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17 MoFo Partners Named Among Lawdragon’s 500 Leading Global IP Lawyers

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17 Morrison Foerster Partners are among those listed in the inaugural edition of Lawdragon’s 500 Leading Global IP Lawyers. The...

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17 Morrison Foerster Partners are among those listed in the inaugural edition of Lawdragon’s 500 Leading Global IP Lawyers. The list is compiled from journalistic research, submissions by firms and clients, and peer review. Lawyers and advisors are selected on the basis on their impact and the significant contributions they’ve made to the IP field.MoFo partners recognized on Lawdragon’s list of 500 Leading Global IP Lawyers include:<ul><li>Mehran Arjomand - Los Angeles: Tech Litigation, Patent, PTAB</li><li>Joseph C. Gratz - San Francisco: IP, Litigation, Copyright, Tech</li><li>Richard S.J. Hung - San Francisco: IP, Litigation, Patent, Trade Secret</li><li>Steven James - London: IP, Litigation, Tech</li><li>Joyce Liou - San Francisco: IP, Litigation, Trademark</li><li>Daniel P. Muino - Washington, D.C.: IP Litigation, Patent, ITC</li><li>Brian C. Nash - Austin: IP, Litigation, Patent, Trademark</li><li>Andrew L. Perito - San Francisco: IP, Litigation, Patent</li><li>Mary Prendergast - Washington, D.C.: IP Litigation, Patent, ITC</li><li>Bita Rahebi - Los Angeles: IP Litigation, Patent, Semiconductor</li><li>Aaron P. Rubin - San Francisco: Tech Transactions, IP</li><li>Timothy Chen Saulsbury - San Francisco: Patent Litigation, Technology</li><li>Tessa Schwartz - San Francisco: Technology Transactions, IP</li><li>Ragesh K. Tangri - San Francisco: IP Litigation</li><li>Mark L. Whitaker - Washington, D.C.: IP Litigation, Patent, Trade Secret</li><li>Janet Xiao - Palo Alto: Patent, Portfolio, Strategy</li><li>Alex S. Yap - Los Angeles: IP Litigation, Patent, PTAB</li></ul>Lawdragon is a leading digital media company that recognizes the most effective lawyers and legal professionals in a wide variety of industries and areas.View the entire <a href="https://www.lawdragon.com/guides/2025-05-23-the-inaugural-lawdragon-500-leading-global-ip-lawyers" target="_blank">list</a>.

17 MoFo Partners Named Among Lawdragon’s 500 Leading Global IP Lawyers

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Mehran Arjomand is chair of the firm's Patent Trial and Appeal Board Practice and heads the firm's technology patent practice. Mr. Arjomand began his legal career as a litigator. After five years, he joined Morrison & Foerster, where he developed a strong foundation in USPTO prosecution and procedure. With his combined litigation and prosecution experience, he is able to counsel clients on end-to-end strategies—from patent creation to patent challenges.In his role as chair of the firm's Inter Partes Review and Post Grant Practice and previously the firm's Patent Reexamination Group, he has overseen hundreds of post-grant proceedings. He not only initiates post-grant proceedings for petitioners but also defends patent owners in such proceedings, from filing to appeal. Mr. Arjomand also regularly provides strategic guidance for and management of post-grant proceedings co-pending with litigation.Representative completed post-grant matters include the following.<ul><li>PGR2017-00009 Successfully represented patent owner PhishMe in PGR. The USPTO denied the petition based on a PGR eligibility argument.</li></ul><ul><li>PGR2017-00001, IPR2017-00123 Defendant settled with petitioner Yuneec shortly after filing of petitions.</li></ul><ul><li>IPR2014-01266, -01313 Defended patent owner HML against two inter partes reviews by different parties, resulting in claim survival or petition denial. </li></ul><ul><li>IPR2013-00593, -00594, -00597, -00598  Represented petitioner Yamaha in a series of inter partes reviews in which all pending claims were found unpatentable in final written decisions by the USPTO.</li></ul><ul><li>IPR2013-00149 Shortly after inter partes reviews became available, filed and led this review for petitioner Wavelock Advanced Technology. All pending claims were subsequently cancelled by patent owner.</li></ul><ul><li>Reexamination Control No. 95/001,734 Prepared and led inter partes reexamination of patent asserted against Yahoo! All pending claims were cancelled.</li></ul><ul><li>Reexamination Control No. 95/001,381 Successfully defended patent owner through appeal. Federal Circuit issued a precedential decision,  805 F.3d 1350, in favor of Netlist.</li></ul><ul><li>Reexamination Control No. 95/000,293 Prepared and oversaw this inter partes reexamination of a patent asserted against EchoStar. All pending claims were cancelled or amended. The matter settled favorably for EchoStar.</li></ul><div>In addition to his practice relating to adversarial PTO proceedings, Mr. Arjomand regularly prosecutes patent applications. He concentrates his prosecution work on consumer electronics, semiconductor processing, and automotive technologies. Mr. Arjomand works closely with clients in these technology sectors to develop and manage their patent portfolios. Additionally, Mr. Arjomand lived in Japan in 2008, where he worked extensively with Japanese technology companies to develop their global patent portfolios.Mr. Arjomand received his B.S. in mechanical engineering from the University of California, Berkeley in 1991, where he graduated with high honors. He obtained his J.D. from Berkeley Law in 1995. Mr. Arjomand is admitted to practice in California and is registered to practice before the USPTO.</div>

