Meet our Attorneys

John Buchaca has over 28 years of experience handling Intellectual Property law matters, including patents, trademarks and copyrights.  He currently focuses on patent prosecution for clients in a diverse range of fields, including medical devices, electronics, software, mechanics, manufacturing, construction, and material science.

Mr. Buchaca joined Henri Charmasson in private practice in 1997, and together they co-authored Patents, Trademarks & Copyrights for Dummies. Prior to practicing law, John worked in ocean acoustics analysis and software engineering.  

John earned a B.S. in Applied Mathematics from San Diego State University and his J.D. from Thomas Jefferson School of Law. 

Admitted to the State Bar of California, and the U.S. District Court Southern District of California.  Registered to practice before the United States Patent and Trademark Office.

In his 38+ year litigation career, Rob Leach has focused on representing individuals, small business owners and corporate clients in complex litigation matters including wrongful death, personal injury, employment law, business litigation and intellectual property.

After merging his firm with Charmasson & Buchaca in 2004, Mr. Leach expanded his practice to include obtaining trademark and copyright registrations, intellectual property rights enforcement, and intellectual property contract drafting and negotiation.

Rob graduated from the University of San Diego with Honors and earned his J.D. from University of San Diego Law School in 1987. He served as a Judge Pro Tem, San Diego County Superior Court, and was recognized by Super Lawyers in 2008 & 2009.

A lifelong resident of San Diego, Rob remains involved in his community.  He has served on the Board of Directors at St. Augustine High School for over 25 years and still enjoys coaching Jr. High football after 15 seasons.  

Admitted to the State Bar of California, the U.S. District Court Southern District of California, and the U.S. District Court Central District of California.

Education: 

• Robert H. McKinney School of Law, J.D.
• Purdue University - B.S., Chemical Engineering

Professional Licenses: 

• California State Bar - Bar Number: 331967 (2020, current)
• Patent Attorney - Registration: 78,732 (2020, current)

Areas of Practice: Prior to joining Charmasson, Buchaca and Leach, Ben worked as an Associate Attorney at a local law office. Originally from Indianapolis, Indiana he worked as a Patent Consultant, guiding clients through the patent process, before moving to San Diego. Ben was an Industrial Engineer at UPS as well.