Preeminent intellectual property attorneys Christopher Kao and David Tsai have joined Vinson & Elkins as partners, bolstering the firm’s patent, copyright, trademark and trade secrets litigation capabilities. Kao and Tsai come to V&E from Perkins Coie LLP. Kao will serve as Managing Partner of V&E’s Palo Alto office while also working out of the firm’s San Francisco office, where Tsai will be based. In addition, Kao and Tsai have an extensive roster of clients in the Asia-Pacific region and will oversee V&E’s Taiwan practice.
“Chris and David are top intellectual property attorneys known for their ability to solve sophisticated, high-stakes problems,” V&E Chairman Mark Kelly said. “They are superb trial lawyers whose addition to the firm will enhance our IP practice both nationally and internationally.”
Kao, who formerly served as Managing Partner of Perkins Coie’s Palo Alto office, focuses his practice on intellectual property litigation, including patent, copyright, trademark and trade secrets disputes, as well as high-stakes complex commercial litigation. He has represented a diverse spectrum of domestic and international clients in the computer hardware and software, semiconductor, telecommunications, medical devices and consumer products industries.
Over the course of his career, Kao has served as lead trial counsel in state and federal courts throughout the country and has appeared before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit and the Patent Trial and Appeal Board of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
“V&E’s global reach and emphasis on collaboration among practice groups is one of the many factors that appealed to me,” Kao said. “The firm has an outstanding reputation and an impressive IP bench that I am excited to be joining.”
Kao is a member of the San Francisco Bay Area Intellectual Property Inn of Court, the Asian American Bar Association of the Greater Bay Area, and the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association. Kao served as a law clerk for Judge Carol Amon of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York from 2000 to 2001.
Kao earned his law degree from Harvard Law School and his bachelor’s degree from Dartmouth College.
Tsai handles a range of patent, trade secret, complex breach of contract, and product defect litigation for technology companies, including those in the semiconductor, Internet, computer, LED, solar, biotechnology, and medical device technology sectors. His legal experience includes international arbitration, copyright and trademark litigation, preparing and prosecuting U.S. electrical engineering patent applications, drafting patentability, freedom-to-operate and non-infringement opinions, as well as patent interferences in the area of biotechnology. He also represents clients in patent negotiations, licensing and overall intellectual property strategy.
Tsai and Kao together represent more than 30 of the leading high technology companies in Taiwan in a variety of intellectual property disputes.
Tsai has been recognized as a top 50 California Lawyer on the Fast Track by The Recorder, was named Best Lawyer Under 40 by the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association, and was honored as a Rising Star by the Minority Corporate Counsel Association. Tsai is the recipient of the Santa Clara County Bar Association Barrister of the Year Award and the Bar Association of San Francisco Barristers Club Diversity Award.
“V&E has a worldwide reputation for excellence, professionalism and collegiality,” said Tsai. “Chris and I are looking forward to contributing to the success of the firm’s robust intellectual property practice and expanding the firm’s reach nationally and in Asia. I am also thrilled to join Darryl Woo, whom I’ve previously sat on the other side of the table from and highly respect.”
Tsai is a board member for a number of non-profit organizations and institutions, including the University of California, Riverside and Lambda Legal. He is also very active with civil rights and immigration pro bono work.
After earning an A.B. from Harvard University and an M.S. from Stanford University, Tsai received his law degree from Santa Clara University.
Kao and Tsai are the latest additions to V&E’s growing presence in the Bay Area. They join Darryl M. Woo, who was recently named as Co-chair of V&E’s global Intellectual Property group. Woo joined V&E last year from Fenwick & West LLP, where he had previously led its patent litigation group and subsequently chaired its firmwide litigation practice.
“V&E has developed a top notch IP practice and is dedicated to maintaining a deep pool of talent,” Woo said. “Chris and David are outstanding trial lawyers whose addition will contribute mightily to our strong litigation presence on the West Coast.”
With more than 250 trial lawyers located in offices across the globe, V&E’s Litigation Department has experience litigating major disputes covering multiple jurisdictions and devising innovative methods to resolve those disputes. Recognized as an “awesome opponent” in litigation by BTI’s Litigation Outlook 2015, the team’s seasoned attorneys have substantial experience in jury and bench trials in the federal and state courts when litigation is necessary, as well as before administrative agencies and in arbitration.
Source: www.velaw.com
