As global birth rates decline, raising concerns about shrinking labor forces and falling GDPs, Japan’s government is trying to make it easier for workers to become parents by offering paid time off for fertility treatment. Beginning in January 2022, employees of the Japanese national employees will...
Since the COVID-19 lockdowns in early 2020, demand for fertility services has skyrocketed. Fertility clinics and IVF providers report a recent rush on services, the result of a “perfect storm” of pandemic-defrayed dating and parenting plans, more at-home time to consider and pursue parenthood, and...
Swiss voters will decide September 26 whether to legalize same-sex marriage, a change in the law that also would give lesbian couples access to donor sperm and same-sex couples the ability to adopt children together. Both houses of the Swiss parliament approved the new law in...
A proposed law now before Congress would guarantee parents who undergo failure of fertility treatments such as in vitro fertilization (IVF) or surrogacy, as well as those who lose babies through miscarriage or failed adoptions, have access to paid time off to recover and to...
Currently pending before Congress is legislation that would offer an expanded range of fertility treatment services to U.S. veterans, including to many LGBTQ+ veterans who have previously been denied equal benefits due to narrow, outdated and discriminatory Veterans Administration rules. We’ve been following this issue and...
Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch filed a brief on July 22 asking the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn Roe v. Wade, the landmark 1973 decision establishing a woman’s right to an abortion prior to fetal viability outside the womb. As reported by MississippiFreePress.org, Fitch’s brief was...
Several companies now offer a new type of genetic screening to determine which embryos created with in vitro fertilization have a higher risk of developing common diseases such as diabetes or heart disease. The same technology is being marketed, and sometimes used, to select those...
A coalition of women’s health organizations and advocates is challenging the onerous new Texas abortion ban, due to take effect in September, by suing the judges, county clerks and professional licensing organizations that would be responsible for enforcing it. The group’s legal strategy is an unusual...
The government of Israel must end its ban on surrogacy for gay men and single men within six months, the nation’s top court ruled on July 11. The ruling follows a years-long campaign by LGBTQ and reproductive rights activists to give Israeli same-sex couples and...
[vc_row css_animation="" row_type="row" use_row_as_full_screen_section="no" type="full_width" angled_section="no" text_align="left" background_image_as_pattern="without_pattern"][vc_column][vc_column_text] In a win for the international “fertility equality” movement, the French parliament voted on June 29, 2021, to give lesbians and single women the same rights as heterosexual coupled women to create families using assisted reproductive technology. The legislation...
The Michigan Court of Appeals recently ruled that lesbian mom LaNesha Matthews, who gave birth to twin daughters created by “reciprocal IVF” with her then partner Kyresha LeFever some 10 years ago, is a legal parent to the girls. The April 2021 decision overturned an earlier...
Yesterday’s U.S. Supreme Court decision in support of a Philadelphia Catholic foster agency that refuses to place children in LGBTQ-parented households does not give organizations the right to discriminate based on religious beliefs. But it leaves the door open for inevitable future challenges to equal...
More than a third of transgender people—who constitute an estimated 0.7 percent of the U.S. population—want to have biological children—either right now, or in the future. Yet, according to a report by Medscape, a news source targeted to physicians and health care professionals, only 10...
As we begin LGBTQ Pride Month, I am proud to recommend a great new book, Love Comes First: Creating LGBTQ Families, by Dr. Bradford Kolb, MD, and Melinda Maerker, with photographs by David Miller. I contributed to a chapter in the book on the legal...
In this Fertility Café podcast, I join host Eloise Drane of Family Inceptions to discuss surrogacy and what intended parents and surrogates need to know about preparing legally for this life-changing event. As Eloise and I discuss, things have changed a lot since my husband and...
I was delighted recently to be a featured guest on Cleveland NBC affiliate WKYC’s podcast, “3 Things to Know with Stephanie Haney,” in which the host and I discussed egg freezing as a means of fertility preservation and what women need to know about this...
Egg freezing, or oocyte cryopreservation, already growing in popularity as a way to preserve fertility against disease and to postpone childbearing for career reasons, has exploded during the COVID-19 era. Early predictions of a post COVID-19 “baby boom” as an end product of enforced home confinement...
The U.S. Supreme Court announced May 17 that it will hear the case challenging a Mississippi abortion law that, if upheld, would effectively overturn Roe v. Wade. The Mississippi law, which was overruled by lower federal courts based on Supreme Court precedent, would ban abortions in...
We at IFLG, our colleagues in the field of assisted reproductive technology (ART) and advocates for families everywhere are celebrating a long-awaited victory today: The U.S. State Department has officially updated its policy to recognize the U.S. citizenship of children born abroad via assisted reproduction...
