Overview
Ms. Peterson is General Counsel to the Firm and handles all of its internal legal matters. Prior to joining Knobbe Martens in 2002, Ms. Peterson was General Counsel of Wynn Oil Company, a manufacturer of automotive additives and provider of service contracts, and Assistant General Counsel of Parker-Hannifin Corporation’s Seal Group, a manufacturer of rubber and engineered plastic products.
From 1993 to 2000, Ms. Peterson was Assistant General Counsel of Wynn’s International, Inc., a publicly-held corporation traded on the NYSE. From 1995 to 2000, Ms. Peterson also served as Corporate Secretary to Wynn’s International. From 1985 to 1993, Ms. Peterson was a corporate and securities law attorney with O’Melveny & Myers. At O’Melveny, Ms. Peterson’s practice focused on mergers and acquisitions, equity and debt financings, SEC compliance and general corporate law advice.
Education
- University of Hawaii - William S. Richardson School of Law (J.D., 1985)
- University of Hawaii (B.B.A. Accounting, 1982), With Distinction
Recognition
Awards & Honors
Winner, Los Angeles Times “Inspirational Women” Awards, 2023
Winner, Orange County Business Journal OC500: Most Influential Business People and Opinion Shapers in Orange County, 2016 and 2017
Editor-in-Chief, University of Hawaii Law Review, 1984-85
General Counsel of the Year Award, Private Company, Orange County Business Journal, 2011
Affiliations
Member, Corporate Counsel Section of Orange County Bar Association, 1993 to present
Chair, Corporate Counsel Section of Orange County Bar Association, 2009
Program Committee, Corporate Counsel Section of Orange County Bar Association, 2006 to 2008
Member, Professionalism and Ethics Section, Orange County Bar Association, 2007 to 2013
Member, Orange County Asian American Bar Association, Member, 2018
Member of the Board of Directors, Human Options (non-profit shelter and counseling for victims of domestic violence), 2013 to present; co-founder of The Sisterhood of Human Options
Board Member, American Heart Association, Orange County Division, 2017 to present
Board Member, Legal Aid Society of Orange County, 2006 to 2012
News & Insights
Speeches & Seminars
Panelist, “Three Must-Know GCs in OC,” Orange County Asian American Bar Association, 2017
Panelist, “Hot Topics in Ethics for IP Counsel,” State Bar of California 42nd Annual IP Institute, 2017
Speaker, “Eliminating Bias in the Legal Profession: Why Diversity and Breaking Down Stereotypes are Good for Business,” Orange County Bar Association Last Dash MCLE Program, 2015
Speaker, “Legal Aspects of Producing an Independent Film—War Stories from the Front Lines,” Orange County Bar Association, Entertainment, Sports & Marketing Law Section, 2014
Legal Guide to Intellectual Property, with Catherine J. Holland, Vito A. Canuso III, Diane M. Reed, Sabing H. Lee and Andrew I. Kimmel, Entrepreneur Press, 2007
Panelist, “Practicing Law in Orange County,” Orange County Diversity Task Force presentation for UC Irvine students, 2007
Panelist, “The Good, the Bad and the Unethical: 21st Century Ethics Issues,” Los Angeles Bar Association IP and Entertainment Law Section Symposium, 2009