Eric Akira Tate co-chairs the firm’s Global Employment and Labor Group. He represents technology and other companies in high-stakes (“bet-the-company”) trade secrets and employee mobility cases. He also represents boards of directors and companies in sensitive internal investigations, including #MeToo matters, whistleblower claims, discrimination, harassment, wrongful termination, and disputes involving executives.
He advises companies on employment law compliance and transactional matters, including restrictive covenants, personnel policies and procedures, and employment issues arising in mergers and acquisitions across the United States and globally.
His recent board and executive dispute work includes defending a publicly traded UK company against a wrongful termination suit brought by a former U.S. subsidiary CEO; representing a TSX-listed Canadian company in claims brought by two terminated C-suite executives; advising a publicly traded Japanese investment firm in the separation of a C-suite executive; and handling the separation of a CEO and more than 20 U.S. executives for a publicly traded Japanese healthcare company, including defending related discrimination and wrongful termination claims. He also represented a Fortune 200 technology company in an internal investigation involving discrimination and harassment allegations against a C-suite executive who later resigned.
In trade secrets and employee mobility matters, he represented Uber during diligence in its acquisition of Ottomotto, an autonomous vehicle startup founded by former Google engineers. He also helped lead Uber’s defense in a later patent infringement and trade secrets misappropriation case that settled during trial in 2018. His broader litigation experience spans matters involving companies such as Williams-Sonoma v. Restoration Hardware, International Lease Finance Co. v. Air Lease Corporation, Melaleuca, Inc. v. Shaklee Corporation, and New Century Mortgage v. Encore Credit.
He has been recognized by Chambers USA for Labor & Employment, Best Lawyers in employment law, the Daily Journal as a top California labor and employment and trade secrets lawyer, Benchmark Litigation as a Labor and Employment Star, and was named to Law360’s Employment Discrimination Editorial Advisory Board. He is a Fellow of the College of Labor and Employment Lawyers.
He is active in professional leadership, including service with the American Bar Association’s Labor and Employment Section, where he serves on the governing council and co-chairs a subcommittee on covenants not to compete and trade secrets. He has also held multiple leadership roles within ABA committees and conference planning groups, and has served as a mediator for the Northern District of California’s ADR program for nearly 15 years.
He is also a published author on employment law topics, including trade secrets, restrictive covenants, whistleblower standards, workplace bias, pay equity, and internal investigations, with work appearing in publications such as Today’s General Counsel, Daily Journal, LJN Employment Law Strategist, and Bloomberg BNA.
Beyond practice, he has held leadership and advisory roles in professional and community organizations, including founding and serving as president of Hapa Issues Forum, and leadership roles with the Japanese Cultural and Community Center of Northern California. He is also involved in mentorship and professional development initiatives, including INROADS, 100 Black Men of the Bay Area, and the Level Playing Field Institute’s IDEAL Scholars Program.
Luke Apfeld represents clients in all facets of commercial litigation.
Prior to joining Keker, Van Nest & Peters, he served as a law clerk to Judge John Owens of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit and to Judge Andrew Carter of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.
Mr. Apfeld earned his J.D. from the University of California, Berkeley, School of Law. He also holds a B.A. in English and Sociology from the University of Vermont.
During law school, he worked as a legal intern with the San Francisco City Attorney’s Office and volunteered with the East Bay Community Law Center’s Youth Defender Clinic.
Before his legal career, Mr. Apfeld was an NCAA basketball player and starting power forward at the University of Vermont. He has since remained active in the sport, serving as an assistant coach for the Scripps Ranch High School boys varsity basketball team in San Diego and as a coach for the Golden State Warriors youth development program in Oakland.
Favour is an associate in the San Francisco office and a member of the Firm’s North America Tax Practice Group. She advises on civil and criminal tax controversies, representing clients in administrative and judicial proceedings. Prior to joining the Firm, Favour interned with US Department of State and US Securities and Exchange Commission, where she gained valuable experience in various legal matters.
