Brian R. Matsui

Brian R. Matsui is a prominent appellate advocate and co-chair of Morrison & Foerster's Appellate and Supreme Court practice. His practice encompasses a wide range of complex appeals, with a significant focus on intellectual property matters, particularly before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. He handles appeals across various technology areas, including mobile devices, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, semiconductors, and software.

While the provided data tracks one appearance on the defendant side, Matsui's primary role is as an appellate specialist. He has achieved a strong record representing sophisticated clients as appellants, winning 15 of his last 17 appeals in the Federal Circuit. He advises on critical legal issues and appellate preservation for trial teams, often representing major companies in high-stakes intellectual property disputes.

Matsui has significant experience with appeals originating from the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB), as well as district courts and the International Trade Commission. Notably, he prevailed before the Federal Circuit in SNIPR Technologies Ltd. v. Rockefeller University, a precedential decision that reversed a USPTO interpretation of the America Invents Act (AIA) and revived five CRISPR-related patents. He also secured a $775 million settlement for Chugai Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. after successfully arguing against a summary judgment invalidity motion related to antibody recycling technology.

Matsui is admitted to practice in California and the District of Columbia. He earned his A.B. and J.D. from Stanford University and Stanford Law School, respectively, and previously served as a law clerk for Justice Anthony M. Kennedy on the U.S. Supreme Court.