People

Wesley L. White Partner

New York

Wes has guided clients through all stages of litigation, including conducting pre-suit diligence, fact and expert, claim construction, evidentiary and dispositive motions, and post-trial. He has handled complex disputes across a diverse range of technology sectors, including computer hardware and software, networking devices, virtualization and cloud computing, antennas, encryption and compression technology, VOIP telephony, flash memory, OLED displays, e-commerce platforms, video/media streaming, web and mobile applications, life sciences, and medical and surgical devices.

Wesley’s achievements have earned him recognition as a Super Lawyers and Managing IP “Rising Star” in intellectual property disputes, and he was named to Lawdragon’s 2023 Inaugural 500 X Next Generation Rising Stars list. Prior to beginning his legal career, Wesley worked as an analyst for five years with Goldman Sachs.

Christine Willgoos Counsel

New York

Christine has litigated a wide range of subject matters relating to drug development, including humanized antibody technology, recombinant DNA vectors, nextgen DNA sequencing, complex chemistry and drugs for the treatment of cancer, HIV, diabetes, multiple sclerosis, depression and anxiety, immune disorders, and dermatologic conditions. Christine is experienced in other industries as well, including medical devices, semiconductors, telecommunications and electronics.

Christine’s recent successes include obtaining a trial win and injunction for a major pharmaceutical company’s blockbuster cancer drug, securing a consent judgment and recommendation for fees for two innovator companies’ treatment relating to rare cancers, and representing a biotech company in Patent Office proceedings against a major pharmaceutical company, securing a settlement of $1.25 billion.

Dan Williams Senior Associate

San Francisco

Dan is experienced in Hatch-Waxman litigation, including disputes involving drug treatments for cancer and HIV. Dan is also experienced in biologics litigation and counseling, representing clients on matters involving expression vectors, antibodies, gene therapies, and CAR T-cell therapies. Dan’s experience includes litigating patents directed to recombinant DNA technology, complex manufacturing processes, small molecule compounds, crystalline forms, methods of treatment, oral dosage formulations, injectable formulations, and fixed dose combination products.

Dan has contributed to numerous victories on behalf of our life science clients, including a complete win in a multi-patent Hatch-Waxman trial for a client’s blockbuster cancer therapy, favorable claim constructions in numerous cases, and obtaining a special master’s report and recommendation for attorneys’ fees for the opposing parties’ exceptional discovery misconduct. Dan has courtroom advocacy experience, including presenting to the district court for Markman proceedings.

Laura A. Wytsma Partner

Los Angeles

Laura has significant trial experience as lead counsel and excels in presenting complex technology to judges and juries. In addition to her trial skills, she is well respected for her talents at the appellate level. Laura has principally authored dozens of appeal briefs in federal and state courts and argued nine appeals in the Ninth and Federal Circuits and the California Court of Appeal.

Laura began her career in the U.S. Justice Department's (DOJ) Honor Program, where she represented the government in criminal and civil deportation proceedings, advised the U.S. Attorney's Office on immigration issues, and ultimately provided legal guidance to field offices at Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) headquarters.

After leaving the DOJ's Honors Program for civil practice, Laura began working on her first patent case in 1999. The matter, which lasted almost a decade and ultimately reached the U.S. Supreme Court, greatly influenced her decision to become a patent litigator at a time when few non-technical lawyers and women practiced in the field. Since her initial patent case, Laura has represented clients from around the world in over 50 patent cases in California, DC, Delaware, Illinois, New York, and Texas. One of her prized possessions is the “trial victory bat” Louisville Slugger custom made for Laura after she secured a finding of non-infringement and defended the victory in the Federal Circuit.

Deeply committed to pro bono work, Laura has represented dozens of asylum seekers from around the world. And as an active participant in organizations supporting this work, she has been a recipient of pro bono and community service awards throughout her career.

Carol Yan Senior Associate

Pechino

Carol’s practice focuses on patent filing and prosecution, patent-related legal advice and patent litigation across a broad range of industries, including chemistry, materials science, pharmaceutical, biotechnology, medical device, semiconductor and auto mechanics. Carol has extensional experience in patent, trademark, domain name, copyright and trade secret.

Before joining Orrick, Carol worked with Lung Tin International Property Agent Ltd. and in Jones Day’s Beijing Office.

Daniel Yost Partner

San Francisco; Silicon Valley

Highly regarded for his expertise, Chambers USA has ranked Daniel for his expertise in Technology Transactions and noted that “His work is solution-driven and his positive personality helps both sides of a negotiation work towards the outcome.” Legal 500 describes his practice as “exceptional” and recommends the practice for its “high client service ethic and great commercial awareness." He is known for his ability to handle complex transactions for science-based technology companies, with work ranging from intellectual property and licensing to distribution agreements and cross-border collaborations, counseling clients on commercial law, copyright, licensing, marketing, patent, privacy, strategic alliances, trademark and trade secrets matters.

