Eric Whitaker

Eric Whitaker is a highly experienced intellectual property litigation attorney, primarily operating in an in-house capacity within the technology and life sciences sectors. He currently serves as Strategic Counsel for 10x Genomics, Inc., a position he transitioned to in January 2026 after serving as the company's Executive Vice President and Chief Legal Officer since 2017/2018. His practice is heavily focused on protecting and enforcing proprietary technology, particularly in the rapidly evolving fields of genomics, single-cell, and spatial biology, including next-generation DNA sequencing. Whitaker consistently works on the plaintiff side, asserting the intellectual property rights of operating companies against competitors.

His recent notable engagements include leading 10x Genomics' patent enforcement efforts. In May 2026, he was involved in 10x Genomics' lawsuit against Element Biosciences, Inc., alleging infringement of spatial technology patents. Whitaker also played a key role in the resolution of a global patent dispute with Bruker Corporation in May 2025, which resulted in Bruker agreeing to pay 10x Genomics $68 million in installments and ongoing royalties, following a prior $31 million jury verdict in Delaware. Additionally, 10x Genomics secured a worldwide permanent injunction against Parse Biosciences for infringing certain patents, with ongoing litigation for other products. His career also encompasses prevailing in numerous critical intellectual property litigation matters, including one of the largest IP judgments in California history.

Before joining 10x Genomics, Whitaker held General Counsel and Chief Legal Officer roles at several high-growth technology companies, including Nutanix, SanDisk, Tesla, and Lexar, which provided him broad experience across software, data storage, and automotive technologies. He began his legal career specializing in intellectual property and antitrust litigation at Latham & Watkins. While 10x Genomics has faced challenges to its patents, specific details regarding Whitaker's regular appearance in PTAB or IPR proceedings are not prominently featured in available public records.

Whitaker earned his J.D. from Stanford Law School and an undergraduate degree from Princeton University. He is an active member of the California State Bar.