As more people use assisted reproductive technologies such as in vitro fertilization (IVF) and cryopreservation to become parents, more conflicts over the treatment and disposition of unused embryos are ending up in court. From divorce-related disputes over embryo custody to lawsuits against cryopreservation facilities that lose...
Arizona has passed a broad-based law that makes it a felony for a physician to perform an abortion because of a fetal genetic abnormality or for anyone to fund an abortion for that reason. The law also allows the father or, if the mother is...
Congratulations to NBC co-chief White House correspondent Kristen Welker and her husband, marketing executive John Hughes, who announced recently on NBC’s Today Show that they are expecting a baby daughter in June—born with the help of a surrogate. Welker’s brave decision to speak out about...
Colorado is poised to sign into law the state’s first comprehensive surrogacy statute, establishing requirements for legally enforceable surrogacy. Surrogacy law in the United States varies widely from state-to-state, from “surrogacy-friendly” states such as California, where intended parents can obtain court orders of parentage even before...
The recent pandemic-related surge in in vitro fertilization will inevitably contribute to a growing number of legal disputes over the disposition of unused embryos. The best way to avoid what can be heart-wrenching conflict is a legally enforceable agreement that spells out clearly how embryos...
Peiya Wang joined IFLG as a paralegal in 2015, where she manages surrogacy, egg donation and parental establishment cases and provides translation services for many of IFLG’s international clients. Peiya moved to the United States in 2012 to attend Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts, receiving a Master of Science degree in Global Studies and International Affairs in 2014. Peiya moved to Los Angeles in 2015, received her paralegal certification from UCLA Extension, and obtained her second Master of Science degree in Legal Studies from Loyola Law School. Peiya relocated back to her hometown, Beijing, China in 2019 and works from IFLG’s Beijing office. When away from the office, Peiya is a dragon boat paddler and a ballroom dancer, where she favors Rumbas and Cha-chas. She is fluent in Mandarin and English.
Katie is a Senior Paralegal with IFLG and has dedicated over sixteen years to the areas of surrogacy and reproductive law. She received her Paralegal Certificate from Coastline Community College and has worked with some of the top law firms in the assisted reproduction community. Katie is also a commissioned Notary Public. With IFLG, Katie manages Surrogacy, Egg Donation, and Parental Establishment cases and provides support to other IFLG team members. Katie truly enjoys helping others build their families through assisted reproduction and is thankful she has had the rewarding experience of assisting IFLG clients. Katie often spends her free time with her Husband, four young children and her bulldog “Bella”.
Luis R. Sosa joined IFLG as a paralegal in 2016, where he enjoys pursuing his passion for family and reproductive law. While working toward his bachelor’s degree at Florida International University which he received in 2013, Luis worked as a paralegal and legal assistant for family law litigation firms in Miami and Washington, D.C. As a paralegal and case manager for IFLG, Luis, who is bilingual in English and Spanish, manages surrogacy, egg donation and other reproductive law cases. Luis has worked for IFLG in both Los Angeles as well as San Francisco, and is currently based in Dallas, Texas. In addition to spending time with husband Randy and dog Marty, Luis enjoys being outdoors and appreciating the arts.
Alexander joined IFLG as a legal assistant in 2019, where he manages surrogacy, egg donation and parental establishment cases. Alex is bilingual in English and Spanish and has been in the legal field for 23 years. Alex is excited to join the IFLG team and pursuing his will to help others in the reproductive law process. In his spare time he loves spending time with his family and friends, being outdoors, road trips, loves music and dancing.
After receiving her B.S. in Business Management, Toni joined IFLG to pursue her dream of working in the legal field. As a Paralegal with over 10 years of experience in the assisted reproduction technology field, Toni is our Managing Paralegal, responsible for training and managing our paralegal staff. From drafting legal documents to assisting our clients with post-birth matters, Toni embraces the challenge of learning something new in this field each day. Besides spending time with her son, Jordan, Toni enjoys exploring new things, cooking, spending time with family and friends, and serving as a Youth Advisor for “Next Generation.”
Miesha Cowart joined IFLG as a financial specialist in 2014 following a successful career in development and business finance. Miesha previously worked for 10 years in the construction industry as a controller and for 13 years as Development Coordinator for the non-profit U.S. Fund for UNICEF. In her free time, Miesha works with “Next Generation” at her church. “They are my heartbeats!” she says of the youth in her community.