Mehran Arjomand

Partner

Clients turn to Joe Gratz to handle trailblazing litigation where copyright and trademark law meet new technologies. An experienced litigator, Joe draws on his strong technical background to distill complex issues into simple, accurate concepts for judges, juries, and clients. Joe’s cases have set key precedents in Internet law, from the Google Books case that laid the groundwork for today’s generative AI innovations to key cases establishing the boundaries of intermediary liability. In addition to representing their interests in the courtroom, Joe helps his clients navigate their thorniest product counseling puzzles to reduce the risk of litigation.His appellate victory in Long v. Facebook set the standard for platforms in carrying out DMCA removals of user-generated content. And Joe’s win in Stevens v. CoreLogic established limitations on DMCA 1202 claims that have since been adopted by numerous other courts. His amicus brief on behalf of independent booksellers was cited by the Supreme Court in its opinion in Wiley v. Kirtsaeng, and he has submitted amicus briefs in other copyright cases on behalf of Center for Democracy & Technology (in Oracle v. Google) and on behalf of art law professors (in Warhol v. Goldsmith).A recognized commentator on copyright and internet law, Joe was selected as an advisor for the American Law Institute’s project to develop a Restatement of Copyright, and serves on the Advisory Board of the Electronic Frontier Foundation. He frequently speaks on emerging issues in Internet law and was called upon by the Senate Judiciary Committee in 2020 to testify about the interaction between the DMCA 512 safe harbor and fair use. Joe was the 2022 recipient of the California Lawyers Association’s IP Vanguard award, presented to one private practitioner each year for achievements at the forefront of emerging issues in intellectual property law.

Joseph Gratz

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

Joyce Liou chairs the Trademark Group and is a partner in the firm’s Intellectual Property Group. She engages in a broad intellectual property practice, with an emphasis on both IP counseling and litigation for a diverse roster of clients. Joyce has litigated numerous district court disputes involving trademark, copyright, false advertising, right of publicity, and unfair competition claims, and has secured preliminary injunctions, summary judgment rulings, and trial verdicts for her clients. In addition to federal litigation, she routinely handles proceedings before the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board, and has extensive experience with trademark clearance, prosecution, licensing, and due diligence. Joyce manages IP portfolios and provides global strategies for industry giants and startups alike, from a broad spectrum of fields, including technology, consumer goods, entertainment, pharmaceuticals, food, and agriculture.Joyce’s successes have built her reputation as a recognized leader in trademark law. In 2022 and 2023, she was shortlisted for Trademark Lawyer of the Year by Euromoney Legal Media. Joyce serves on the Legislation and Regulation Committee for the International Trademark Association. Outside of her practice, Joyce is a passionate advocate for diversity and inclusion in the greater community. She serves on the Development Committee for the National Center for Lesbian Rights, and participates in clinics to help individuals seeking U.S. naturalization or asylum on the basis of their sexual orientation or gender identity.Joyce received her J.D. cum laude from the University of Michigan Law School in 2010. While attending law school, she externed for the Honorable William H. Alsup of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. She received her B.A. in economics and political science with distinction from the University of California, Berkeley in 2007.

Joyce Liou

Dan is an intellectual property litigator and trial lawyer with more than two decades of experience litigating patent, trade secret, and copyright matters in federal courts around the country and at the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC). He is co-lead of the firm’s ITC Working Group and an editor of the <a href="/itc" target="_self">MoFo@ITC</a> guide to Section 337 investigations. Dan has led litigation and trial teams in complex IP cases. Most recently, he led the trial team in a confidential arbitration involving complex semiconductor fabrication technology. He was first-chair trial counsel at an ITC trial defending chipmaker Renesas against Broadcom’s patent infringement allegations, which resulted in a complete victory for Renesas before the judge, the Commission, and the Federal Circuit. In the closely-watched Waymo v. Uber autonomous vehicle trade secret litigation, Dan helped lead the technology team defending Uber against Waymo’s claims. He also served as trial counsel at a patent jury trial that resulted in a verdict in favor of client Microscan against competitor Cognex. He managed the trial team for Oracle in its IP lawsuit against Google over the Android operating system, and managed the trial team for Novell in a jury trial that resulted in a complete win against SCO’s claims concerning the ownership of the UNIX copyrights.     The technologies in his cases have been diverse, including semiconductor fabrication, integrated circuits, instruction set architectures, self-driving vehicles, LiDAR, the Java and Android software platforms, the UNIX operating system, IEEE 802.11 wireless networking devices, MEMS gyroscopes and accelerometers, web advertising platforms, rare earth magnets, and medical devices.

