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Professional background
Biography image

Megan WhymanOlesek

Partner

Megan is a partner in the firm's Intellectual Property & Technology Litigation group. As an experienced trial attorney, she represents Silicon Valley technology companies in intellectual property litigation before the U.S. International Trade Commission and U.S. District Courts around the country, including all California districts, Delaware and the Eastern and Western Districts of Texas. Her experience includes actions involving patent, trademark and copyright infringement, trade secret misappropriation, complex business disputes, appeals and pre-litigation negotiations. She has developed close, trusted relationships with clients by offering strategic and practical advice tailored to their business priorities and values.

In addition to her experience as trial and appellate counsel, Megan has served clients by disposing of cases prior to trial through motion practice. She has obtained summary determination in the ITC and summary judgment in U.S. District Courts in California and Delaware.

Selected for inclusion in The Lawdragon's 500 Leading Global IP Lawyers Guide 2026

Recognized in Best Lawyers 2027

Focus Areas

  • “What Every General Counsel Needs to Know About the ITC,” Los Angeles Daily Journal, July 17, 2017
  • “Farewell Bare Bones Patent Complaints,” Los Angeles Daily Journal, July 20, 2016
  • Panelist, “Patent Law Year in Review,” 19th Annual Golden Gate University School of Law Intellectual Property Law Conference, April 2021
  • Panelist, “From Servers to Car Dealerships: Venue and Transfer,” 20th Annual Berkeley-Stanford Advanced Patent Law Institute, December 2019
  • Panelist, “Surveying Patent Law’s Ever-Changing Landscape — 2019 and Beyond,” Golden Gate University School of Law 18th Annual Conference on Recent Developments in IP Law, October 2019
  • Moderator, “Closing the Deal: From the Boardroom to the Courtroom,” Embarcadero Networking Group, San Francisco, August 2017
  • Selected for inclusion in The Lawdragon 500 Leading Global IP Lawyers, 2026
  • Selected for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® for Litigation-Patent, 2023 to 2027 and Litigation-Intellectual Property, 2027
  • Recognized by Managing IP’s IP STARS, 2014, 2016 to 2026 (Patent Star)
  • Recognized in the inaugural edition of Managing Intellectual Property’s IP Stars, Top 250 Women in IP, 2013
  • Selected for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in the Bay Area for patent litigation by Bay Area Lawyer, 2005 to 2006
  • American Inns of Court Outstanding Program Award, 2019

Professional Associations

  • The San Francisco Bay Area Intellectual Property American Inn of Court
  • The CLUB Silicon Valley
  • Chiefs in Intellectual Property (ChIPs)

Community Activities

  • New Covenant Choir
  • 100 Women Charitable Foundation

Education

  • University of California, Davis School of Law, J.D., 1997,

    UC Davis Law Review; chair, Moot Court Board

  • University of California, Davis, B.A., 1993,
    with honors
    ,

    Chancellor’s Scholar

Bar Admissions

  • California

Court Admissions

  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
  • U.S. District Court for the Central District of California
  • U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California
  • U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California
  • U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California
  • U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas
  • U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas