Brent K. Yamashita

Brent Yamashita is an intellectual property litigator and prosecutor who helps technology innovators secure and protect their rights in a fast-moving, highly competitive environment.

With over 25 years of experience representing Silicon Valley technology firms, he is adept at learning technology quickly and explaining it clearly to judges, juries, the US Patent and Trademark Office and other decision-makers.

Brent has litigated patent cases in federal courts across Northern California, Delaware, and Texas as well as before the International Trade Commission, on behalf of clients ranging from start-ups to publicly traded companies. He has successfully tried 8 patent cases, argued 13 claim construction hearings and led numerous inter partes review proceedings before the USPTO.

In addition to litigation, Brent assists his clients in obtaining and leveraging valuable IP rights through patent and trademark prosecution and licensing transactions. He has prepared, filed and prosecuted patent applications across an array of advanced technologies, including AI, neural networks, flash memory and virtual reality, securing over 150 patents for clients in the hardware, software and mechanical sectors.

Known for his pragmatic, efficient approach, Brent understands the role of technology assets in his clients’ business strategies, and tailors his legal approach accordingly. Clients depend on him to safeguard their technologies and strengthen the value of their IP portfolios.

Experience

• Represented a threat modeling software company as lead counsel in an IPR proceeding, successfully arguing before the USPTO to invalidate a competitor’s patent and remove a major legal obstacle to the client’s product strategy.
• Represented a cybersecurity software company and successfully convinced a judge in the Northern District of Texas during a Markman hearing to find the term “file transfer speeds” indefinite.
• Represented an SRAM memory company at trial in a trade secret misappropriation case in the Northern District of California and obtained a jury verdict in favor of his client.