Daniel P. Muino

Brian Nash serves as Practice Group Chair of Morrison Foerster’s global Intellectual Property Litigation Group, and Co-Chair of the firm’s cross-disciplinary Intellectual Property Group. With over 200 cases litigated in Texas alone, Brian brings a wealth of experience to high-stakes disputes in some of the nation’s most active intellectual property jurisdictions. His practice extends nationally, encompassing district courts, the PTAB, the ITC, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. Brian has represented Fortune 50 clients in matters involving patents, trademarks, trade secrets, and copyrights.Brian’s recent work exemplifies his ability to deliver outstanding results for clients facing complex, high-value IP disputes. Among his notable achievements, he secured a complete summary judgment win in a case where the opposing party sought over $800 million in damages by attempting to capture royalties across an entire product ecosystem. In another matter, he obtained a highly favorable settlement in a 10-patent case, leveraging an aggressive early motion strategy to reach resolution. Brian has also advanced client interests as plaintiff’s counsel in a major competitor-v.-competitor case. He has delivered several dispositive wins that resolved major cases without any damages paid, further establishing his reputation as highly sought-after counsel for leading technology companies. Additionally, Brian recently won dismissal with prejudice in a case based on a motion to dismiss for patent invalidity under Section 101, underscoring his skill in legal writing and strategic advocacy.Brian’s technical acumen is grounded in his experience as a registered patent attorney and his engineering background. He is known for his ability to analyze and simplify complex technical issues, providing strategic counsel across a broad spectrum of technologies, including semiconductors, programmable logic devices, software, blockchain, e-commerce, digital media, video games, virtual reality, wireless standards, video streaming, aluminum alloy composition, container fabrication, hydrocarbon exploration, search marketing, geolocation, encryption, image processing, organic light-emitting diode (OLED) displays, and liquid crystal displays. Clients value his analytical approach and his capacity to translate intricate technical concepts into effective legal strategies.Widely recognized as a leader in the Texas intellectual property community, Brian has played a pivotal role in shaping the region’s legal landscape. He founded the Honorable Lee Yeakel IP Inn of Court—the first IP-focused Inn of Court in Texas—and currently serves as its president. His commitment to professional service is further demonstrated through his roles as a board member and past president of the Austin Chapter of the Federal Bar Association and as a past president of the Austin Intellectual Property Law Association.<h4>Representative Experience</h4><ul><li>Won a dispositive claim construction ruling that resulted in a dismissal following a Markman hearing before Judge Albright on behalf of a Fortune 50 semiconductor company on a patent related to field programmable gate arrays.</li><li>Won a final written decision holding all claims unpatentable and denying patent owner’s motion to amend in an inter partes review for a Fortune 50 semiconductor company on a patent related to field programmable gate arrays.</li><li>Representing Cimarex Energy Co. in defending against a multi-patent case involving e-fracking technologies.</li><li>Advising Anheuser-Busch in an instituted derivation proceeding related to aluminum alloy composition technology that is pending at the Patent Trial and Appeal Board.</li></ul>

Brian Nash

Mary is a trial lawyer with extensive experience litigating patent and trade secrets cases in courts across the country and at the International Trade Commission (ITC). In particular, Mary helps clients navigate the unique procedural and substantive challenges (and opportunities) presented by the ITC. Recognized by Legal500, clients have noted that Mary “has deep knowledge of Section 337 practice and procedure and is a strong strategic thinker.” Mary is co-head of the litigation department in Washington, D.C. and an editor of the <a href="/itc" target="_self">MoFo@ITC</a> guide to Section 337 investigations.  Over the past 15 years, Mary has represented some of the world’s largest life sciences and technology companies in high-stakes IP litigation matters. She has tried cases in many areas of technology including semiconductors, medical devices, pharmaceuticals, and consumer electronics, and was a member of the trial team for high-profile smartphone litigation resulting in verdicts of over $1 billion. Mary has substantial experience with Hatch-Waxman and BPCIA litigation, and has argued before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB).With an active pro bono practice, Mary has evaluated potential cases for the California Innocence Project, represented tenants seeking to remedy dangerous housing conditions, obtained asylum for activists fleeing political persecution, and worked on civil rights matters with the ACLU. Mary also serves on MoFo’s Women’s Strategy Committee, where she focuses on advancing women within the firm and the profession as a whole. Mary received her J.D. from the University of California, Los Angeles, where she was editor-in-chief of the UCLA Journal of International Law & Foreign Affairs. She received her B.F.A. cum laude from the University of Notre Dame.Mary has worked as a law clerk for the California Attorney General’s Office, and as a legal extern at the Department of Defense General Counsel’s Office for International Affairs.

