Ming-Tao Yang

Ming has served as lead counsel in litigation, arbitration, and licensing matters, managing patent and trade secret disputes before federal and state courts, the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC), appellate courts, and arbitration panels. He has leveraged his extensive litigation experience to negotiate and resolve patent, license, and trade secret disputes and to formulate creative and strategic business solutions, settlement terms, and collaborative relationships.

Ming’s experience includes defending companies against infringement and license disputes, resolving lawsuits filed by non-practicing entities (NPEs), securing numerous dismissals with no settlement payment, and negotiating favorable, business-focused settlements. He deals with major licensors, often finding innovative resolutions to address license demands and minimize uncertainties or risks. Ming has defeated patent infringement assertions by several leading wireless-technology licensors, prevailing on non-infringement, invalidity, damages, or other grounds. He also defends clients against patent-infringement assertions by NPEs relating to ICs, wireless, semiconductors, solid-state drives (SSDs), video surveillance, and networking products, securing unconditional or voluntary dismissals in several cases and favorable settlements in others. Ming has litigated many infringement and declaratory judgment actions in district courts as well as appeals to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit and the U.S. Supreme Court.

Ming frequently speaks, teaches, and publishes on a variety of IP-related topics. He has served as an adjunct professor and been invited as a guest speaker at both law and business schools. NYCU, one of the most prestigious universities in engineering and medical areas, bestowed Ming with two separate awards—a Distinguished Alumnus Award in 2015, and the Best 60-IN-60 Award in 2016, recognizing him as one of its top 60 leaders spanning 60 years. He also received a Distinguished Alumnus Award from NYCU’s Department of Mechanical Engineering as well as Order of Coif from the George Washington University Law School.

Ming devotes time to pro bono matters to support people in need in San Francisco Bay Area communities. He represented tenants in jury trials, settlement conferences, and other proceedings before state courts, helping to advance and safeguard tenants’ rights. Ming’s work has been recognized on the Capital Pro Bono Honor Roll. He was also interviewed by Community Legal Services in East Palo Alto (CLSEPA) to be featured at its 2022 Annual Gala for securing a jury verdict upholding tenants’ rights.