• Overview

Mr. Kasem is the managing partner of the California office. His practice is engaged primarily in competitive business practice issues, including general business litigation and transactional representation.

Mr. Kasem's practice emphasizes commercial and contract litigation, unfair competition and trade secret litigation, intellectual property, licensing, joint ventures, partnerships, and corporate and partnership dissolution. Mr. Kasem has represented clients in a wide variety of industries, including medicine and medical devices, security services, software and hardware technology, e-commerce, wholesale and distribution, real estate development, and retail. Although his client base is in both Northern and Southern California, he also represents clients' interests nationally and internationally.

Prior to forming Kasem Ko & Ahmed, Mr. Kasem spent over five years in the commercial litigation department of a large international law firm. Over his career, Mr. Kasem has litigated matters involving a broad spectrum of claims, including unfair competition, labor and employment, commercial transactions, intellectual property, and environmental disputes. He has also provided general counseling services to various small and mid-size businesses.

In addition to his commercial practice, Mr. Kasem is involved in many types of pro bono matters and provides general counsel services to nonprofit organizations. Mr. Kasem has been retained by nonprofit 501(c) organizations to establish and qualify for tax exemption and operate charitable and fund raising programs.

Mr. Kasem serves as external pro bono counsel to the UMMA Center. The UMMA Center is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing opportunities in employment, education, and community development for low-income residents of the Chicago metropolitan area. The UMMA Center offers opportunity and empowerment through a variety of training programs, classes, seminars, mentoring, and access to free food and computer usage offered to individuals of all racial, ethnic, and cultural backgrounds.

Mr. Kasem serves as pro bono counsel to the GiveLight Foundation, a non-profit humanitarian relief organization based out of the San Francisco Bay area. GiveLight is a crisis relief organization dedicated to supporting orphans in regions of the world afflicted by natural disasters. GiveLight seeks to create durable orphanages in these regions and provide orphans with food, clothing, shelter, education and the ability to dream again.

Mr. Kasem also provides general counsel services to Claiming Our World, located in the greater Boston area. Claiming Our World is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to providing support, companionship, mentorship and assistance to underprivileged women and children in underdeveloped nations.  Specifically, Claiming Our World aims to provide emotional, financial, and medical support to women and children during times of poverty, persecution, or war.  Additionally, the organization is in the process of developing a resource to allow women and children in the underdeveloped world easier access to scholarships available to study in Europe, the United States, and Australia.