Arthur T. Yuan

Arthur Yuan has over 20 years of experience in all aspects of intellectual property law, allowing him to provide cost-effective while holistic approach in order to achieve the client’s objectives when dealing with intellectual property (IP) assets, whether in IP procurement or registration, in M&A, or in corporate governance. Currently based in both the Hong Kong and Chicago offices, as a native speaker of Chinese and a registered U.S. patent lawyer, he understands and is able to handle IP protection matters at an international level. He counsels both domestic and foreign clients in a wide range of matters, from strategic patent and trademark procurement to leveraging international corporations’ IP assets when doing business in the U.S., China and Taiwan.

Specifically, Arthur is experienced in resolving patent disputes and procuring patent protection. Of note, he defended a patent of a U.S. subsidiary of a Taiwan-based corporation in an ex parte reexamination proceeding before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. The patent, after surviving the reexamination, led to a very favorable licensing deal against a major competitor. Arthur is also versed in an inter partes review before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board. Arthur draws upon his computer science background to counsel clients on a wide range of patentable technologies, including software (electronic commerce, operating systems, business management applications, data security, encryption, blockchain, Fintech, payment processing, artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, media content processing, telecommunication systems, search engines, database structures, automation, social networks, and web mashups); electrical engineering and electrical hardware (semiconductors, mobile devices, and satellite transmission systems); mechanical devices (tripods, gimbals, and lens); biological and chemical related technologies (chemical energy conversion systems, chemical decontamination solutions, cellulose materials, and cultured meats). 

Arthur is also versed in trademark protections. He counsels international clients on trademark issues, while assisting with trademark registrations around the world. Arthur successfully defended a client against a trademark infringement allegation from an accuser (a Fortune 200 corporation) by using a prior patent of the accuser that specifically indicated that the trademark possesses a utilitarian function. More recently, Arthur counsels clients on trademark copyright issues when selling products on online marketplaces, including defending them against trademark and copyright infringement lawsuits in the northern district of Illinois.

Outside of the private legal practice, Arthur served as the director of the Chinese Intellectual Property Resource Center of John Marshall Law School (now UIC School of Law) from 2010 to 2018. The school had longstanding ties to many Chinese and Taiwanese government entities responsible for IP law and, as such, Arthur managed and coordinated conferences and educational training programs for the USPTO, U.S. federal courts, China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA)), the Judicial Yuan of ROC and other Chinese delegations. He travels to China frequently delivering lectures to businesses and patent examiners on U.S. intellectual property law.