Daniel has represented companies in various industries, including biotechnology, cleantech, energy, consumer electronics, entertainment, hardware, internet, media, semiconductor, services, software, telecommunications and wireless. His energy clients include clients in the solar, biofuels, waste to energy and geothermal sectors.

Daniel has acted as key legal counsel in:

• Manufacturing, distribution and sale arrangements for makers of software, chips, security devices, batteries and solar technologies, among others.
• Technology transactions with universities, governments and non-profit entities.
• Copyright, privacy and online pitfalls applicable to Internet companies.
• Domestic and international collaborations for developers of pharmaceutical products, medical devices, semiconductors and software, among others.
• Mergers, acquisitions, spin-offs and asset divestitures in a wide range of industries, including biotechnology, health databases, semiconductors medical software, entertainment, Internet browsers and e-commerce.
• Open software source policy development and compliance.
• IT and business process services agreements.
• Venture capital investments in technology-based enterprises.

The former co-chair of both the Technology Transactions and Technology Companies Practice Groups, Daniel is a thought leader on technology transactions issues and programs that focus on the protection and exploitation of intellectual property, having advised on clients such as Weta Digital, Fulcrum BioEnergy, CelLink Corporation, Telenor, Luminar, and Motorola Solutions. He is regularly called up to speak about intellectual property and technology matters and has done so at UC Berkeley, Stanford and other universities and conferences. His work on incentivizing innovation has been published in major papers, including Forbes, the Daily Journal San Francisco and the San Jose Mercury News.

Daniel’s current volunteer work includes serving on the Board of Joint Venture Silicon Valley, the Advisory Counsel for UC Berkeley’s Center for Law, Energy and the Environment and California Environmental Voters. Daniel also advises state and local elected officials on policies to encourage the development and deployment of zero emissions technologies. Daniel’s prior volunteer work includes serving as Mayor and Councilmember in Woodside, California and serving as a founding Board Member of Peninsula Clean Energy – the community choice energy provider serving San Mateo County.

Jason Yu Partner

Silicon Valley

Jason has represented technology companies in multiple venues, including various state and federal courts, the International Trade Commission, and the Patent and Trademark office. His matters span different technological areas including, Information Technology, satellite communications, semiconductor manufacturing, circuit design and verification tools, image texture and graphics processing, gaming, and a variety of software products.

Shelley Zhang Partner

Pechino

Shelley's related IP experience includes the following:

• Patent invalidation proceedings, anti-counterfeiting, anti-piracy efforts and patent and trademark enforcement litigation in China.
• Prosecution of patent and trademark, including application preparation, office actions/oppositions procedures and reexamination procedures.
• Enforcement and technology transfer/licensing arrangements for substantial patent and trademark portfolios for companies doing business in China.
• Advising on IP protection strategies, R&D related IP issues and matters in relation to export and import control of technology.
• Assisting Chinese companies in Section 337 U.S. International Trade Commission investigations, patent infringement litigations and product liability litigations in the U.S. 
• IP due diligence and portfolio counseling.

Jasmine W Zhu Managing Associate

Washington, D.C.

Jasmine’s litigation experience includes assisting with patent licensing negotiations, assisting with trial and witness preparation, drafting motions, petitions, oppositions, and replies, and preparing expert reports.

Jasmine has experience with a wide range of technologies including telecommunications, semiconductors, client/server systems, computer software, electronic commerce, cloud computing, virtual and augmented reality, streaming media, Internet search engines, search advertising, electronic devices, medical devices, optics and imaging.

Prior to joining Orrick, Jasmine externed at the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. Jasmine was also a patent agent specializing in patent prosecution before the United States Patent and Trademark Office, and she worked with foreign attorneys to prosecute patents before foreign patent offices. She has advised clients on new patent applications and prosecution strategies and managed clients’ domestic and global patent portfolios.

Managing Associate

Boston

Katie's litigation experience includes reviewing documents, assisting with trial and witness preparation, drafting motions, oppositions, and replies, and preparing expert reports. Katie has also worked with appellate teams, assisting with briefs and preparing for oral argument before the Supreme Court. Her trademark prosecution and transactional experience includes trademark clearance, applications, oppositions, drafting cease and desist letters in both copyright and trademark matters, and representing parties on both sides of Uniform Domain-Name Dispute-Resolution Policy disputes.

Katie is a graduate of the Franklin Pierce University of New Hampshire School of Law. While in law school, she externed for the Honorable Joseph Laplante of the United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire. She also participated in the IP & Transactional Clinic and published a paper on trademark registrability for political slogans. She focused her studies on the Intellectual Property and Sports and Entertainment fields, obtaining specialization certificates in Intellectual Property Law, Sports Law, and Entertainment Law. Katie also received the Sports and Entertainment Institute's Entertainment Award in 2020.