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Get comprehensive legal services for the semiconductor industry from one of the top law firms on all aspects of semiconductor technology.

We have a deep understanding of the industry and the importance of semiconductors for nearly every piece of technology shaping our world, which is why our clients turn to us to advise them on all aspects related to semiconductor technology, including digital, mixed signal, and analog integrated circuits. 

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Semiconductor Legal Services

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SoftBank M&A Deals

Arm Holdings: Represented Arm on Largest IPO of 2023

Case Studies

Export Controls Enforcement and Policy: Key Trends and a Look-Ahead to 2026

Join MoFo for a CLE Webinar on the Enforcement Risks of Emerging Technologies in Electric Vehicles

Examining the CHIPS Act and the Intellectual Property Outcomes for the Tech Sector

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Semiconductors

Cybersecurity at the Core: EU and UK Cybersecurity Rules for the Semiconductor Sector

BIS Adopts 50% “Affiliates Rule”: Implications for Compliance and Enforcement

A Call to Action: President Trump’s Policy Blueprint for AI Development and Innovation

Potential Reforms to the UK Investment Screening Regime

New Federal AI Action Plan Prioritizes Deregulation, Infrastructure, and Global Leadership

私人诉权的确立以及新实施细则的出台进一步加强了中国《反外国制裁法》的执行力度

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MoFo Advises SoftBank on its $4 Billion Acquisition of DigitalBridge

MoFo Advises OpenAI on Co-Development of AI Accelerator Chips with Broadcom

Chris McKinnon Named Top 40 Under 40 Lawyer by the Daily Journal

World IP Review

End of the ‘Death Squad’? Squires puts PTAB on trial

MoFo Advises Veeco Instruments Inc. in $5.2 Billion Stock-for-Stock Merger

MoFo Advises SoftBank on $2 Billion Investment in Intel

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Rich is a nationally recognized intellectual property litigation attorney, with nearly 30 years of experience helping clients protect, enforce, and defend their most valuable IP assets in high-stakes disputes. He has served as global co-chair of the firm’s Litigation Department and spent a decade leading the firm’s Intellectual Property Group, advising clients at the intersection of cutting-edge technology and complex litigation.A registered patent lawyer, former Federal Circuit clerk, electrical engineer, and seasoned trial lawyer, Rich brings a rare combination of technical training and litigation experience to every matter. He represents clients across the full spectrum of intellectual property law, including patent, copyrights, trademark, and trade secret litigation and has handled over 150 IP matters over the course of his career. Rich has tried over a dozen cases to verdict or final award and regularly represents clients in state and federal trial and appellate courts, before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB), and in arbitration proceedings.Rich’s practice spans a wide range of advanced technologies, including software, cryptography, semiconductors, consumer electronics, and medical devices. In addition to litigation, he frequently advises clients on strategic offensive and defensive patent licensing and acquisition issues.Rich earned dual bachelor’s degrees in electrical engineering and economics from Stanford University and received his law degree from Columbia Law School, where he was a James Kent Scholar, a recipient of the Carroll G. Harper Prize, and a moot court editor. During law school, he clerked for the Honorable Sonia Sotomayor, then of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. After graduating, Rich clerked for the Honorable Paul R. Michel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.He maintains an active pro bono practice and is deeply engaged in public service. Since 2014, Rich has served as a Neutral Commissioner on the San Francisco Rent Stabilization and Arbitration Board. He also served two terms as president of the Asian Law Alliance and continues to serve on its board of directors. The organization provides pro bono legal assistance to the Asian and Pacific Islander community in Silicon Valley. Rich is a fellow of the American Bar Foundation.Earlier in his career, Rich tried multiple criminal cases—all to favorable verdicts—while serving with the San Francisco District Attorney’s Office.Outside of his legal practice, Rich is an avid endurance athlete and has completed five Ironman triathlons. His training reflects the same discipline, preparation, and resilience that characterize his approach to complex litigation.<h4>Representative Matters</h4><ul><li>Smartphone Litigation. Member of team that successfully tried a high-profile smartphone case, leading to a jury verdict of over $1 billion.</li><li>Whirlpool Corp. v. TST Water LLC (Eastern District of Texas). Led Whirlpool team that obtained $7.6 million jury verdict and willfulness finding against TST Water in a patent case involving refrigerator water filters.</li><li>Good Technology Corp. v. AirWatch, LLC (Northern District of California). Defended AirWatch against assertions of four patents by a competitor. The case settled after expert discovery.</li><li>Data Speed Technology LLC v. VMware, Inc. (District of Delaware). After every other defendant settled or was dismissed, convinced plaintiff to walk away and dismiss case against client VMware with prejudice.</li><li>Unified Messaging Solutions v. VMware, Inc. (Northern District of Illinois). Represented VMware in a patent infringement suit brought by a non-practicing entity alleging infringement by VMware’s Zimbra webmail product.</li><li>Augme Technologies LLC v. Yahoo!, Inc. (Northern District of California). Represented Yahoo! in a patent infringement suit involving Internet display advertising and media playback. Won summary judgment of non-infringement on Augme’s two asserted patents, and Augme stipulated to infringement of one of Yahoo!’s patents. The case was affirmed on appeal.</li><li>Discovery Communications, Inc. v. Amazon.com, Inc. (District of Delaware). Represented Discovery Communications in a patent infringement suit against Amazon.com alleging infringement by Amazon’s Kindle of Discovery’s patents for e-book reader technology. The case settled after a favorable claim construction ruling.</li><li>Medtronic Spine LLC v. Cozmed, LLC (Northern District of California). Obtained consent judgments of patent infringement and trade secret misappropriation against infringers in a matter involving balloon kyphoplasty.</li><li>Waugh v. Doyle, et al. (Northern District of California). Represented plaintiff in civil rights lawsuit. Court entered substantial monetary judgment in plaintiff’s favor prior to trial.</li></ul>

Richard Hung

Partner

Joe Sulzbach is a partner in the Transactions Department, focusing on mergers and acquisitions and private equity. Joe has represented numerous public and private entities in a variety of transactions, including domestic and cross-border merger and acquisition transactions, private equity transactions, joint ventures, and corporate governance matters. He has advised a broad range of clients across industries, including technology, media, and telecom (TMT), industrial, chemicals, consumer goods and retail, energy, healthcare and pharmaceuticals, and real estate.Joe has also represented a number of companies in engagements with activist stockholders, including in responding to Starboard Value, Carl Icahn, Elliott Management, JANA Partners, Farallon Capital Management, and VIEX Capital.In addition, Joe has represented investment banking firms and financial advisors in a variety of significant transactions, including representation of Qatalyst Partners, Evercore Partners, Greenhill, Ducera Securities, and Solomon Partners.Select examples of Joe’s experience include the following representations:<ul><li>SoftBank Group Corp. on its $4 billion acquisition of DigitalBridge Group, Inc., a leading global alternative asset manager dedicated to investing in digital infrastructure.</li></ul><ul><li>CPE on its strategic partnership with Restaurant Brands International Inc., under which CPE will invest $350 million in Burger King China.</li><li>Plymouth Industrial REIT, Inc. in its $2.1 billion sale to an affiliate of Makarora Management LP and Ares Alternative Credit funds.</li></ul><ul><li>Veeco Instruments Inc. in its $5.2 billion merger with Axcelis Technologies, Inc.</li><li>BearingPoint, an independent management and technology consultancy firm, on its joint venture with ABeam Consulting.</li><li>SoftBank Group Corp. on its $2 Billion investment Intel Corporation. </li><li>Hooter’s Inc. and Hoot Owl Restaurants, L.L.C. in the acquisition of over 100 restaurants from Hooters of America LLC, the iconic casual dining and sports entertainment chain.</li><li>Shaklee Corporation in its acquisition of substantially all the assets of Modere.</li></ul><ul><li>Infineon Technologies AG in its $2.5 billion acquisition of Marvell Technology’s automotive ethernet business.</li><li>SoftBank Group Corp. in its proposed up to $40 billion investment in OpenAI, America’s premier artificial intelligence (AI) company and developer of the transformational large language models that are driving the AI revolution.</li><li>Infineon Technologies AG in the sale of its Austin, TX foundry to SkyWater Technology.</li><li>NorthStar Healthcare Income, Inc. in its $900 million sale to an affiliate of Welltower Inc.</li><li>Cartica Acquisition Corp in its $2.75 billion business combination with Nidar Infrastructure Limited, India’s leading data center provider for artificial intelligence and high-performance compute services.</li><li>Centuri Holdings and parent company Southwest Gas Holdings in Centuri’s $353 million IPO and concurrent private placement.</li><li>U.S. Silica Holdings, Inc. in its $1.85 billion sale to entities affiliated with Apollo Global Management.</li><li>The rock band KISS and its co-founders Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley in the sale of substantially all rights related to KISS to Pophouse Entertainment.</li></ul><ul><li>Sekisui House, Ltd. in its $4.9 billion acquisition of M.D.C. Holdings, Inc.</li><li>Astellas Pharma Inc. in its $175 million acquisition of Propella Therapeutics, Inc.</li></ul><ul><li dir="ltr">Southwest Gas Holdings, Inc. in its adoption of a Tax-Free Spin Protection Plan.</li><li dir="ltr">Kyowa Kirin Co., Ltd. in its up to $477 million acquisition of Orchard Therapeutics plc, including CVR payment.</li><li dir="ltr">Sugar Foods Corporation in its sale to Pritzker Private Capital.</li></ul><ul><li>The News Lens Co., Ltd. in its $275 million business combination with Blue Ocean Acquisition Corporation.</li></ul><ul><li>Upland Software, Inc. in its adoption of a Tax Benefit Preservation Plan.</li></ul><ul><li>The Board of Directors and Special Committee of Toshiba in the $15.2 billion takeover of Toshiba by a consortium led by Japan Industrial Partners.</li><li>Infineon Technologies AG in the sale of its HiRel DC-DC converter business to Micross Components, Inc.</li></ul><ul><li>AgroFresh Solutions, Inc. in its $545 million going-private acquisition by Paine Schwartz Partners.</li><li>Unity Software Inc. in multiple transactions, including its all-stock $4.4 billion acquisition of ironSource and Unity’s concurrent $1 billion PIPE investment by Silver Lake and Sequoia, and in response to the related $13.6 billion unsolicited acquisition proposal from AppLovin Corporation.</li><li>Southwest Gas Holdings, Inc. in its defense against a hostile tender offer and proxy contest for board control by Carl Icahn, including adoption of a shareholder rights plan, and negotiated resolution.</li><li>Marrone Bio Innovations in its $244 million acquisition by Bioceres Crop Solutions Corp. in a stock-for-stock merger.</li><li>Paine Schwartz Partners, a global leader in sustainable food chain investing, in its new platform investment in Registrar Corp., a leading provider of supply chain compliance software and services to domestic and foreign food and beverage, medical device, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic customers.</li><li>Silver Crest Acquisition Corporation in its $1.7 billion business combination with TH International Limited (Tims China), a master franchisee and operator of Tim Hortons coffee shops in China.</li><li>Sky Harbour LLC in its $777 million business combination with Yellowstone Acquisition Company.</li><li>SoftBank Group Corp., as the largest investor in WeWork, in WeWork’s $9 billion business combination with BowX Acquisition Corp.</li><li>Leading provider of patient access and engagement platform in its sale to a publicly listed company.</li><li>ON Semiconductor Corporation in its adoption of a shareholder rights plan.</li><li>Whitestone REIT in its adoption of a shareholder rights plan.</li><li>Exantas Capital Corp. in the acquisition of its external management contract by ACRES Capital Corp. from C-III Capital Partners LLC, and $375 million financing from MassMutual and Oaktree Capital Management.</li><li>NTT Communications Corporation and Secure-24 in the acquisition of SymSoft Holding Inc. and Symmetry Holding Inc. from Symmetry Holdings, LLC, a portfolio company of Great Hill Equity Partners.</li><li>Kirin Holdings Company, Limited in its acquisition of approximately 40% of the capital stock of Thorne Holding Corp.</li><li>Rao’s Specialty Foods, Inc. in its sale to Sovos Brands, an affiliate of funds managed by Advent International.</li><li>JERA in its sale of a minority interest in Cricket Valley Energy Center to Development Bank of Japan.</li><li>JERA in the acquisition of a 43% stake in Cricket Valley Energy Center, the developer of a 1,000 MW natural gas-fired power plant located in Dover, New York.</li><li>Renesas Electronics in its $3.2 billion acquisition of Intersil Corporation.</li><li>DaVita HealthCare Partners in its acquisition of Renal Ventures Limited.</li><li>Inovalon Holdings, Inc. in its acquisition of Creehan Holding Co., Inc.</li><li>Inovalon Holdings, Inc. in its acquisition of Avalere Health, Inc.</li><li>GLP Pte. Ltd. in the acquisition of a $4.55 billion U.S. logistics portfolio from Industrial Income Trust.</li><li>JLB Group, LLC in its acquisition of Sneakz, LLC.</li><li>Futamura Chemical Co., Ltd. in its acquisition of the cellulose business of Innovia Films.</li><li>Kirin Holdings Company, Limited in its acquisition of approximately 24.5% of the capital stock of The Brooklyn Brewery Corporation.</li></ul>

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