The Federal Bar Association’s San Diego Chapter selected Hannah E. Brown as the recipient for the Rising Attorney Award at its 2021 Annual Conference & Award Ceremony.
The Rising Attorney Award recognizes an outstanding attorney who has demonstrated a commitment to the legal profession through excellent advocacy and service to the local community. The recipient must have been admitted to the bar for no more than 7 years at the time of nomination and served as counsel of record in at least one case before the U.S. District Court or U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of California.
Hannah was born in Denver, Colorado and came out to Southern California to attend Chapman University. Enamored with the law, Hannah journeyed south and attended the University of San Diego School of Law on a merit scholarship. During her time in law school, she served as an editor for San Diego Law Review and completed judicial externships with the Honorable M. Margret McKeown and the Honorable Marilyn Huff. Following a year in private practice at Seltzer Caplan McMahon Vitek, Hannah returned to the Southern District as a law clerk for the Honorable Janis Sammartino. Hannah aided Judge Sammaratino with many cases, including a dispositive claim construction in a patent dispute involving bifunctional molecules and also Judge Sammartino’s multi-district antitrust litigation arising from price-fixing allegations against seafood manufacturers. Hannah loved her experience as a law clerk. So much so that she extended her time in public service with a two-year clerkship for the Honorable Cynthia Bashant. After her clerkship ended in 2020, Hannah joined Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani, LLP as a member of the firm’s Intellectual Property and Commercial Litigation practice groups. Hannah primarily works on a variety of copyright, trademark, and patent matters, and handles cases at all stages of litigation.
Hannah's service to the San Diego community extends beyond her time as a law clerk. She volunteered weekly for the San Diego Volunteer Lawyers Program’s Domestic Violence Clinic, where she helped victims of domestic violence apply for restraining orders. She also participated in the Southern District’s Community Outreach Program and mentors aspiring attorneys through her law school’s mentorship program.
Hannah has dedicated the early years of her career to the legal profession and the San Diego community. She is the embodiment of the Rising Attorney Award. The San Diego Chapter congratulates Hannah on this achievement, which is sure to be one of many in her exceptional legal career.