Leading intellectual property litigators Chris Kao and David Tsai have joined Pillsbury as partners. They come to the firm from Vinson & Elkins and will be primarily based in the San Francisco office.
Kao and Tsai will lead Pillsbury’s Taiwan practice. To support their sizeable Taiwan-based practices—both are among the less than 50 registered foreign attorneys in Taiwan and are frequently described by Taiwanese clients as their American general counsel—the firm has announced its intention to establish an office in the capital city of Taipei. Once operational, the new outpost will serve Pillsbury’s IP, Technology and Life Sciences sector clients and present new opportunities for the Taiwan-based and many other Asia-based companies represented by the firm.
“Building on our formidable IP practice in Asia has been a strategic focus for more than 10 years, and the additions of Steve Moore and his team in San Diego and Jack Ko in Shanghai have been key elements of that strategy,” said firm Chair David Dekker. “Adding Chris and David will cement us as the ‘go-to’ firm for U.S.-Asia IP work, and we are very pleased to welcome them.”
Kao is an experienced first-chair trial lawyer in complex intellectual property and commercial litigation cases. He has represented clients in the computer hardware and software, semiconductor, telecommunications, biotechnology and consumer products industries, in federal and state courts and arbitration tribunals across the country. He also has significant experience litigating Covered Business Method and Inter Partes Review proceedings before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. He counsels clients on privacy and cybersecurity law issues and has been designated a Certified Information Privacy Professional/U.S. by the International Association of Privacy Professionals. He is admitted to practice in California and New York.
“Pillsbury has a premier practice representing technology companies around the world in IP disputes, including leading companies in the Bay Area and Asia, and the firm has been known for these capabilities for several years,” Kao said. “I’m looking forward to joining this remarkable team and making an even bolder mark on the IP landscape.”
Tsai is an authority on U.S. patent law, including cases involving high technology, standard essential patents, FRAND/ RAND royalties, and Hatch-Waxman/Abbreviated New Drug Applications (ANDA). Tsai is fluent in Taiwanese and Chinese Mandarin, and has represented clients ranging from startups to Fortune 400 companies. He is the president of the Asian American Bar Association of the Greater Bay Area, and is a board member with the Bar Association of San Francisco and the University of California, Riverside Foundation, among other charitable and community activities. In 2016, he was recognized by the California State Legislature for his civil rights work.
“Through my IP practice and charitable and pro bono work, I’ve known and been impressed with the lawyers here at Pillsbury for many years,” Tsai said. “I look forward to growing my practice alongside these new colleagues and old friends, particularly with a firm that has such a venerable commitment to pro bono, diversity and community involvement.”
“For several years, we have been expanding our U.S.-based intellectual property litigation offering, adding notable practitioners in Texas, San Diego and San Francisco,” said Jack Barufka, leader of Pillsbury’s Intellectual Property practice. “With the addition of Chris and David, we are significantly strengthening not only our Bay Area team, but also our Asia practice, where we have long represented high-profile companies in major IP disputes.”
Kao and Tsai are the latest in a string of recent IP hires by Pillsbury. In August 2017, the firm added renowned trial lawyer Ken Keller, who has tried more than 75 intellectual property and commercial disputes to verdict, and special counsel Christopher Stretch in San Francisco. Last May, the firm brought on patent litigation partners Howard Wisnia and James Conley in San Diego. Most recently, San Francisco-based Vijay Toke joined as counsel in November to focus on trademark, copyright, and licensing disputes.
Source: www.pillsburylaw.com
