Meet the NMR Staff

Cat Mineo

Student Fellow
Joined NMR in

Cat received her Bachelor of Arts degrees in English and Crime, Law, and Justice from the Pennsylvania State University, where she developed a strong interest in the legal field. Following her undergraduate time in Happy Valley, Cat worked for four years in the legal field as a paralegal in a variety of firm practice.

She moved to California from New Jersey to pursue her career as an attorney and was welcomed into the legal community of San Diego by joining the San Diego Legal Secretaries Association. Cat is entering her second year at California Western School of Law, where she is an active member and Board Secretary of the Student Intellectual Property Law Association.

In her free time, Cat can be found riding her bicycle, hiking the trails and canyons, or walking around in the beautiful Southern California weather.

Mike Flesuras

Legal Intern
Joined NMR in

My passion for playing music started at a young age. I spent countless hours listening to the radio learning any guitar riff I heard. Out of high school, I put off college to join a rock band. The band toured the U.S. with acts like Social Distortion, Thirty Seconds to Mars, Psychedelic Furs, and Unwritten Law. Later, while still writing music for my band, I began producing and writing songs for other artists as well. Having proficient knowledge of creating music, I decided to get a law degree to learn more about music law and business. I want to further my own knowledge but also help other musicians understand the music “business” and how to protect their music rights.

Samantha Lopez

Legal Intern
Joined NMR in

Samantha received her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology with a minor in Business Management from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Ready to escape from the scorching hot summers in Las Vegas, she decided to pursue her goals of becoming an attorney in beautiful San Diego, California.

Samantha is currently in her third year of law school at California Western and is an active member of the Entertainment and Sports Law Society. Samantha has gained further interest in Entertainment and Business Law and ultimately hopes to practice in these areas.

When Samantha is not studying or at the New Media Rights office, she is exercising, looking for new recipes to try, or catching up on Netflix.

Nathalie Garcia

Legal Intern
Joined NMR in

Prior to law school, I received a Bachelors of Science in Criminal Justice with a minor in Political Science from Florida International University. I worked in a human resources department for a media company for several years before deciding to pursue my dream of a legal career. I relocated to San Diego, California and began attending California Western School of Law.

Initially, I was interested in criminal law and after a few semesters interning in the area I decided that path is not for me. I realized how passionate I was when working in the media realm and wanted to find my way back into that area.

I am entering my third year of law school and have developed an interest in business, mergers and acquisitions, and intellectual property. I am extremely excited to embark in this journey at New Media Rights and look forward to learning about intellectual property.

When I am not at school, I enjoy spending time on the beach, hiking, cooking, traveling, and basketball season (GO Miami Heat!). 

Bryan Blanco

Student Fellow
Joined NMR in

Before attending California Western, Bryan worked with filmmakers and musicians in his hometown of Miami producing music videos and short films. Shorts he assisted on have played at Montreal’s Fantasia International Film Festival, Park City’s Slamdance Film Festival, and the Miami International Film Festival.

Bryan received his Bachelor of Arts in English with a focus on film studies from Florida International University. The film program at FIU lead him to study abroad in Czech Republic, where he attended the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival to learn the business behind film production. It was during his tenure at FIU he decided to take his passion in film to pursue a legal career in entertainment law.

Now entering his second year of law school, Bryan is looking forward to specializing in fields such as intellectual property, entertainment, and employment. After law school he wants to practice law and attend AFI’s producer program.

Outside of school and New Media Rights, Bryan spends most of his time with his dog, Rosco, exploring San Diego, watching movies, and playing records.

Juan Forero

Legal Intern
Joined NMR in

I am a Texas native and a proud Texas A&M Aggie class of 2013! I have been a “serial entrepreneur” all my life and since college, have successfully started two companies. Hoping to tie my passion with my skills, I relocated to sunny San Diego to attend California Western School of Law and pursue a career in intellectual property. Here, I have been heavily involved in all things copyright and trademark, including acting as the treasurer for the Student Intellectual Property Law Association, and as a certified student practitioner for the USPTO through their trademark clinic.

In an effort to help budding entrepreneurs with their intellectual property issues, I recently joined the New Media rights intern team and I am excited to learn and grow in this amazing legal field.

In my free time, I enjoy playing music, skating, and hitting the occasional tennis ball.

Ashley Nichols

Legal Intern
Joined NMR in
Ashley received her Bachelor of Science degree in Business Management from the University of Las Vegas Nevada. After obtaining her Bachelor's she went on to pursue her JD/MBA. Ashley completed one year of the dual program at UNLV before transferring to California Western School of Law to finish her degree. 
 
While in her first year of graduate school Ashley worked for an angel investment firm where she researched start-up tech companies. This is what sparked her interest in copyright infringement.  Additionally, Ashley is currently active in the acting community in San Diego, Los Angeles, and Las Vegas. After working with independent filmmakers, she developed an interest in entertainment law. 
 
Ashley is looking forward to working with other artists and helping them protect their craft. 

 

Mark Marquez

Legal Intern
Joined NMR in

Mark received his BA in English with a minor in Sociology from the University of California, Davis. Having taken courses in philosophy, sociology, criminal justice, and English throughout his undergraduate career, he became interested in intellectual property after learning about Freedom of Contract and Freedom of Expression—fundamental rights written in our Constitution.

His goal is to help content creators and businesses protect their expressions in diverse mediums, in our era of increasingly accessible communication. In his spare time, he enjoys watching movies, playing basketball and video games, drawing, writing, and going to the beach.

Madison Kovall

Legal Intern
Joined NMR in
Hailing from Pennsylvania, Madison attended West Virginia University and received a Bachelor's degree in Landscape Architecture and a minor in Theatre. Currently, she's President of Environmental Law Society and a part-time server at The Cheesecake Factory. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, the beach, and tasting all local food seen on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.  
 
Aside from being a tree hugger, she fell in love with the tech industry through my undergraduate major where she worked with AutoCad and SketchUp on a daily basis. As she enters her third year of law school, she's looking forward to specializing in creative legal fields such as intellectual property and land use.

Sarah Borrelli

Legal Intern
Joined NMR in

Sarah earned both her Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology- Archaeology and Master of Education degrees from University of Montana. After teaching elementary school for two years, Sarah chose to pursue her JD at California Western School of Law.

She is an avid sports fan and is interested in pursuing a career in sports law and intellectual property. She is the Executive Editor of Notes and Comments for the International Law Journal as well as an active member of Entertainment and Sports Law Society at California Western. She is excited to help fledgling artists and entrepreneurs realize their dreams.