Mary Prendergast

Bita Rahebi is a nationally recognized trial lawyer sought after by the world’s most innovative technology companies to lead bet-the-company intellectual property disputes, including complex patent litigation. She is a member of the firm’s Semiconductor Industry Group and previously co-led the firm’s global IP Litigation Group and cross-disciplinary Intellectual Property Group.Bita is trusted for her ability to simplify complex technologies for judges and juries, a skill sharpened over 25 years of litigating patent, trade secret, copyright, and complex commercial disputes. She leads matters before federal and state trial courts, the Federal Circuit, and the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) across a wide range of technologies including semiconductors, software, consumer electronics, medical devices, and standard essential patents (SEPs). Her victories include complete wins as lead trial lawyer, the invalidation of multiple patents, and successful results for plaintiffs in high-stakes matters. Earlier in her career, Bita prosecuted cases at the Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office, securing guilty verdicts in every criminal jury trial she handled.Bita is a recognized leader in intellectual property litigation. Chambers USA highlights her work in technology-sector disputes, with clients describing her as “razor-sharp,” “client-focused,” and a litigator who “excels at trial and litigation strategy.” She has been named a Forbes Top 250 Lawyer, repeatedly recognized by the Daily Journal as a Top Intellectual Property Lawyer, honored as a Women Leader in Tech Law by The Recorder, and listed multiple times on IAM’s Strategy 300 and Patent 1000.Beyond her litigation practice, Bita advises technology clients on strategic transactional matters, including patent licensing and negotiations. She has also played an active role in the broader legal community. Bita is the past president of the Los Angeles Intellectual Property Law Association, and she co-founded the organization’s Women in IP committee. She also served as a Ninth Circuit Judicial Conference Lawyer Representative. Bita serves as an editorial board member of The Intellectual Property Strategist.Bita earned her B.A. from the University of California, Berkeley, where she served as president and editor-in-chief of the Daily Californian. She received her J.D. from the University of California, Los Angeles, where she was an editor of the UCLA Law Review.<h4>Representative Experience:</h4><ul><li>Nevro Corp. v. Stimwave Technologies Inc. (District of Delaware). Represented Nevro Corp., a public global medical device company, in its patent battle against competitor Stimwave Technologies, Inc. Secured a preliminary injunction for Nevro, after an all-day evidentiary hearing. The case subsequently settled after Stimwave stipulated to a permanent injunction agreeing not to infringe the patents.</li><li>Analog Devices v. Xilinx Inc. (District of Delaware). Represented Xilinx in a 16-patent case, including a counterclaim by Xilinx against ADI.</li><li>Lamar v. Beats, Dr. Dre, and Jimmy Iovine (LA Superior Court). Represented Defendants in a breach of written royalty agreement involving the design of Beats headphones.</li><li>Farstone Technology, Inc. v. Apple Inc. (Central District of California). Represented Apple in a patent infringement suit against Farstone Technology Inc. Secured a victory for Apple and invalidated the asserted patent on Williamson grounds. The decision was affirmed by the Federal Circuit.</li><li>AirWatch, LLC v. Good Technology Corp. (Northern District of Georgia; District of Delaware). Represented AirWatch in patent infringement actions against Good and also defended AirWatch in a patent infringement action in D. Delaware.</li><li>Digital Empire v. Compal Electronics (Southern District of California). Lead counsel defending original design manufacturer and three of its subsidiaries in patent infringement action; successfully obtained order for fees and costs under 35 U.S.C. § 285 (exceptional case).</li><li>eTool Development, Inc. v. National Semiconductor Corporation (Eastern District of Texas). Represented Texas Instruments (formerly National Semiconductor) in a patent infringement lawsuit involving online configuration software. Prevailed on summary judgment on two separate non-infringement grounds. Successfully defeated motion for reconsideration.</li><li>Cypress Semiconductor v. Altera Corporation (Santa Clara Superior Court). Represented Altera Corporation in trade secrets litigation brought by Cypress Semiconductor concerning programmable logic devices. A favorable settlement was reached prior to trial.</li></ul>