Kim has over 30 years of experience in the legal field and has worked exclusively in surrogacy and assisted reproduction law since 1999. Kim is a senior case manager responsible for managing parental establishment cases and interacting with IFLG’s Of Counsel attorneys across the country. With three children of her own, Kim understands the importance of family and finds working in this area of law a rewarding experience.
Attorney Rich Vaughn combined his personal passion as a father of twin boys born via assisted reproductive technology (ART) with more than 20 years of experience in business and technology law to build International Fertility Law Group. Today IFLG is one of the most successful and best-known law firms in the world focused exclusively on fertility law, helping thousands of intended parents through empathetic listening, compassionate guidance, and unmatched legal expertise. As an advocate for reproductive freedom, Rich also contributes his knowledge and time to improving the understanding and practice of ART law, most recently as a founder of and speaker at the first Cambridge University International Surrogacy Symposium held in June 2019, as immediate past chair of the American Bar Association ART Committee, and as a popular presenter to law schools, faculty and advocacy organizations all over the world.
Elizabeth received her Bachelors of Science degree in Criminal Justice from California State University of Los Angeles. Shortly after graduating, she continued her education at the University of California, Los Angeles where she obtained her Paralegal certificate. Elizabeth is fluent in Spanish and has been in the legal field since 2009. She is excited to be a part of the IFLG Team helping families realize their dreams.
Sunny joined IFLG as a paralegal in 2017, where she manages surrogacy, egg donation and parental establishment cases for many of IFLG’s international clients. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Philosophy from California State University of Los Angeles, where she graduated cum laude. Sunny is bilingual in English and Mandarin and has extensive experience as a legal assistant and paralegal at Los Angeles-area law firms. She is excited to be part of the IFLG team. In her spare time, Sunny enjoys spending time with her family and their dog, going to the beach, cooking, and being outdoors.
5757 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 645
Los Angeles, CA 90036
Phone: +1 323 331 9343
Email: info@iflg.net
Website: www.iflg.net
501 Fifth Avenue, Suite 1900
New York, NY 10017
Phone: +1 844 400 2016
Email: info@iflg.net
Website: www.iflg.net
Fertility law attorney Molly O’Brien began working in the field of assisted reproduction technology (ART) in 2005, at an egg donation agency and a surrogacy agency where she became familiar with all aspects of in-vitro fertilization, egg donation and the financial aspects of surrogacy. Since becoming an attorney in 2011, Molly has drafted and negotiated surrogacy, egg donation, sperm donation embryo donation agreements for hundreds of her clients all over the world.
Rubina has an extensive background in the legal field as a paralegal in Family Law and has worked in surrogacy and assisted reproduction law since 2012. Her area of focus is in managing and assisting clients with surrogacy, egg donation, and parental establishment cases for many of IFLG’s domestic and international clients. During her spare time, Rubina enjoys spending time with her family and dog Bella, traveling and cooking.
After receiving her paralegal certificate in 2005, Cara began working in assisted reproductive law. During the fifteen years Cara has worked in this field, she has gained a wide range of experience and knowledge that she uses to help better assist clients and those involved in the assisted reproductive journey. Cara’s primary roles involve managing parental establishment matters and coordination with IFLG’s Of Counsel attorney network, drafting contracts and parental establishment court documents and providing support to other team members. Cara finds great joy in being a small part of a team of caring people who help others achieve their dream of having a family. In her spare time, Cara enjoys spending time with her husband and three children, watching her children play the sports they love, and she enjoys, running, cycling and exploring the outdoors in the sun.
Stephanie received her BS in History and Political Thought from Concordia University Irvine in 2015 and her Paralegal Certificate from University of San Diego later that same year. She has been working as a Paralegal since 2016 in Family and Reproductive Law. She is excited to be part of International Fertility Law Group working on managing Surrogacy, Egg donation and Parental Establishment Cases.
With more than 20 years of experience in the field of accounting, Trish joined the IFLG team in 2019 as Assistant Financial Coordinator. Her client-facing focus at IFLG is to assist with all client trust accounting. Trish is the mother of two daughters and enjoys spending time teaching and learning new things from them. In her free time, she loves long walks in the park and reading suspense and mystery novels.
Elsa joined IFLG as a Legal Assistant in 2019, bringing more than 35 years of experience working in the legal profession (concentrating in tort and litigation matters). At IFLG she assists surrogates with their surrogacy and parental matters. The oldest of five siblings, born and raised in East Los Angeles to Mexican immigrant parents, Elsa loves “seeing the beauty of families forming” through assisted reproductive technology. She and her husband Carlos have four children and one grandson. Elsa enjoys jazz and ’80s music, being outdoors in nature, collecting teacups and tea pots, and spending time with her close-knit family.
