Hong Annita Zhong

Hong Annita Zhong is a partner at Irell & Manella LLP, where she focuses on high-stakes patent litigation, contested Patent Office proceedings, and licensing matters across the United States, Europe, and China. Her practice spans a diverse array of technologies, including semiconductor fabrication and packaging, computer architecture, memory technology (NAND, DRAM, HBM), telecommunication standards (4G LTE, 5G wireless, cellular SEPs), artificial intelligence, and OLED display technologies. She leverages a strong technical background, holding a Ph.D. in Inorganic Chemistry from California Institute of Technology and a B.S. in Chemistry and Chemical Engineering from MIT, and previously worked as a senior research scientist at General Electric.

Ms. Zhong is recognized for her ability to represent both plaintiffs and defendants in complex patent disputes, with an equal number of plaintiff and defendant appearances in her tracked cases. She has been a key member of trial teams securing significant victories for patent owners, including a $445 million jury verdict for Netlist against Micron Technology, and a $303 million jury verdict and later a $118 million verdict for Netlist against Samsung, both involving computer memory technology. Her work also includes securing a $191 million jury award for Pictiva Displays International involving OLED patents against Samsung, though a subsequent PTAB decision has potentially reduced the damages. She also contributed to a $300 million jury award for PanOptis in a 4G LTE patent infringement suit against Apple. In "Valtrus Innovations Limited v. Google LLC," where she served as Lead Counsel, one case was voluntarily dismissed, another was stayed pending IPR, and a third related case was dismissed for lack of standing.

A significant portion of her practice involves Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) proceedings and Inter Partes Reviews (IPRs). Ms. Zhong has served as lead PTAB counsel, notably defending a portfolio of patents in 29 IPR proceedings with a record of no claims invalidated and achieving a perfect non-institution record in defending a large cellular standard essential patent (SEP) portfolio against Apple. Her extensive experience in this area has earned her multiple recognitions on the PTAB Bar Association's Top 50 Women in PTAB Trials list.

Ms. Zhong earned her J.D. from Yale Law School. She is admitted to practice in California.