Bita Rahebi

Vice Chair

Aaron is the co-chair of the Interactive + Digital Media Group and former chair of the firm's Technology Transactions Group. He advises clients on a wide range of complex transactions involving intellectual property and technology, including structuring and negotiating strategic licensing, development, collaboration, procurement, and distribution deals.Aaron’s practice focuses on advising both established and emerging companies in a variety of data- and technology-intensive sectors, including software, SaaS, cloud-based technology, digital media (social media, AR/VR, gaming, streaming media, AdTech), AI, healthcare, consumer electronics, e-commerce, other online business models, and mobile applications. He also maintains an active practice counseling companies on branding and marketing, trademark licensing, and content-related transactions, as well as the intellectual property aspects of mergers, acquisitions, asset spin-offs, and private equity investments.He has represented clients such as Autodesk, Meta, OpenAI, Splunk, Konami, Kaiser Permanente, SoftBank, Visa, and Yahoo, among others.Aaron has been recognized by numerous publications for his work on market-defining technology transactions. He is currently ranked by Chambers USA for “Technology Transactions.”Aaron also serves as co-editor of Socially Aware, the firm’s award-winning newsletter and blog devoted to the law and business of social media, and regularly publishes on various IP and technology-related topics. Aaron is also a sought-after speaker on new and emerging areas of law, and is a frequent presenter and panelist at conferences and legal services programs. In addition to his active practice, Aaron regularly provides pro bono assistance to various nonprofit and charitable organizations such as Common Sense Media and the Starlight Children’s Foundation. He is a member of the board of directors of California Lawyers for the Arts.While in law school at the University of California, Berkeley, Boalt Hall School of Law, Aaron served as executive editor of the California Law Review and was elected to the Order of the Coif. Following law school, Aaron served as law clerk to the Honorable William H. Orrick and the Honorable Martin J. Jenkins, both United States District Judges for the Northern District of California.

Aaron P. Rubin

Tim Chen Saulsbury is a partner in the Intellectual Property Litigation group, based in the San Francisco office.His exceptional track record has earned him consistent recognition from leading publications.  IAM Patent 1000 describes Tim as a “formidable lead trial attorney,” highlighting wins for Zoom and others.  The Daily Journal labeled him one of the “Top Intellectual Property Lawyers” in California, as well as one of California’s top 40 lawyers under the age of 40.  Bloomberg Law named Tim one of the top 40 lawyers in the country under 40, and Law360 named him one of the top 6 IP lawyers in the nation under 40.  Tim also was recognized by Benchmark Litigation (on its 40 & Under Hot List) and by The Legal 500 (for Copyright, Patent Licensing, Patent Litigation, and Trade Secrets).Tim’s recent wins include:<ul><li>In the 6-month period from March 2025 to August 2025 alone:</li><ul><li>On behalf of a leading American cybersecurity company, Tim argued and won summary judgment of noninfringement in a multi-patent case in which the patentee sought hundreds of millions in damages, earning a “shout-out” in The American Lawyer’s Litigator of the Week column.</li><li>On behalf of an eCommerce client, Tim argued and won another summary judgment of noninfringement that disposed of all three patents asserted by a competitor.</li><li>A complete non-infringement verdict on behalf of a leading videogame company in a patent infringement suit involving one of the most popular videogames of the past decade, earning “Legal Lion” honors from Law360 and recognition in The American Lawyer’s Litigator of the Week column.</li><li>A clean sweep plaintiff’s verdict in a Delaware patent infringement trial invovling eCommerce marketing technology.</li></ul><li>As lead counsel for Zoom in a six-patent case involving end-to-end encryption technology, Tim defended against claims seeking $100M+ annually and amounting to $1.5B+ over the life of the patents. After winning successive dismissal motions, Zoom moved to dismiss the entire case with prejudice. The Court issued a tentative ruling indicating that it was inclined to grant the motion, and the case promptly resolved.</li><li>A complete defense verdict in a competitor patent trial involving USB technology that powers Apple CarPlay. Tim’s cross-examination of the lead inventor was later described as a “climactic moment” and potentially “a big reason why the jury would later reject Microchip’s case.”</li><li>In the months leading up to that trial, Tim put together a streak of five complete walkaways as lead counsel for Zoom, Atlassian, and Brightcove.</li></ul>Tim also maintains an active pro bono docket, serving as full scope counsel in a range of cases, including FTCA, First Amendment, wrongful termination, and Section 1983 matters.Prior to joining MoFo, Tim was a partner at a national trial boutique, where he built his practice representing major technology companies in high-stakes intellectual property matters and served on the firm’s management committee.

