Tamany Vinson Bentz

Earlier this year, Bentz successfully resolved a case that represented novel territory in her career.

In the dispute, it wasn’t a misappropriated technology at stake, as it is in another suit she is litigating. Nor did her client work in the fashion, digital media or entertainment industries, as they often have throughout her career. Instead, the client was the family behind a beloved Los Angeles restaurant, and at stake were their recipes – including one for a Greek-inspired, red-orange chicken plate that Eater Los Angeles once called “legendary.”

Dino’s Chicken and Burgers Los Angeles LLC v. Dino’s Burgers LLC “was a fun case because it was a family trying to protect their legacy,” Bentz said. “Their father had started this business and developed a recipe that the family considered trade secret. Family members learned that an uncle, one of their father’s brothers, started a competing business.”

“Often in trade secrets cases, you’re talking about something else – you’re talking about a technology or something,” she added. “But I think for me, the highlight of the case was working with the family. You don’t often see that in [intellectual property.]”

Dino’s Chicken and Burgers may have differed from Bentz’s usual work, but the 15 years she’s spent working on intellectual property litigation – including trade secrets, patents, copyright and trademarks – has equipped her with a versatile skill set.

The key to her approach, Bentz said, is “really listening to the client” to find their objective, and “using all the areas of IP… included to get to that objective.”

Bentz has received plenty of recognition for her litigation work, but she doesn’t view those accolades as her greatest achievement.

“The thing I’m the most proud of is being a woman with two kids who’s a partner at a private law firm,” she said. “When I started practicing law, there were often times I was in court and I was one of the few female lawyers in the courtroom. As a young lawyer, it can be daunting.”

Her perspective as a mother and a lawyer, she said, informed her decision to pursue pro bono work in an entirely different field: immigration. With the assistance of Kids in Need of Defense, Bentz represents unaccompanied minors who have crossed the U.S. border from Mexico, helping them navigate the U.S. immigration system. Her interest was sparked, she said, when she found out that children as young as three were being forced to represent themselves in deportation proceedings.

“My youngest child was around that age at the time I learned that opinion, and I thought about how crazy it was because she literally could barely speak… that made me look into the area as [one] to get involved in. I think… there’s a lot of need for help in that area in Los Angeles.”

— Jessica Mach