Meet The Team
Ben Esplin
President
Prior to founding Esplin & Associates, Ben was a partner at two different AMLAW 100 firms. Over the course of his career, Ben has had exposure to patent litigation, patent portfolio sales, and patent licensing. However, over time he has focused his efforts on patent portfolio strategy and patent application preparation and prosecution.
Otto Steinbusch
Principal Attorney
Otto specializes in intellectual property law matters including preparation and prosecution of U.S. and foreign patent applications, strategic intellectual property planning and patent portfolio management for both established and start-up clients.
T. Morgan Cope, Jr.
Principal Attorney, Patent and Trademark
Morgan has worked in the patent field for nearly 15 years. His experience allows him to perform exceptionally within all aspects of preparing and prosecuting patent applications. He enjoys working with clients to discuss their ideas, turning those ideas into robust patent applications, and advocating before the U.S. Patent Office to ultimately obtain issued U.S. Patents.
Victoria Spratt
Director of Operations
Victoria serves as the Director of Operations and is a founding member of Esplin & Associates. Leveraging over 13 years of experience in intellectual property, legal operations, and project management at IP Boutiques and Global 100 firms, Victoria oversees firm operations, accounting, finance, human resources, recruitment, and assists with the Undergraduate Internship Program.
Chelsea Pearsall
Director of Client Success
Chelsea Pearsall is the Director of Client Success and a founding member of the firm. Her responsibilities include educating and managing our team of paraprofessionals and interns, supporting business development through marketing initiatives and performance analysis, and serving as Client Liaison, with an overall objective to provide clients the best experience at each stage of their lifecycle.
Daneah Lagler
Senior Docketing Specialist
Daneah Lagler is a Senior Docketing Specialist with 18 years of experience in patent and trademark docketing. She manages U.S., international, and foreign filings, ensuring compliance with complex rules and procedures while maintaining accurate prosecution records.
Leah Hurtado
Paralegal
Leah is a graduate of the USD School of Law Paralegal Program, where she was first introduced to the area of Intellectual Property. That interest led her to secure an internship position at Esplin & Associates leading to her position as Paralegal.
Amy Williams
Paralegal
Amy graduated from the USD School of Law Paralegal Program. She began at Esplin & Associates as an intern. She became interested in law and intellectual property while earning a business degree from San Diego State University.
INTERN PROGRAM
Our internship program is designed to prepare interns for careers in intellectual property and will provide training and experience that will enable them to work immediately following graduation as patent agents. Below are the company assets that are currently interning for us. If you have what it takes to be part of our team, click the button below to learn more about the program.
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![Bravery Esplin]()
Bravery Esplin
INTERN
Brave is an ambitious and dedicated high school graduate interning at Esplin and Associates. Brave is driven by a passion for law and intellectual property, with a desire to make a positive impact in the workspace. Esplin and Associates gives Brave invaluable firsthand experience that can be applied later in his career.
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Slade Freeman
INTERN
Slade is a student at Mesa Community College and plans on attending Northern Arizona University in the fall. He is pursuing a degree in Psychology and aims to graduate with his MBA by 2028. Slade has been interested in law since high school which led to him applying for the internship at Esplin Legal. During his time here, he hopes to gain more knowledge about intellectual property and law. Along with gaining more knowledge about intellectual property, Slade hopes to improve his technological skills, using them throughout his endeavors.
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![Andreyes Lagler]()
Andreyes Lagler
INTERN
Andreyes Lagler is a graduate of San Diego State University, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in Communications, Rhetoric Writing Studies, and Philosophy. He has recently discovered a keen interest for Intellectual Property and is eager to gain hands-on experience during this internship. With a strong enthusiasm for learning, Andreyes looks forward to applying his new skills in his future endeavors.
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Maggie Zhang
IP INTERN
Maggie is a sophomore at the University of California, Irvine studying Computer Science with specializations in Intelligent Systems and Informatics. Her experience in software development and research sparked her interests in the field of intellectual property, and she intends to pursue a career in patent prosecution for software and consumer technology. As an intern and undergraduate, Maggie hopes to gain practical experience in the legal and technical fields before attending law school after graduation.
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![Alisha Choudhary]()
Alisha Choudhary
IP INTERN
Alisha holds a bachelor’s degree in Physics from the University of California, Irvine, and a master’s degree in Astronomy from San Diego State University. Her academic and professional experiences, particularly in scientific communication, have inspired a strong interest in intellectual property and patent law. She is eager to gain hands-on experience in patent prosecution and patent application preparation through her internship at Esplin Legal. Alisha is currently preparing for the Patent Bar and plans to attend law school in the future, with the goal of building a career in intellectual property law.
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Jay McMahon
IP INTERN
Jay is a senior studying Physics at the University of California, Berkeley, with a technical background in software development and electrical engineering projects. His interest in patent law grew from working on advanced physics research and circuitry design. As an intern, Jay aims to gain a solid foundation in intellectual property and patent law while developing insight into the responsibilities of a patent agent. The experience will assist him in preparation for the Patent Bar and transition into career as a patent agent after graduation.