Timothy Chen Saulsbury

Tessa Schwartz has an active practice counseling companies on intellectual property issues, and negotiating complex intellectual property and commercial agreements. She advises on a range of strategic transactions, including key patent licenses and acquisitions, technology procurement agreements, and complex development, collaboration, joint-venture and distribution deals. Tessa also regularly advises companies on the IP aspects of their M&A transactions.In addition to maintaining an active practice and working with clients on a daily basis, Tessa is founder and co-chair of the firm’s Artificial Intelligence Group and previously served as co-chair of the global Transactions Department. Tessa advises clients primarily in technology and data intensive sectors, representing artificial intelligence (AI), robotics, machine learning, software, SaaS, cloud computing, hardware, consumer electronics and products, social media, Internet, mobility and wireless, space and satellites, e-commerce, advertising, healthcare, fintech, transportation, semiconductor, and other companies. Tessa’s M&A experience includes advising Autodesk, BlackBerry, Fortive, Honeywell, Salesforce, Uber, Unilever, Unity, Walmart, and others on the IP aspects of strategic transactions. Tessa provides clients with prelitigation and litigation advice. She frequently advises executives and senior management on strategic business, legal and commercial issues, including the structuring of transactions, risk management and contract compliance. She also counsels clients with respect to a wide variety of IP issues, including patent exhaustion and implied licenses, standing and standards, the protection of data and other trade secrets and the development and distribution of open-source software.In addition to her transactional expertise, Tessa’s litigation background includes representing clients in arbitration, as well as in state and federal courts in such areas as antitrust, false advertising, unfair competition, breach of contract, securities, trademark, copyright and trade secret law. Her litigation experience includes complex, multidistrict and class action litigation, as well as appellate advocacy.Tessa has been ranked in Chambers and Legal 500, with clients describing her as, “one of the best attorneys I've ever worked with.” Tessa has been recognized by Chambers USA 2022 as being highly experienced in the field of technology and intellectual property transactions. Clients have commented on Tessa as having "...the ability to translate complex topics into what's necessary to get a deal done. She does a good job of making our technology accessible”. Further, Tessa "ticks all of the essential boxes, timely, efficient, knowledgeable and helpful, but she really stands out by taking time to learn our business and our products so she can give practical and actionable advice. Tessa helps us focus on key issues and balance risks to make choices."Tessa’s pro bono efforts have included work for The Biomimicry Institute, Goodwill, Common Sense Media, Business for Social Responsibility, The World Wildlife Fund, Build Change and the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB). She also provides IP advice to a variety of cultural, media and arts organizations; and other assistance for nonprofits. She recently received the Wiley W. Manuel Award for Pro Bono Legal Services from the State Bar of California.Tessa received her B.A. magna cum laude from Harvard College in 1991. In 1996, she earned her J.D. from the University of California at Los Angeles, where she was elected to the Order of the Coif.Tessa served as global managing partner of Morrison Foerster from 2016 to 2022 and previously served as co-chair of the firm’s Technology Transactions Group.

Tessa Schwartz

Ragesh Tangri brings diverse experience representing clients ranging from individuals to Fortune 100 companies in high-stakes intellectual property and trade secret disputes, in addition to commercial litigation and legal malpractice, in jurisdictions across the country. Ragesh regularly represents major technology companies, law firms, and individuals in their most significant disputes.Ragesh has litigated matters involving high-stakes breach of contract and tort claims, as well as legal malpractice and professional negligence claims arising from work done in a variety of underlying areas, including intellectual property litigation, patent prosecution, general corporate matters, and tax. He has, during several pleadings motions, obtained complete dismissal of all claims asserted against law firm clients.Ragesh also has substantial experience with intellectual property litigation, including representing Palo Alto Networks in trade secret and patent litigation, Uber in trade secret litigation, Intel in inventorship litigation, Google in a hotly contested trade secret action brought by Microsoft, and helping secure a $180M award for Cadence Design Systems in its long-running dispute with Avant! Corporation.Ragesh has earned consistent recognition as a top practitioner in California and across the United States. Among his numerous awards, Chambers recently highlighted his “excellent” skill “in handling a range of contentious IP proceedings” in its guide for trademark, copyright, and trade secret litigation, and clients have called him “incredibly diligent and smart.” Ragesh has also been repeatedly ranked by publications including Best Lawyers and IAM Patent 1000.Ragesh serves on the Boards of the Northern District Historical Society (president), the California Law Review, and the Shotgun Players. He is a past president of the Association of Business Trial Lawyers and the Edward J. McFetridge Inn of Court, a former member of the Board of Governors of the Bar Association of San Francisco, a former member of the Board of Governors of the Justice and Diversity Center, a former member and co‑chair of the Lawyer Representatives of the Northern District of California to the Ninth Circuit Judicial Conference, a former member and chair of BASF’s Judiciary Committee, and a former member of the Board of Directors of Slow Food Nation. He has taught the Introduction to Civil Procedure and Law on Lawyering courses at Berkeley Law School and spoken frequently on issues, including trade secret law, professional negligence, ethics, claim construction, and the differences between the U.S. and Canadian legal systems.Ragesh earned his J.D. from the University of California, Berkeley School of Law. He clerked for the Hon. A. Raymond Randolph on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. In 2009, Ragesh co‑founded Durie Tangri, a premier litigation boutique firm acquired by Morrison Foerster in 2022.

