Jennifer Yokoyama

Jennifer Yokoyama is a highly experienced intellectual property professional, currently serving as Senior Vice President and Deputy General Counsel for Intellectual Property and Technology at Cisco Systems, Inc.. In this in-house leadership role, her responsibilities encompass legal support and expertise for intellectual property, AI Governance, Data & AI Strategy, Incubation (R&D), Open Source, and related policy and compliance matters. Her practice demonstrates a focus on complex technology, particularly in areas like networking, cybersecurity, and emerging technologies such as Artificial Intelligence.

Ms. Yokoyama primarily operates on the defense side, representing operating companies. Her tracked case appearances confirm this, showing two defendant-side roles for Cisco Systems, Inc. in patent litigation. Before joining Cisco in November 2023, she held significant in-house positions at other major technology companies, including multiple senior roles at Microsoft from June 2018 to November 2023, where she served as Corporate Vice President and Deputy General Counsel for Cloud + AI and also headed IP Litigation. Her prior experience also includes roles as Principal Counsel for Patent Litigation at Apple and Assistant General Counsel for IP Litigation/Patents at Nike. Earlier in her career, she was an IP litigator and partner at McDermott, Will & Emery and White & Case.

A notable aspect of her practice includes her involvement in the Centripetal Networks, LLC v. Cisco Systems, Inc. litigation, where she appeared as Senior Vice President and Deputy General Counsel, Intellectual Property and Technology for Cisco. This case centered on networking and cybersecurity patents. While her professional profile highlights broad expertise across all aspects of IP, including prosecution, licensing, and due diligence, specific details about her regular involvement in PTAB/IPR proceedings are not explicitly detailed in publicly available summaries. However, her role overseeing IP strategy for major tech companies suggests a comprehensive understanding of such post-grant review mechanisms.

Ms. Yokoyama is admitted to the State Bar of California. She earned her Juris Doctor (JD) from Georgetown University Law Center and holds dual Bachelor of Science degrees in Biology and Sociology from the University of California at San Diego. She is also a registered patent attorney. In January 2025, she was appointed as a new member of the USPTO's Patent Public Advisory Committee (PPAC).