When litigating a patent case, law firms enlist technical advisors whose expertise extends beyond the case’s legalities. Technical advisors like Yechao Dai provide unbiased input on technical issues based on their years of research, education and hands-on experience.
Yechao’s experience as an electrical engineer and advisor has been an asset to inventors, legal teams and judges in complex patent cases. He helps legal teams achieve more favorable outcomes when writing, filing and handling an application, or when litigating a patent case. Inventors leverage Yechao’s expertise to advance ideas to patent application and approval.
As the world of electronics quickly evolves, Yechao understands the importance of keeping up with technology and subsequent patents. His focus is on electronics and electrical engineering: semiconductors, memories, wireless connectors and IoT. Here, Yechao can go deep into the idea of the invention and closely examine different technologies he’s familiar with.
“I get to file applications so we can see how the technology evolves and how it gets implemented. A longer life cycle is involved here, and I enjoy being part of it.”
— Yechao Dai
Legal Analysis Through Reverse Engineering
One way Yechao approaches patents is through reverse engineering. He has the ability to dismantle and analyze a product to learn more about how it works. He can also gain insights into the product’s relationship with existing technology.
Why is this important? His technical knowledge helps the legal team determine whether a product’s inner workings and applications infringe on existing patents. Yechao can demonstrate that a holder’s intellectual property doesn’t replicate other inventions. Inventors can then avoid costly litigation and expedite the patent.
Yechao also protects clients’ patents, providing legal assistance during patent infringement and invalidity cases. He reviews documents, collects evidence and provides expert testimony. He also analyzes patent claims and prior art, while conducting market research to substantiate or refute infringement allegations.
Yechao has the ability to interpret the language and scope of a patent's claims to determine what the patent covers. Specifically, Yechao’s proficiencies and day-to-day contributions include:
- Prosecution and litigation support
- Technical consulting and support
- Patent application processing
- Patent application drafting
- Inventor interviews
Yechao knows it’s important to utilize a wide range of skills and resources to personalize each client's case. This involves getting creative and developing new ideas to ensure client success.
“I like to think out of the box a little bit when it comes to looking at the technology to see how we can use it to make an even stronger application—to take new ideas back to the inventors to discuss new possibilities.”
— Yechao Dai
Creating Compelling Patents
While patent law is an exciting field with new challenges, the process can feel mundane. The main reason is that technology often involves high-level conversations that go over nearly everyone’s heads. As a result, the message can often get lost and the narrative skewed.
Yechao has the invaluable ability to bring complex concepts back to earth through compelling language and applications that tell stories. He understands that what’s at stake is not just the inventor’s product. An entire industry can shift when a patent is granted. Therefore, it’s his job to present the application in the best light possible.
Yechao’s own story is compelling. He grew up in China and came to the US in 2011. He enjoys cooking, watching movies, woodworking and spending time with his pets.