Ragesh Tangri

Mark Whitaker is co-chair of the firm’s Intellectual Property Litigation Practice and has more than 30 years of experience crafting legal strategies in high-stakes patent and trade secret litigation.Mark sees the whole board for each of his clients, and works closely with them to define a successful litigation outcome and determine the best path to achieve that goal. He has extensive experience navigating the rules and procedures in the nation’s top patent litigation venues, including U.S. district courts, the International Trade Commission, and the Court of Federal Claims.Mark regularly acts as lead counsel in matters involving technologies such as semiconductors, photo/optical technologies, chemicals, and database analytics. His clients do business in a broad range of industries including pharmaceuticals, medical devices, consumer products, and telecommunications. He often leads a team of MoFo lawyers representing several defendants in parallel multipatent litigations.A past president of the American Intellectual Property Law Association, Mark was elected to their prestigious Fellows membership in 2019. He is a frequent speaker at the American Bar Association, the Practising Law Institute, the Minority Corporate Counsel Association, and numerous CLE events all over the country. He is also the current co-chair of MoFo’s Diversity Strategy Committee, building on decades of experience leading law firm diversity and inclusion efforts. Additionally, Mark currently serves on Law360’s Intellectual Property Editorial Advisory Board, having been selected twice since 2021.Mark is a veteran of the U.S. Navy, having served first as a surface warfare officer and later as a member of the Navy Judge Advocate General’s Corps. Following his military service, he began his private-practice legal career as a commercial litigator before concentrating on IP and technology litigation.

Mark L. Whitaker

Dr. Janet (Jian) Xiao is a leading patent attorney specializing in global patent procurement, patent portfolio management, and IP strategic planning for life sciences and biopharmaceutical companies. Recognized by Chambers USA and Chambers Global as a top-ranked intellectual property lawyer, Dr. Xiao is highly sought after by biotech and pharmaceutical innovators worldwide for patent prosecution, patent strategy, and life sciences IP counsel.Dr Xiao’s clients range from large renowned multinational companies to emerging startups worldwide. She advises her clients on patent matters relating to various technologies including antibody therapeutics, cell therapeutics, nanomedicine, gene therapy, drug delivery systems, diagnostics, and nutraceuticals. Recognized for her deep understanding of the industry and knowledge of IP, Janet is known for developing and strengthening her clients’ complex patent portfolios to maximize their commercial value and success. She has been instrumental on the strategy development for multibillion-dollar patent portfolios for pharmaceutical clients, and adds tremendous value by combining her creative legal skills, keen business acumen, and solid foundation in science. As impressed clients noted to Chambers, “Janet consistently delivers a very high level of client service and exhibits strong commercial awareness and vision.”Janet works extensively in performing IP due diligence reviews in the contexts of VC investments, technology transactions, mergers and acquisitions, as well as marketing and manufacturing clearance for biopharmaceutical products. She works closely with her clients to assess potential risks and devise preemptive risk-management strategies for their product development and investments. She has led hundreds of IP due diligence projects, and is most notable for her deep knowledge about patent landscapes in the fields of cancer immunotherapy, gene editing, next-generation sequencing, liquid biopsy, antibody manufacturing, and medical devices. Janet works synergistically with patent litigators in the event of legal challenges by third-party competitors or vice versa, and is frequently called upon to represent clients in litigation and post-grant proceedings.Janet is among the very few IP attorneys in the world who are both equipped with solid skills in global strategic IP management and knowledgeable about IP issues unique to China and Chinese clients, and she has been the go-to counsel for IP issues in U.S./China cross-border transactions and operations in China. As Chambers Global 2024 notes, “She is great, very strong and thoughtful. She has a very large contingent of Chinese companies.”Janet is the Head of China Life Sciences at Morrison Foerster and served as co-chair of the firm’s global Life Sciences Group from 2016 to 2019. Chambers Global states that Janet “is recognized for her knowledge of IP law relating to the life sciences arena,” and that she is “held in high regard by sources for her deep understanding of the pharmaceutical and biotech industries.” In a recent edition of Chambers Global, a client remarks, “Janet is a wonderful lawyer. She is very experienced in advising life sciences clients doing business in China and the US. She is highly responsive and always gives practical advice. Her IP expertise adds tremendous value to our business.”

