Lillian Mao is an associate in the Palo Alto office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher.  Lillian’s practice focuses on patent and trade secret litigation and other high-tech disputes, taking cases from pre-suit investigation through trial.  She has litigated numerous cases in state and federal courts around the country, before the International Trade Commission (ITC), and before the Patent and Trademark Appeal Board (PTAB). Lillian brings a balanced perspective to litigation strategy based on her mix of plaintiff and defense side representations.  She has experience with various software and hardware technologies, including flash memory, mobile device management, video and image compression, and consumer electronics.

Lillian clerked for the Honorable Ronald M. Whyte in United States District Court for the Northern District of California.

Lillian earned her law degree from Stanford Law School, graduating with distinction and being elected to the Order of the Coif.  As a law student, she served as an Editor and Director of Design for the Stanford Technology Law Review, and as an Editor for the Stanford Environmental Law Journal.  She graduated with honors with a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering from the California Institute of Technology (Caltech).

Lillian is a member of the California State Bar and is admitted to practice in the Northern, Central, and Southern Districts of California as well as the Eastern District of Texas and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.

Representative Experience

• Representation of a consumer audio devices company regarding a patent infringement suit against a competitor, successfully defending the patents’ validity and obtaining a finding of infringement
• Representation of a mobile device management company regarding a competitor suit asserting patent infringement and false advertising claims, culminating in clean sweep jury verdict
• Representation of an industrial software company regarding an anti-piracy program, including a heavily litigated copyright case that ended in a favorable settlement
• Representation of a consumer electronics insurance company regarding a patent infringement suit that ended in a favorable early settlement after skillful presentation of damages issues in negotiations with opposing counsel