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Asal Saffari is an associate in the Intellectual Property Practice Group in Alston & Bird’s Los Angeles office. Her practice focuses on trademarks and brand management.
 
Asal has a broad range of experience helping companies protect their intellectual property on a global scale. Asal previously served as in-house trademark and brand protection counsel at Western Digital, a Fortune 500 
technology company. She managed the full lifecycle of global trademark portfolios spanning thousands of marks from the storied Western Digital and WD brands. Her tenure at the company additionally saw her provide strategic counsel on global product launches and rebranding efforts.
 
Asal has worked extensively on technology transactions and IP licensing across a variety of industries, including entertainment, sports, and apparel. While serving as in-house counsel at VOLCOM, she worked on complex licensing agreements in connection with Authentic Brands Group’s acquisition of VOLCOM’s global IP portfolio. In addition to her trademark and transactional work, Asal frequently advises stakeholders on copyright and domain name disputes.

Tyra Hughley Smith is the founder and principal attorney of Hughley Smith Law, PC, which focuses on intellectual property (specifically copyrights and trademarks) and business strategy and protection. Tyra holds a dual degree from the University of Southern California, where she obtained her Juris Doctorate from the Gould School of Law simultaneously with a Masters of Communication Management (M.C.M.) from the Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism.

Having started her legal career in house at a small service-based company, Tyra has 15 years of experience in protecting businesses both strategically and through intellectual property procurement and protection. She has worked with a broad spectrum of brands ranging from up-and-coming creatives to major corporations on both copyright and trademark prosecutions, transactions, licensing, and litigation. 
 
Tyra is passionate about equipping business owners with the tools they need to thrive. She also utilizes her IP prowess to co-counsel and assist other intellectual property attorneys in their matters. Tyra has created a masterclass, Copy Curious, which is a copyright primer for attorneys and legal professionals looking to dive into the realm of copyright law. She is a former Adjunct Professor, teaching undergraduate First Amendment Law and a former traditional magazine and newspaper journalist.