Yanan Zhao

Yanan Zhao is an Intellectual Property partner in the Los Angeles office of Kirkland & Ellis LLP, specializing in complex patent and trade secret litigation. Her practice areas encompass patent infringement litigation, trade secrets litigation, and ITC Section 337 proceedings, with a notable focus on technology sectors such as semiconductors and memory products.

Throughout her career, Ms. Zhao has demonstrated a strong inclination towards plaintiff-side representation in patent disputes. She is currently lead counsel for Yangtze Memory Technologies Company, Ltd. in patent litigation against Micron Technology, Inc. et al. Prior to joining Kirkland & Ellis, she represented a patent owner in securing a jury verdict of over $440 million against Micron. She has also worked on the defense side, securing favorable settlements for orthopedic and neurosurgery companies in patent litigation.

Among her notable achievements, Ms. Zhao represented TriZetto and Cognizant in trade secret misappropriation litigation, resulting in a successful $69 million jury verdict after a damages retrial. While Yangtze Memory Technologies Co. has been involved in Inter Partes Review (IPR) proceedings against Micron, primary professional sources do not indicate Ms. Zhao's regular appearance in PTAB/IPR matters.

Before joining Kirkland & Ellis, Ms. Zhao's patent litigation career included tenures at Irell & Manella LLP (2021–2024) and Sullivan & Cromwell LLP (2019–2021). She is admitted to practice in California (2021), New York (2020), and Texas (2018). She earned her J.D. from the University of Texas at Austin School of Law in 2018 and an LL.B. from Shandong University in 2015.