration, joint-venture and distribution deals. Tessa also regularly advises companies on the IP aspects of their M&A transactions.In addition to maintaining an active practice and working with clients on a daily basis, Tessa is co-chair of the firm’s Technology Industry Group, founder and co-chair of the firm’s Artificial Intelligence Group and previously served as co-chair of the global Transactions Department.Tessa advises clients primarily in technology and data intensive sectors, representing artificial intelligence (AI), robotics, machine learning, software, SaaS, cloud computing, hardware, consumer electronics and products, social media, Internet, mobility and wireless, space and satellites, e-commerce, advertising, healthcare, fintech, transportation, semiconductor, and other companies. Tessa’s M&A experience includes advising Autodesk, BlackBerry, Fortive, Honeywell, Salesforce, Uber, Unilever, Unity, Walmart, and others on the IP aspects of strategic transactions. Tessa provides clients with prelitigation and litigation advice. She frequently advises executives and senior management on strategic business, legal and commercial issues, including the structuring of transactions, risk management and contract compliance. She also counsels clients with respect to a wide variety of IP issues, including patent exhaustion and implied licenses, standing and standards, the protection of data and other trade secrets and the development and distribution of open-source software.In addition to her transactional expertise, Tessa’s litigation background includes representing clients in arbitration, as well as in state and federal courts in such areas as antitrust, false advertising, unfair competition, breach of contract, securities, trademark, copyright and trade secret law. Her litigation experience includes complex, multidistrict and class action litigation, as well as appellate advocacy.Tessa has been ranked in Chambers and Legal 500, with clients describing her as, “one of the best attorneys I've ever worked with.” Tessa has been recognized by Chambers USA 2022 as being highly experienced in the field of technology and intellectual property transactions. Clients have commented on Tessa as having "...the ability to translate complex topics into what's necessary to get a deal done. She does a good job of making our technology accessible”. Further, Tessa "ticks all of the essential boxes, timely, efficient, knowledgeable and helpful, but she really stands out by taking time to learn our business and our products so she can give practical and actionable advice. Tessa helps us focus on key issues and balance risks to make choices."Tessa’s pro bono efforts have included work for The Biomimicry Institute, Goodwill, Common Sense Media, Business for Social Responsibility, The World Wildlife Fund, Build Change and the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB). She also provides IP advice to a variety of cultural, media and arts organizations; and other assistance for nonprofits. She recently received the Wiley W. Manuel Award for Pro Bono Legal Services from the State Bar of California.Tessa received her B.A. magna cum laude from Harvard College in 1991. In 1996, she earned her J.D. from the University of California at Los Angeles, where she was elected to the Order of the Coif.Tessa served as global managing partner of Morrison Foerster from 2016 to 2022 and previously served as co-chair of the firm’s Technology Transactions Group.

Tessa Schwartz

Partner

Chris represents venture capital investors, private equity firms, and emerging and established companies in corporate finance and securities matters, including venture capital, growth equity and private equity investments, mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, restructurings, and other strategic transactions.Chris has significant experience advising on complex deals involving high-growth, venture-backed companies in the technology industry (AI, Fintech, AR/VR, semiconductors, software). For private equity sponsors, he advises on investment fund transactions, buyouts, and divestitures. For entrepreneurs, he advises fast-growing emerging companies throughout their lifecycle, from formation through exit.Before rejoining Morrison Foerster, Chris advised a leading global investment firm, as associate general counsel and legal director, on cross-border investment and M&A transactions. Leveraging that experience, Chris provides clients with creative, business-forward, and solutions-oriented advice.Chris has been recognized as a top-tier advisor by numerous leading publications, including the Financial Times, Venture Capital Journal, San Francisco Business Times, and Daily Journal. He is on the leadership committee of the ABA’s Private Equity and Venture Capital Committee and frequent author and speaker on investment- and M&A-related topics and trends.At NYU School of Law, Chris was a Lederman Fellow in Law & Economics and on the executive board of the NYU Journal of Law & Business. He majored in business economics as an undergraduate at University of California, Santa Barbara.

Christopher McKinnon

Justin Haan is the chair of the firm's Technology Transactions Group, advising leading technology industry pioneers to help them navigate their most critical IP and technology needs.Justin’s practice focuses on transactions and counseling involving intellectual property and technology, including licensing arrangements, technology transfers, and joint development activities. Justin structures, drafts, and negotiates a wide range of commercial agreements, including software and content licenses, service agreements, reseller arrangements, and collaboration, manufacturing, supply and distribution agreements. He advises clients on the development, procurement and commercialization of cutting-edge technologies, including artificial intelligence, machine learning, augmented/virtual reality, semiconductors, data centers, cloud computing services, autonomous vehicles, and unmanned aircraft systems.  Justin also counsels clients on open source software, complex patent-related transactions, and the intellectual property aspects of M&A transactions. Justin’s experience includes advising OpenAI, Arm, Autodesk, Meta, Salesforce, SoftBank, Unity, and others on the IP aspects of complex projects involving cutting-edge technologies and fast-evolving areas of law. Justin serves on the firm’s AI industry committee, where he helps to lead and collaborate with attorneys across multiple practices on the rapid advances of generative AI. Justin is also a sought–after speaker and thought leader on artificial intelligence and has spoken at SXSW on the subject of multimodal AI.Before joining the firm, Justin was an intellectual property associate in the New York office of another global law firm.Justin received his J.D., with a certificate in law and technology, from the University of California, Berkeley School of Law, where he won the Prosser Prize in intellectual property in the entertainment industries and was an articles editor for the Berkeley Technology Law Journal. He received his A.B. from Harvard University.

Justin Haan

Chair of Technology Transactions Practice

Julie Park is the practice group chair of Morrison Foerster’s Complex Litigation + Advisement practice group and managing partner of the San Diego office.Julie protects her clients’ products throughout the product life cycle. Drawing on her deep technical and legal experience, she counsels clients on consumer product safety regulation and pharmaceutical and medical device preemption. She manages complex and multijurisdictional litigation both in state and federal court and also guides clients through product recalls.Clients appreciate Julie’s ability to assess both the practical business implications and legal impact of a matter. They also value the way she recommends solutions that meet their objectives.Julie is committed to providing thought leadership for her clients. She is an editor of, and frequent contributor to, MoFo’s <a href="http://classdismissed.mofo.com/" target="_blank">Class Dismissed</a> blog, where she provides insights on class-action and product–related issues affecting companies in the consumer arena. She has been recognized for her writing as a top author in the JD Supra Readers’ Choice Awards, 2016–2019.Julie is also committed to pro bono service and diversity in the legal profession. While at Harvard Law School, she worked at the Harvard Legal Aid Bureau, a nonprofit law firm that provides free legal services. She has continued her pro bono work at MoFo, which has resulted in her being a regular recipient of the Wiley W. Manuel Award from the California State Bar for pro bono contributions. She co-chairs the firm’s Women’s Strategy Committee and has served on the Associates Steering Committee of Athena San Diego, an organization that promotes professional growth for women executives and rising managers in science and technology.Julie brings an industry perspective to her work with MoFo. Before going to law school, she was a medicinal chemist at Pfizer, where she researched cancer drugs.Beyond her impressive legal work, Julie has a life in the arts. She is a professional-level violinist who performs with chamber music groups in the San Diego area and has played with the Harvard-Radcliffe Orchestra, Cambridge University Chamber Orchestra, and La Jolla Symphony.

HumanX 2026

06 Apr 2026 - 09 Apr 2026