Marwa’s practice is varied and multifaceted. Talented and experienced, she represents individuals and businesses in general civil and commercial disputes, including antitrust, trademark, copyright, trade secrets, breach of contract, and unfair competition.
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Marwa’s practice is varied and multifaceted. Talented and experienced, she represents individuals and businesses in general civil and commercial disputes, including antitrust, trademark, copyright, trade secrets, breach of contract, and unfair competition.
Highlights
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Honored with the 2009 California Lawyer of the Year Award from California Lawyer magazine and selected as one of the top 20 attorneys in California under the age of 40 by the Daily Journal and one of the top 40 lawyers under 40 by the Silicon Valley Business Journal.
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Honored by the YWCA of Silicon Valley with a Tribute to Women and Industry (TWIN) Award in 2009.
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Selected as one of the top 100 litigators in California by the Daily Journal in 2009.
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Named to the Northern California Super Lawyers – Rising Stars, 2009.
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Received the California State Bar President's Pro Bono Services Award.
Representative Matters
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Successfully prosecuted an appeal on behalf of a Stanford graduate student from Indonesia who found herself inexplicably on the No-Fly List, and obtained a judgment in favor of her client. In a decided victory, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals agreed to allow federal trial judges to adjudicate the make up of the No-Fly List.
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Represented a major Silicon Valley company in a malicious prosecution action based on an underlying patent infringement lawsuit. Defended the same company in a copyright infringement action.
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Secured a favorable appellate decision in an action for misappropriation of trade secrets, in a published opinion by the California Court of Appeal for the Sixth Appellate District.
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Represented Feld Entertainment, Inc., dba Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, since the year 2000, in all local legal matters, including business licensing issues, contract disputes, and third-party subpoenas served on the company. Obtained the dismissal of a federal action filed against Feld Entertainment and successfully defended its former star performer, Mark Oliver Gebel, in a criminal trial, obtaining an acquittal in record time. Also secured her client’s right to do business without unwarranted interruption in an unpublished Ninth Circuit opinion.
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Played a lead role in collaborating with joint defense counsel to dismiss a federal case involving 18 named defendants and a plaintiff seeking equitable relief for the alleged violation of title insurance laws in 49 states. Also defended the client when a similar action was filed in the San Francisco Superior Court.
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Secured a favorable judgment in an action against a local municipality seeking records under the California Public Records Act.
Reported Cases
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Ibrahim v. Department of Homeland Security (9th Cir. Feb. 8, 2012, No. 10-15873) 2012 WL 390126.
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County of Santa Clara v. Superior Court (2009) 2009 WL 377172.
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Sutter's Place v. Superior Court (2008) 161 Cal.App.4th 1370.
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Ibrahim v. Dept. of Homeland Security (9th Cir. 2008) 538 F.3d 1250.
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Jasmine Networks, Inc. v. Marvell Semiconductor, Inc. (2004) 117 Cal.App. 4th 794.
Professional and Community Contributions
Marwa has served on the Board of Directors of the Interfaith Networks Group and as President of the Bay Area Association of Muslim Lawyers. She currently works with Muslim Advocates, a national organization of Muslim lawyers, as an attorney advisor on various projects. A member of the Santa Clara County Bar Association, she previously taught a business law class at U.C. Berkeley, has given lectures to the San Mateo County and California State Bars, and has spoken before entrepreneurial groups such as the Organization of Pakistani Entrepreneurs (OPEN Silicon Valley). Marwa currently serves as a member of the Standing Committee on Professional Conduct for the United States District Court, Northern District of California.
Articles
Admissions
State Bar of California
U.S. District Court, Northern, Central, Southern, and Eastern Districts of California
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit
Education
J.D., Santa Clara University School of Law, 1999
B.S., University of California, Riverside, 1996
Languages
Arabic