Lai Yip is a partner in the Intellectual Property Practice Group in the firm's San Francisco and Silicon Valley offices.
Lai has more than 15 years of experience litigating complex disputes. She focuses on intellectual property litigation, including litigation involving trade secrets (particularly as they relate to source code and complex technologies), FRAND, patents, and trademarks. Lai represents leading global businesses in the technology, defense, automotive, finance, and retail industries, among others.
Lai understands the client perspective, having gained in-house experience in a year-long secondment to one of the world's largest automakers. Clients value Lai's dedication, strategic thinking, attention to detail, and responsiveness. For all cases, big or small, Lai fully engages in the management and execution of every aspect of the litigation process. Lai looks for creative, strategic solutions to problems and disputes, inside and outside the courtroom, and always with the client's business objectives in mind.
Lai has a computer science background. After graduating with a degree in computer science from the University of California at Berkeley, she joined George Lucas's special effects company Industrial Light & Magic, where she helped create the digital images in the Star Wars prequels, the Harry Potter series, Jurassic Park III, and many other movies. Her name appears in the movie credits of Men in Black II and Ang Lee's The Hulk. In addition to her technical background, she has experience in investigative reporting, delivering stories on-air for NPR-affiliate KQED Public Radio on the news magazine Pacific Time.
Lai was selected by The Recorder as one of its Women Leaders in Tech Law, Next Generation Honoree. She is a former City Lead for the Leadership Council for Legal Diversity (LCLD), and was selected for the LCLD's Fellows Program. Lai is a former Co-Chair of Sheppard's San Francisco Women Lawyers Group, and a former member of the Association of Business Trial Lawyers' Leadership Development Committee. Before practicing law, Lai volunteered at Foundation for Human Rights Initiative in Kampala, Uganda, where she advocated for death penalty reform.