Notable Successes

Desmarais LLP is pleased to announce Betty Chen has joined as a partner in the firm’s San Francisco office, building out its bench as a trial-focused pharmaceutical, medical device, and technology-focused patent litigation powerhouse. She is the second lateral partner that Desmarais LLP has brought into its San Francisco office since its launch in 2019. (Gaby Higgins arrived in 2021.)
 
Ms. Chen has nearly two decades of experience successfully representing tech companies, such as Microsoft, Lyft, GoPro, and Sun Pharmaceuticals, in more than 130 high-stakes intellectual property cases. She has taken approximately 20 cases to trial in a variety of forums across the country, including federal district courts, state courts, and the International Trade Commission. Ms. Chen’s practice also focuses on intellectual property diligence and negotiations related to technology in the standard essential patents space (5G, WiFi, batteries) and licensing in the branded pharmaceutical space.
 
“Betty is an excellent trial lawyer who brings a versatility rarely seen in a patent litigator, handling major cases from Hatch-Waxman matters to trade secret, antitrust, and false advertising cases. There’s no doubt she will be a valuable asset to our firm,” said Peter Magic, partner and head of Desmarais LLP’s San Francisco office.
 
Ms. Chen’s recent courtroom successes include winning a $43 million patent infringement verdict for The Chamberlain Group, a garage door opener manufacturer, in the Eastern District of Texas. She also earned a rare general exclusion order (GEO) from the ITC for Skull Shaver, a maker of electric shavers, that blocked the importation of a broad spectrum of knock-off products, including products not even specifically named in the case. And she secured a preliminary injunction for DUSA Pharmaceuticals in a trade secret case involving a medical device, which ultimately led to a favorable settlement on the eve of trial in federal district court. By employing out-of-the-box thinking and creative litigation strategies, Ms. Chen regularly forces plaintiffs to simply walk away from their patent infringement claims against her Bay Area start-up clients. 
 
“I’m thrilled to be part of Desmarais LLP. The firm has some of the strongest patent litigators in the country, and I look forward to being part of its continued growth on the West Coast,” Ms. Chen said. “The firm sits at the forefront of some of the most exciting patent cases in the industry.”
 
Her work has been recognized by the American Bar Association with the “Top 40 Young Lawyers” and “On the Rise” awards; Legal Momentum’s “Women of Achievement” award; the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association’s (NAPABA) “Best Lawyers Under 40” award; an “IP Star” designation from Managing IP (2023); and a “Top Intellectual Property Lawyers in California" designation from the Daily Journal (2023).
 
“We’re very excited to have Betty on the team. She brings a genuine passion for patent litigation work and takes a unique approach to problem solving that will pay dividends for our clients,” said Gaby Higgins, partner in Desmarais LLP’s San Francisco office.
 
Ms. Chen received her law degree from The University of Texas in 2006 and her bachelor’s degree from University of Southern California in 2003. She clerked for the Honorable Ron Clark in the Eastern District of Texas from 2006 to 2008, following an internship with the Honorable William Wayne Justice in the Western District of Texas. 

The Recorder/Law.com – "Desmarais Hires Fish & Richardson Litigator in San Francisco, Beefing Up Tech Portfolio"
Bloomberg Law – "Desmarais Gains Patent Litigation Partner Chen in San Francisco"
Law360 – “Desmarais Reels In Fish & Richardson Patent Litigator” (subscription required)
Managing IP – "Seeing double: Desmarais outlines California expansion plans" (subscription required)
Daily Journal – "Patent litigator joins Desmarais in San Francisco" (subscription required)
San Francisco Business Times – "Daily Digest: People on the Move" (subscription required)