ABOUT LIC
Legal Impact for Chickens (LIC) works to make factory-farm cruelty a liability.
LIC brings strategic lawsuits for chickens and other farmed animals. We develop and refine creative methods to enforce existing cruelty laws in factory farms, and to sue companies that break animal-welfare commitments.
LIC is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt charity.
OUR TEAM
ALENE ANELLO
President
LIC was founded by Alene Anello. Alene graduated from Harvard Law School, clerked for a federal judge, and then started litigating for animals. She has worked at People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), the Animal Legal Defense Fund, and The Good Food Institute. She is licensed to practice law in New York, the District of Columbia, and California.
Alene is committed to helping chickens to honor the memories of her two beloved avian family members, Conrad and Zeke.
You can read Alene's story here.
SARAH GOLD
Litigator
Sarah graduated from the University of California, Berkeley, School of Law in 2021. Prior to law school, Sarah worked as a shelter intern at Farm Sanctuary. During law school, she served as president of the Animal Law Society, and interned at Mercy for Animals.
After graduating, Sarah worked as a litigation associate at Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr. She is licensed to practice law in California only.
TAJINDER UPPAL
Litigation Intern
Taj is a rising 3L at Berkeley Law where he leads the Student Animal Legal Defense Fund. He has previously worked for the Sierra Club, the Animal Legal Defense Fund, and Direct Action Everywhere.
In his spare time, Taj enjoys writing, dancing, and playing basketball.
PACY YAN
Litigation Intern
Pacy is a rising 2L at Harvard Law School. Prior to law school, she studied philosophy with a minor in bioethics at New York University. In law school, Pacy participates in the Harvard Animal Law Society. In addition to animal law, she is also interested in the intersection of ethics and the law, as well as philosophy more generally.
In her free time, she enjoys video games, cooking, and reading.
TYLER LOBDELL
Board Chair
Tyler is a staff attorney with the national nonprofit advocacy organization Food & Water Watch, where he focuses on combating the environmental and public health harms of factory farming. He previously worked for the Animal Legal Defense Fund. Tyler spent 8 years leading conservation programs across the United States before becoming a lawyer.
Outside of work, Tyler enjoys hiking, biking, rock climbing, and skiing. He shares his life with his wife, his two sons, his dog Moco, and a small flock of rescue hens (Pearl, Ester, Sophia, Sophia II, Pepper, and Ginger).
ALICIA RODRIGUEZ
Board Member
Alicia is a fellow at Stray Dog Institute. She graduated from Harvard Law School in 2015, where she served as the President of the Student Animal Legal Defense Fund for two years and founded the university-wide Harvard Vegan Society. Following law school, Alicia worked as a corporate litigator at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom. She subsequently started The Land and Sea Institute, a nonprofit that supports sustainable food policy in local government.
SAMI NABULSI
Board Treasurer
Sami spent his career working for Morgan Stanley in various public equity roles, before deciding to leave the industry to focus on animal welfare. He currently serves as the CEO of the Voltaire Foundation of North America, an animal welfare charity, as well as the CEO and co-founder of Pythag Technologies, a cultivated meat focused company. Furthermore he serves as an advisor to VegTech Invest, the world's first plant based ETF and Nanobionic, a technology company focusing on materials.
STEPHANIE AHART
Board Secretary
Stephanie is a software engineer with 9 years of experience at both early-stage startups and large tech companies, such as Apple and Workday. Stephanie is passionate about animal advocacy and keen to connect her career experience to make a difference for animals.
In her spare time, Stephanie enjoys traveling, backpacking, and trying new vegan restaurants.
NIKITA YOGESHWARUN
Advisor
Nikita is an advocate for human and animal rights. She received a B.A. from Duke University and J.D. from Berkeley Law where she founded the Animal Law and Advocacy Project, Berkeley’s first legal clinic dedicated to animal law, and served as president of Animal Law Society.
Nikita is a member of the Animal Legal Defense Fund Pro Bono Network, the Foie Gras Coalition, and serves on the advisory committee for Animal Partisan. She has received several awards for her pro bono service.
WHY LEGAL IMPACT FOR CHICKENS?
Companies don’t follow laws that aren’t enforced. And prosecutors rarely enforce cruelty laws on factory farms, even when animal protection groups urge them to.
As a result, while several state cruelty laws technically cover farms, factory farms ignore them. Investigations in such states show rampant, unlawful neglect and abuse. Similarly, the animal movement’s effort to pass confinement bans may be wasted if those new bans aren’t enforced.
Strategic civil litigation offers a solution. Several little-known legal doctrines let plaintiffs sue in civil court for violation of a criminal law. Legal Impact for Chickens systematically develops and refines those doctrines to fight factory-farm cruelty.
Learn more here, or support us here.