Nora N. Xu

Nora N. Xu is a patent litigation attorney at Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr LLP (WilmerHale), focusing her practice on intellectual property litigation before federal district courts, appellate courts, and administrative agencies. Her experience spans patent cases across various technology areas, including pharmaceuticals, biologics, medical devices, solar technology, and semiconductors. She also advises clients on FDA regulatory matters, leveraging her scientific background in chemical engineering.

Ms. Xu primarily represents plaintiffs in patent disputes, with her tracked appearances reflecting two plaintiff-side representations in the pharmaceutical sector. Notable cases include her role as lead counsel for Merck KGaA in Merck KGaA v. Hopewell Pharma Ventures, Inc., and as counsel for Merck Serono S.A. in Merck Serono SA v. TWI Pharmaceuticals Inc.. These cases, involving pharmaceutical patents, resulted in appeals to the Federal Circuit from Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) inter partes reviews (IPRs), where the Federal Circuit affirmed the PTAB's unpatentability determinations for Merck's patents in October 2025. Additionally, Ms. Xu represented ModernaTX, Inc. as an appellee in Arbutus Biopharma Corporation v. ModernaTX, Inc. (Fed. Cir. 2023), where the Federal Circuit affirmed a PTAB decision finding claims invalid as anticipated. This experience demonstrates her regular involvement in PTAB/IPR proceedings and subsequent appeals to the Federal Circuit.

Ms. Xu earned her J.D. with high honors from Emory University School of Law in 2017 and holds a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Rice University (2011). Prior to joining WilmerHale, she clerked for the Honorable Raymond T. Chen of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit from 2019 to 2020. She is admitted to practice in the District of Columbia and Virginia, and before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.