Former PTAB Judge Alex Yap Returns to Morrison & Foerster as a Partner

LOS ANGELES (January 6, 2020) – Morrison & Foerster, a leading global law firm, is pleased to announce that Alex Yap has rejoined the firm’s Intellectual Property Litigation Group in its Los Angeles office. Mr. Yap will further deepen Morrison & Foerster’s Patent Trial and Appeals Board (PTAB) practice.

Mr. Yap comes to Morrison & Foerster from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) in San Jose, where he served as an administrative patent judge for almost four years and presided on over 200 ex parte appeals and inter partes review (IPR) and covered business method (CBM) patent proceedings. Mr. Yap was previously at Morrison & Foerster for 11 years and, prior to beginning his legal career, held senior technology and engineering roles at Freescale (formerly Motorola) and Analog Devices.

“Alex’s outstanding legal and technical experience will enhance and expand our market-leading IP litigation capabilities,” said Richard S.J. Hung, co-chair of Morrison & Foerster’s IP Litigation Group. “Alex’s insights from his time as an administrative patent law judge will be particularly valuable to clients navigating post-grant adversarial proceedings, especially IPRs.”

Mr. Yap’s practice at Morrison & Foerster will focus on IP litigation and PTAB litigation matters. He will advise companies across multiple sectors, including those in the technology space. 

“We are delighted to welcome Alex back to MoFo,” said Los Angeles IP Litigation partner Bita Rahebi. “Alex’s experiences at the USPTO will add further to our already extensive PTAB capabilities. His exceptional background in litigation will also benefit our clients.” 

Mr. Yap earned his J.D. from the University of Minnesota after earning his B.S. and M.S. in Electrical & Computer Engineering at the University of Wisconsin.

“As I considered returning to private practice, I knew that I wanted to come back to MoFo because of its premier IP Litigation Group and renowned culture,” Mr. Yap said. “I’m excited to have the opportunity to bring my knowledge to the firm’s already strong PTAB bench and to once again work closely with the team at MoFo to help our clients protect and enforce their intellectual property.”

Morrison & Foerster’s IP Litigation Practice Group comprises a powerhouse of trial lawyers and appellate specialists, coupled with a patent prosecution team that is unrivaled in its depth of technical expertise. The firm’s 125 IP litigators are regularly at the forefront of groundbreaking IP disputes for the world’s leading high-tech, consumer products, and life sciences companies. National Law Journal has named Morrison & Foerster to its “IP Hot List” four times, Law360 has twice named the firm “IP Practice Group of the Year,” Chambers USA has named the firm “IP Firm of the Year,” and BTI has named the firm an “IP VIP.”