Wenli Gu

Wenli Gu is a patent litigation attorney at Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale & Dorr LLP, with a practice focused on intellectual property rights, particularly within the life sciences, biotechnology, and pharmaceutical industries. Her academic background includes a Ph.D. in Genetics from the University of Mainz, Germany, and an M.S. in Biochemistry from the Chinese Academy of Science, which underpins her deep technical understanding in these complex fields.

Gu's experience includes representing clients on both the plaintiff and defendant sides in patent disputes. In her tracked case, she served as lead counsel for the plaintiff in Merck KGaA v. Hopewell Pharma Ventures, Inc. She was also part of the WilmerHale team that secured a landmark victory for Gilead Sciences in May 2023, where a federal jury found the US government's HIV-prevention patents invalid. Her involvement in such significant litigation demonstrates her capacity to handle high-stakes pharmaceutical patent cases for operating companies.

Beyond district court litigation, Ms. Gu has experience in Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) proceedings, appearing as counsel for Patent Owner in IPRs related to Moderna and COVID patents. She is admitted to practice in Massachusetts and before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, reflecting her comprehensive engagement with patent law.

Ms. Gu earned her J.D. from Columbia Law School in 2017, where she was a Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar. She has been recognized for her work, selected for inclusion in the 2026 edition of Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch for Intellectual Property Law.