Jason Sheasby Highlights How Innovation Disputes Shape Daily Life in Los Angeles

Jason Sheasby, a Los Angeles-based partner at Irell & Manella LLP, points to the local ripple effects of intellectual property and technology disputes on jobs, healthcare, and consumer costs.

California, US, 25th February 2026, ZEX PR WIRE, Jason Sheasby, a partner at Irell & Manella LLP in Los Angeles, is drawing attention to a broader issue that reaches far beyond courtrooms: the way technology and intellectual property disputes can affect everyday life locally, from the cost of devices to the speed of medical innovation and the stability of high-skilled jobs.

In recent years, Los Angeles and the wider region have become a major hub for tech talent and venture-backed innovation. CBRE reports the Los Angeles and Orange County region's tech talent workforce reached 258,640 workers and includes 13,605 AI specialists. Colliers reports Los Angeles venture capital funding reached nearly $12.0 billion in 2025 across more than 720 deals, and Greater Los Angeles, including Orange County, recorded $17.7 billion.

As innovation accelerates, disputes over patents, licensing, and competition often follow. In 2024, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office granted 324,042 patents, up 4% from 2023, reflecting continued growth in patent activity.

Sheasby's recent matters have involved semiconductors, telecommunications standards, and biomedical technologies. Those sectors are not abstract categories in Los Angeles. They connect to the local workforce, local universities, and the health and technology products residents use daily.

Selected lines that capture the broader issue
From a recent feature profile:

1. "The verdict in the Netlist case came swiftly."

2. "His practice moves easily between patents, trade secrets, antitrust claims, regulatory compliance, and internal investigations."

3. "In a legal landscape often dominated by settlements and quiet resolutions, Sheasby's career has been defined by verdicts."

4. "The modern economy runs on code, semiconductors, biomedical breakthroughs, and global standards."

Local context and comparisons
The Los Angeles and Orange County region's tech talent workforce grew 13% from 2018 to 2023, reaching 258,640 workers.

The region is reported as the fourth-largest North American market for AI specialists, with 13,605.

Los Angeles venture capital funding reached nearly $12.0 billion in 2025 across 720+ deals, per Colliers.

Greater Los Angeles venture capital funding totaled $17.7 billion in 2025, ranking third nationally behind the SF Bay Area and the NY tri-state area, per the same report.

The USPTO granted 324,042 patents in 2024, up 4% from 2023, underscoring the scale of innovation that often drives licensing and infringement disputes.

Local action list: 10 steps to take this week
1. Read the IP terms on one key tool you use at work (software, AI tool, or platform) and note what you can and cannot share.

2. If you run a small business, inventory your brand assets: name, logo, product names, and key content. Keep them in one document.

3. Turn on two-factor authentication for work email and cloud storage to reduce the most common forms of account compromise.

4. If you build products, create a simple invention log: dates, sketches, meeting notes, and version history.

5. If you hire contractors, confirm who owns what in the contract for code, designs, and written work.

6. For founders, add a one-page IP checklist to onboarding: confidential info, permitted tools, and file handling rules.

7. For employees, keep personal side projects separate from employer devices and accounts.

8. For parents, talk to teens about copying and remixing online content and what "ownership" can mean in school and work.

9. Support a local science or engineering program, even in a small way, through a community college, school foundation, or nonprofit partner.

10. Pick one product you buy often and look up whether there is a local company making an alternative, then try it once.

How to find trustworthy local resources
Start with credible institutions: local university tech transfer offices, reputable bar association referral services, and established small business development centres.

Look for plain-language policies and clear fee structures. Avoid providers that promise guaranteed outcomes in legal disputes or rights enforcement.

When seeking legal help, confirm the lawyer's licensing status through the State Bar of California and ask who will actually handle your matter.

Take one local step today: write down the one innovation you are building, protecting, or relying on, then take one concrete action from the list above to safeguard it this week.

About Jason Sheasby
Jason Sheasby is a Los Angeles-based partner at Irell & Manella LLP who focuses on complex litigation involving intellectual property, including patents and technology disputes across sectors such as semiconductors, telecommunications, pharmaceuticals, and medical devices. He is also a co-founder of TORL Biotherapeutics and serves on the board of trustees for Pomona College.

This release was published on openPR.