Weiguo (Will) Chen has joined the Palo Alto office of Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP as a partner in the firm's Intellectual Property practice group. Mr. Chen joins from Finnegan, Henderson, Farabow, Garrett & Dunner, LLP.
Mr. Chen is experienced in patent litigation, patent office trials, client counseling, infringement and validity analysis, and patent prosecution in a range of technologies, including telecommunications, networking, electronic circuitry, semiconductor devices, software, and medical devices. He advises clients in Silicon Valley and China on building comprehensive patent portfolios and developing sophisticated international patent strategies, as well as due diligence for acquisitions and financing. He has successfully litigated patent cases in federal district courts, and post-grant proceedings before the Patent Trail and Appeal Board (PTAB). Mr. Chen also frequently speaks on topics related to U.S. IP litigation and prosecution strategies and published a book titled U.S. Patent Litigation in China.
"Will is a skilled IP practitioner and an excellent addition to our formidable IP practice group. He has a successful practice representing a variety of leading technology companies on patent prosecution, portfolio development and patent and trade secret litigation," said Guy N. Halgren, chairman of Sheppard Mullin.
"I am excited to join Sheppard Mullin and have been very impressed by the entrepreneurial culture of the Silicon Valley office and the firm's significant growth of the IP group. I was especially attracted to the firm’s full-service platform, strong California footprint, and its successful expansion in China, which are key to growing my practice further," Chen commented.
"Will joins Sheppard Mullin as part of our ongoing strategic goal to expand our intellectual property practice in Silicon Valley and firmwide. In particular, his skills are synergistic with our capabilities in China and he will further bolster our formidable IP presence in Silicon Valley,” commented Daniel N. Yannuzzi, co-chair of Sheppard Mullin’s Intellectual Property practice group.
His arrival follows other recent additions to the firm’s growing Intellectual Property practice group, and is another indication of the firm’s investment in IP. In August, Lisa Martens joined the Del Mar office of Sheppard Mullin from Fish and Richardson to boost the office’s focus on trademarks and brand protection. Partners Jim Gatto, Ben Esplin & Brad Blaise joined the firm in June, building on the firm’s video games, advertising, social media & financial technology expertise. Manish Mehta also joined the firm as a partner in June to add to its growing IP presence in Chicago. Prior to that, William Lambert joined the firm’s Palo Alto office last May.
Mr. Chen received a LL.M. from Franklin Pierce Law Center in 2001, a LL.B. in 1999 and a B.S. in 1998 from Tsinghua University, China, and a M.S. in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Northeastern University in 2004.
Sheppard Mullin has 40 attorneys based in its Palo Alto office. The firm’s Intellectual Property practice group includes 125 attorneys firmwide.