肖荐（Janet Xiao）博士的业务侧重于为生命科学公司处理在全球范围内的专利采购、专利组合管理和战略策划事宜。肖博士服务的客户范围广泛，包括大型跨国生物制药公司，例如赛尔基因公司（Celgene）和基因泰克公司（Genentech），也包括全球范围的新兴创业公司。她经常就与各种技术有关的专利事宜向客户提供法律意见，其中涉及的技术包括抗体疗法、细胞疗法、纳米医学、基因疗法、给药系统、诊断和和营养学等。来自全球的创新者纷纷向肖博士寻求专利申请和专利战略的法律咨询，这一点也得到了《钱伯斯指南》的认可。她帮助客户开发和加强其复杂的专利组合，从而为客户实现最大的商业价值。在为制药行业的客户制定数十亿美元专利组合的战略方面，肖博士发挥着重要的作用。《钱伯斯指南》曾引用客户评价称，“肖博士是我曾合作过的律师当中知识最渊博、效率最高的一位律师。她能很好地将专利组合的历史信息用于全球专利申请问题上。”肖博士针对风险投资、技术交易、并购和生物医药产品的市场推广与生产许可事宜开展广泛的知识产权尽职调查审查工作。她协助世界上一些最成功的生物制药公司和投资者，为其产品开发和投资评估潜在风险，并制定先发制人的风险管理策略。她曾牵头处理过数百个知识产权尽职调查项目，并凭借自己对癌症免疫治疗、基因编辑、新一代测序、液体活检、抗体制造和医疗设备领域的专利方面的深厚知识而闻名。肖博士时常与专利诉讼律师合作，处理由第三方竞争者提出的法律质疑，或对第三方竞争者提出的法律质疑，她还经常受聘代表客户处理专利诉讼和授予后程序。肖博士是美富中国生命科学业务组主管，她曾在2016至2019期间担任美富全球生命科学业务组的联席主管。肖博士是全球为数不多的既拥有很强的全球战略性知识产权管理技能，同时又对中国和中国客户独特的知识产权问题具有深刻理解的知识产权律师之一，她一直是处理中美跨境交易和在中国境内经营中所涉知识产权问题的首选律师。《钱伯斯全球指南》称赞她是一位优秀的知识产权律师，“她因处理与复杂跨境交易有关的知识产权问题工作而知名，经常代表中国客户处理这方面的事宜” 。在近期一版《钱伯斯全球指南》中，某客户评价称，“肖博士在为于中国和美国开展业务的生命科学客户提供法律意见方面，有非常丰富的经验。她非常负责而且总是提供切实可行的法律意见。她在知识产权方面的专业意见为我们的业务增添了巨大价值。”自2005年以来，肖博士一直积极参与北美华人生物医药协会（CABS）的领导工作。该协会是一家非营利组织，致力于成为连接中美两国生命科学领域的纽带。肖博士在2011至2012年间担任该协会主席。她还是百华协会（BayHelix）的成员。百华协会是一家非营利组织，由全球生命科技和医疗保健产业领域的华人精英组成。

Janet Xiao

Alex Yap co-chairs the firm’s Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) practice and is a member of Morrison Foerster’s IP Litigation practice. As a former administrative patent law judge at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), he helps clients navigate post-grant adversarial proceedings before the PTAB. He focuses his practice on America Invents Act trials before the PTAB, as well as IP litigation matters.Prior to rejoining the firm, Alex served as an administrative patent judge at the USPTO in San Jose, California. In that capacity, he presided over more than 200 ex parte appeals, inter partes reviews, and covered business method patent proceedings.Utilizing his electrical and computer engineering degrees and experience from senior engineering roles, Alex spent 11 years at MoFo advising technology clients on patent litigations. During that time, he was involved in more than 30 USPTO reexamination/review proceedings and obtained cancellations of asserted claims in numerous cases.Prior to becoming a lawyer, Alex spent more than four years as a circuit design engineer for Freescale (formerly Motorola, Inc.) and Analog Devices, Inc., designing embedded non-volatile (flash) memories and asymmetric digital subscriber line chipsets. During that time, he developed extensive expertise in computer hardware and software architecture, communication systems, digital and analog circuit design, and digital signal processing. He has published numerous technical articles in trade journals and is an inventor on multiple U.S. patents.Alex received his B.S. and M.S. in electrical and computer engineering from the University of Wisconsin, Madison, in 1993 and 1998, respectively, and his J.D., magna cum laude, from the University of Minnesota Law School in 2005. He was an editor of The Minnesota Law Review and was elected to the Order of the Coif.Alex is a member of the California State Bar and is registered to practice before the USPTO. He is also a member of the American Association of Patent Judges.