Practice Focus
Favour's practice involves all areas of US and international taxation, with an emphasis on advising US and non-US clients on all facets of tax dispute resolution.
Professional Honors
- Governor's Citation, The State of Maryland, 2019
Admissions
- U.S. Tax Court~United States (2025)
- California~United States (2024)
Education
- Howard University School of Law (JD) (2024)
- University of Baltimore (BA) (2020)
- Baltimore City Community College (AA) (2018)
Languages
Publications
- Co-author, "United States: DRDD - Dividends Received Deduction Denied," InsightPlus, 31 October 2024
- Co-author, "My Health My Data – Exceptions and Exemptions Examined," Connect On Tech, Baker McKenzie, 18 July 2023
With a breadth of experience spanning the transactional law space and corporate finance, Will brings a unique blend of insight and deal-focused precision to clients across the financial landscape.
Beginning his legal career as a bankruptcy litigator, Will developed a deep understanding and sensitivity to the dynamics of financial distress, creditor rights, and the strategic considerations that shape complex financings.
Will focuses primarily on structuring, documenting, and negotiating finance transactions, with a particular emphasis on asset-based lending, mezzanine and unitranche financings, second-lien financings, and complex intercreditor agreements. He regularly advises institutional investors, banks, startups, and established companies on complex financing arrangements and investment structures.
Will is known for delivering pragmatic, business-minded counsel that helps clients navigate the nuances of financial transactions while managing risk and driving value.
Will also has substantial experience advising companies on matters of entity formation and corporate governance.
Associations
- California State Bar, Member
- Texas State Bar, Member
- Sonoma County Bar Association, Member
Education
- University of North Texas, Bachelor of Arts (Political Science)
- Stanford Law School, Juris Doctor
Practice Area
- Corporate & Commercial
- Food & Beverage
- Mergers and Acquisitions
- Start-up & Early Stage Companies
Emma Baker is an Associate in the Chicago, Illinois office of Jackson Lewis P.C. She represents employers in all phases of litigation and before administrative agencies, including the California Civil Rights Department and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Her practice focuses on workplace law matters, including preventive advice and counseling.
Current Practice & Experience
At Jackson Lewis, Emma advises and defends employers in complex employment-related disputes. She regularly assists clients with navigating administrative proceedings and litigation while providing strategic counseling to minimize risk and promote compliance.
Prior Legal Experience
Before joining Jackson Lewis, Emma was an Associate at a prominent San Francisco law firm, where she developed experience in intellectual property and complex litigation in both federal and state courts. Her work included all stages of litigation, such as pretrial pleadings and motion practice, arbitration, and written discovery.
Law School Leadership & Activities
During law school, Emma was appointed by the Dean to serve on the Admissions Committee for the Class of 2024. She held numerous leadership roles, including Vice President of the King Hall Intellectual Property Law Association (KHIPLA) and Vice President of the Black Law Students Association (BLSA). She also served as a Symposium Editor for the Business Law Journal, a Teaching Assistant for 1L Legal Research and Writing I & II, a Research Assistant to Professor Donna Shestowsky, and a member of King Hall’s First-Generation Advocates Board.
Emma externed for the Honorable William J. Murray, Jr. at the Court of Appeal for the Third Appellate District of California. She earned both a Pro Bono Program Certificate and a Public Service Law Program Certificate and served BLSA in various leadership capacities at the local and regional levels. Among her accomplishments was founding and serving as Co-Chair of King Hall’s First Annual Martin Luther King Service Day.
Technology & Diversity Experience
Emma was selected as one of sixteen students nationwide for the inaugural class of the Law in Technology Diversity Collaborative Summer Associate Program. Through this program, she gained cross-company legal experience working both in-house at a technology company and alongside outside counsel, enabling her to better understand and anticipate client needs and processes.
Professional Approach
Emma thrives in high-pressure environments and is deeply client-focused. She is committed to providing high-level service and trusted guidance to employers navigating the complexities of workplace and employment law.