Harris Gao

He / Him / His
Partner
LINKEDIN
Gao Harris

Overview

Harris Gao is a registered U.S. patent attorney with a track record in international IP litigation and technology transactions, with a focus on assisting Chinese companies in strategic IP matters. His in-depth knowledge of U.S. and Chinese patent systems, combined with his broad technical background, allows him to provide comprehensive advice on global IP strategies.

Harris has deep experience in cross-border disputes, including patent litigation, securities litigation and enforcement, complex commercial litigation and international arbitration. He also advises clients on issues involving U.S. and Chinese regulatory agencies and has experience with various litigation forums, including the Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre (HKIAC), the China International Economic and Trade Arbitration Commission (CIETAC) and the U.S. International Trade Commission.

In the area of technology transactions, Harris advises clients on IP licensing, technology alliances, research and development, outsourcing, and manufacturing and supply agreements. He frequently structures and negotiates cross-border deals where intellectual property is the primary focus. In particular, Harris is one of the most prolific attorneys in advising Chinese biotech clients on out-licensing transactions.

Before relocating to Shanghai, Harris practiced law with international firms in New York City and California.

Experience

Representative Experiences

  • Advised CXMT on a wide variety of IP issues from the very beginning, including assisting CXMT in establishing a comprehensive IP protection and risk management system and becoming a leader in global patent filing.
  • Served as Henlius’ primary outside licensing counsel for almost a decade, and assisted Henlius in closing more than a dozen out-licensing transactions.
  • Advised virtually all the leading Chinese handsets companies on patent litigation and licensing issues, including on fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory (FRAND) licensing of standard-essential patents (SEPs).
  • Represented ZTE on patent prosecution on wireless technologies, and various patent litigation in the United States.
  • Represented Longtop in U.S. securities litigation, SEC investigations, and regulatory compliance matters.
  • Represented Motorola in multi-district litigation against its competitors in the mobile computer business. The technologies involved include touch screen, user interface, operating system, signature capture, wireless communication, network management, bar code decoding, and ergonomics.
  •  Represented Pfizer before the Federal Circuit regarding the written description requirement for pharmaceutical inventions.
Credentials
Education

J.D., Columbia University, 2002

M.S., Physics, Catholic University of America, 1997

B.S., Physics, Tsinghua University, 1994

Admissions

New York

United States Patent and Trademark Office

Honors

Leading Lawyer – IP (International Firms), Chambers and Partners Greater China Guide, 2026

Top 15 IP Lawyers, ALB China, 2020

Thought Leadership

Co-Presenter, "Establish Your U.S. Compliance System: A Strategic View from China and the United States,” China Intellectual Property Magazine, October 21, 2021

Panelist, "“The Second SIPSA International Summit on IP Services,” SIPSA’s International Property Forum, Shanghai, China, October 20, 2021

Presenter, “Sanctions, Export Controls and CFIUS,” The Hong Kong In-House Community eCongress 2021, October 13, 2021

Speaker, "Thinking Outside The Box: Proven Strategies for PRC Companies to Manage and Successfully Resolve U.S. Patent Lawsuits," The 5th China IP Counsel Congress 2013, Shanghai, China, May 22, 2013

Co-Presenter, "Strategies for the Counterattack in Section 337 Litigation," The 5th China IP Counsel Congress 2013, Shenzhen, China, March 2013

Moderator, “Copyright Protection in China,” PT Intellectual Property Club Seminar, Shanghai, China, July 2012

Session Speaker, “Trade Secrets Case Study,” IP China 2011, the 7th IP China Intellectual Property Forum, Beijing, China, November 2011

Session Speaker, “Is China an Integral Part of the Global IP Litigation Arena,” PT Intellectual Property Club Seminar, Shanghai, China, September 2011

Session Speaker, “China-Related Patent Litigation,” Asia IP Exchange, Hong Kong, May 2011

Session Speaker, “IP Strategies for Medical Device Companies”, International Medical Device Forum 2011, Beijing, China, April 2011

Session Speaker, “China Related Patent Litigation: Recent Trends,” 3rd China IP Counsel Conference, Shanghai, China, November 2010

Session Speaker, “Global IP Strategies for Metals, Minerals and Chemical Companies,” 2009

CCCMC Annual Conference, Kunming, China, June, 2010

Session Speaker, “IP Strategy for Chinese Companies,” National Yinhe IP Project, Dongguan, China, May 2010

Session Speaker, “IP Litigation as a Competitive Strategy,” National Yinhe IP Project, Beijing, China, May 2010

Session Speaker, “Product Liability Litigation - Pitfalls and Strategies For Chinese Companies Facing Lawsuits in the United States,” Lexis-Nexis Product Safety & Liability Conference, Shanghai, China, December 2009

Session Speaker, “Winning Expensive IP Disputes in a Changing and Competitive Global Environment Inexpensively,” 3rd Annual China Intellectual Property Summit, Beijing, China, November 2009

Session Speaker, “Patent Strategy for Protecting Biotech Inventions in Multiple Jurisdictions,” ChinaBio Suzhou Executive Workshop, Suzhou, China, July 2009

Session Speaker, “Offensive and Defensive Strategies for Chinese Companies in U.S. IP Litigation,” 4th Annual LexisNexis Corporate Intellectual Property Conference, Beijing, China, April 2009

Session Speaker, “International Patent Strategies for Chinese Companies,” 2009 International Summit on IP System, Strategies and Protection, Beijing, China, March 2009

  • The Revised Chinese Patent Law Enforcement Regulation, China Legal Review, March 2010
  • The Impact of In re Bilski on Software Patents, Morrison & Foerster China IP Newsletter, 2009 Spring Edition
  • Patent Filing Strategy for Chinese Companies after the Third Amendment: U.S. Provisional Patent
  • Supreme People’s Court Seeks to Harmonize Chinese Patent Litigation, with Michael W. Vella, Morrison & Foerster China IP Newsletter, 2009 Fall Edition
  • Confidentiality Review for Foreign Patent Filing, Morrison & Foerster China IP Newsletter, 2010 Spring Edition