IRENE YANG, co-head of the firm’s IP Litigation practice, is a trial lawyer representing clients in the high tech and life sciences industries in their intellectual property and complex commercial disputes. Clients emphasize that “Irene shows unwavering dedication to her clients. She is an invaluable strategic partner in navigating tricky issues” (Chambers USA, 2024).
Irene has secured notable victories in jury trials and has spearheaded litigation teams to achieve pre-trial successes. She frequently acts as lead counsel in critical disputes for her clients across various industries, leveraging her background handling disputes involving complex technologies as well as her understanding of her clients’ business objectives to develop successful IP and litigation strategies. Her litigation experience spans patent litigation, trade secret claims, commercial contractual disputes and business torts, trademark and trade dress infringement claims, antitrust litigation, and copyright infringement claims.
“Irene Yang is ‘nothing short of remarkable. She is an extremely hardworking and skilled practitioner, who is very knowledgeable, highly organised and diligent, and provides sound practical advice. She is very responsive…’”
IAM Patent 1000 2023
Irene’s extensive experience covers a diverse set of products and technologies, such as networking and telecommunications, software, semiconductors, cybersecurity, medical devices, pharmaceuticals, and consumer devices. In addition, she has litigated and counseled clients on FRAND obligations for standard-essential patents. She has represented clients before the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit; U.S. district courts in California, Texas, Delaware, Illinois, Washington, New York, and Florida; the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC); the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB); and California state courts. She also counsels clients on intellectual property issues, negotiates pre-litigation patent portfolio licenses, assists with intellectual property due diligence in connection with transactional matters, and serves as a court-appointed mediator for the Northern District of California’s Alternative Dispute Resolution program. Irene’s pro bono work includes veterans’ benefits applications and litigation and immigration and asylum proceedings.
Irene earned a J.D. from the University of California, Davis School of Law and a B.S. in computer science from Stanford University.
Awards and Rankings
- Benchmark Litigation’s “Future Star” (2024 – 2025) and “40 & Under List” for IP Litigation (2022)
- Chambers USA: California – Intellectual Property: Patent Litigation (2022 – 2024)
- Daily Journal, “Top Intellectual Property Lawyer” (2024)
- IAM Patent 1000 (2023 – 2024)
- Lawdragon, “500 Leading Litigators in America” (2022 – 2024)
- Law360, “Rising Star” (2019)
- Super Lawyers, Northern California (2019 ‒ 2020; 2023 – 2024)
- Super Lawyers, “Rising Star” (2016)