Tamara Harris, Esq., LL.M.

Tamara Harris is an experienced attorney with a multidisciplinary practice encompassing intellectual property, employment law, contracts, consumer finance, workers’ compensation, business law, and related civil matters. With more than fourteen years of legal experience, she advises businesses, entrepreneurs, creators, employees, and organizations on protecting their rights, managing legal risk, resolving disputes, and advancing their commercial and professional objectives.

Tamara has substantial experience in trademark and copyright law, including trademark clearance and registration, copyright protection, licensing and work-for-hire agreements, trade-secret protection, infringement matters, and intellectual property portfolio strategy. She guides clients through proceedings before the United States Patent and Trademark Office and the U.S. Copyright Office, conducts trademark clearance and knockout searches, and advises clients on protecting, enforcing, and commercializing their intellectual property assets.

Her transactional practice includes reviewing, negotiating, and drafting a broad range of contracts and commercial agreements. She has advised entertainment and creative-industry professionals, startups, small businesses, and established organizations on music, media, production, licensing, confidentiality, and service agreements, with a focus on aligning legal protections with broader business and branding goals.

Tamara also advises clients on employment and workplace matters involving wage-and-hour compliance, employee classification, leave rights, compensation, workplace safety, and regulatory obligations. Her experience includes analyzing issues under federal and California employment laws and providing practical guidance concerning workplace policies, compliance obligations, and operational risk.

In addition, Tamara has handled matters involving consumer finance, workers’ compensation, entity formation, privacy, commercial disputes, and general business operations. Her work includes evaluating potential claims and defenses, drafting correspondence to opposing parties, conducting in-depth legal research, and developing practical solutions to complex legal and business issues.

Before joining Paul P. Cheng & Associates, Tamara served as an Intellectual Property Strategist and Staff Attorney in a small-business development program, where she advised emerging businesses on intellectual property, contracts, privacy, entity formation, employment matters, and commercial agreements. She has also worked with private law firms and creative-industry clients, providing pro bono legal and branding support to startups and community organizations.

Tamara is known for translating complex legal concepts into clear, practical guidance. Her approach combines legal precision, strategic analysis, and real-world business insight.

Education & Credentials

• LL.M., Entertainment & Media Law, Intellectual Property and Privacy Focus, Southwestern Law School
• J.D., Public Interest Law, Southwestern Law School
• B.A., Italian and B.A., International Relations, University of Southern California
• State Bar of California, 2012

Core Practice Focus

• Intellectual Property and Brand Protection
• Employment Law and Workplace Compliance
• Contracts and Commercial Agreements
• Trademark and Copyright Registration
• Licensing and Work-for-Hire Agreements
• Business Counseling and Commercial Disputes
• Consumer Finance and Workers’ Compensation