This profile is part of a series introducing Procopio attorneys.

When not assisting clients leverage their intellectual property through licensing and technology agreements, you’re likely to find Eli Mansour in motion. The co-leader of Procopio’s Licensing and Technology Transactions group is also a licensed commercial airplane and helicopter pilot. Eli also loves sailing, paragliding and windsurfing. His latest passion involves not air or water but pavement, as he now spends a lot of time criss-crossing San Diego on an electric unicyle.

A practicing attorney for thirty years dedicated to helping companies grow, from life sciences to software, Eli was in motion prior to settling into his legal practice in San Diego. Born in Beirut, Lebanon, he and his family moved to Maryland when he was eight years old, leaving behind the increasing dangers of a country in the depths of a violent civil war. Living along the Chesapeake Bay first introduced him to sailing—“You can’t live in Annapolis and not sail,” Eli says—and a pilot uncle who fought the Germans in dog fights in World War II sparked his love of flying.

It was working in the family furniture business that led Eli to a career serving businesses of all sizes. “My father was very innovative” in his craft, Eli says, but it was a small business. “I did everything, from legal work to marketing.” To this day Eli brings his clients an understanding of the many challenges they face. “I love helping our clients achieve their goals by solving complex problems and finding solutions that protect their interests without creating impediments that could prevent consummation of transactions.”

Eli is never bored in his work. “I love working through a complex client issue, learning about the client’s business, goals and concerns, and finding and implementing an ideal solution to achieve their goals while addressing their concerns,” Eli says. “Every transaction is different, involving learning about different technologies.” He counsels his clients to establish a strong IP foundation to protect their innovations while creating a tempting target for investors.

Eli’s flexibility in finding creative growth opportunities for his clients likely stems from his lifelong passion for tinkering. He loves building things—he’s assembled a fair number of computers in his day—and also taking things apart, driven by a passion for learning how they work. He admires inventors who can see beyond their time, like Leonardo DaVinci. “He had an amazing mind and foresaw the future,” Eli says of the inventor who conceived of devices capable of flight.

Eli not only loves to fly, he co-leads Procopio’s Aviation group and assists many clients acquire, lease or share turboprop and turbojet aircraft. Not unlike his IP licensing work, his aviation practice enables entrepreneurs to better meet their business needs through increased efficiency.

After attending law school in Washington, D.C., Eli practiced law in the nation’s capital, meeting and marrying his wife, a native San Diegan. “I fell in love with San Diego as soon as I visited for the first time,” Eli says. “It’s great flying and sailing weather!” They’ve made their home in San Diego for many years, raising a son who is now a teenager.

A lifelong learner, Eli encourages that same approach in the associates he works with at Procopio. “Tackle each new project as an opportunity to learn,” he says, “and enjoy the experience.”