Profile

Emil J. Ali provides legal representation of professionals across regulated industries to limit, defend, and deflect liability in regulatory and professional conduct investigations, enforcement actions, arbitrations, and court cases. His diverse experience affords him the ability to provide advice and counsel to licensed professionals including attorneys, investment advisors, broker-dealers, and registered representatives.

Emil's experience includes working within the United States Patent and Trademark Office, Office of Enrollment and Discipline (OED). While at the OED, he helped to promulgate the USPTO Rules of Professional Conduct. His unique experience affords him an understanding of the regulation of the legal profession. He also provides guidance to law firms and attorneys regarding employment transitions and the related conflicts, and represents some of the most well-known intellectual property firms in resolving ethical dilemmas.  As a registered patent attorney, Emil understands the nuances of patent prosecution and litigation, as well as the unique obligations of patent and trademark practitioners who practice before the USPTO.  His work includes focused efforts to understand the intersection of specialized IP & Ethics issues, including subject matter conflicts, PTAB and TTAB sanctions issues, as well as inequitable conduct and duty of disclosure issues.  Additionally, Emil is an adjunct professor of law at Lewis and Clark Law School in Portland, OR where he teaches legal ethics.

Emil also spent time at the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia as a Special Assistant United States Attorney. There, he worked closely with Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation to prosecute a variety of crimes in the District of Columbia.

Emil previously worked for the United States Department of Labor (DOL), Employee Benefits Security Administration where he focused his time on issues related to the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA). His experience at the DOL allows him to help clients understand the complex provisions of ERISA, including fiduciary obligations. Emil also managed the commercial regulatory affairs program at Providence Health Plan where he led a team of professionals to provide regulatory compliance assistance for a multi-billion-dollar health insurance issuer.

Emil has represented clients before the SEC, various state securities regulators, state accountancy boards, medical and osteopathic boards, the USPTO, various state bars, and within state and federal courts.  He is often called upon to provide advice and has been retained as an expert to help panel counsel and hearing officers understand the nuances of USPTO matters.

In his spare time, Emil enjoys spending time with his family, travelling, and working to improve the legal profession by working on lawyer well-being and diversity issues.