About
I help Silicon Valley deep tech startups build holistic IP strategies that appeal to VC investors.
Award-Winning Writer
Burton Law360 Distinguished Legal Writing Award
Received May 19, 2025 for the article "Emerging Legal Terrain: IP Risks from AI's Role in Drug Discovery"
Award ceremony attended by Chief Justice John Roberts, Justice Sonia Sotomayor, and Senator Cory Booker at the Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.
Active Speaker
A sought-after voice on IP strategy for emerging technology companies across Silicon Valley
Regularly invited to speak at premier legal conferences, industry forums, and top academic institutions on patent strategy, AI innovation, and startup IP protection.
July 2025
"IP Considerations for AI in Drug Discovery"
Fenwick CLE
May 2025
"Protecting Future AI Products: A Holistic IP Approach"
IEEE-CNSV, SEMI, Milpitas, CA
March 2025
"AI Model Distillation and the Future of IP Protection for AI Products"
2025 Tech Law Symposium, Association of Corporate Counsel Mountain West Chapter
May 2024
"Navigating the Frontier of AI-Assisted Drug Discovery Patents"
Fenwick & West LLP
May 2023
"Emerging Issues and Critical Considerations for IP and AI in Medical Imaging"
Center for AI in Medicine & Imaging, Stanford University
March 2023
"The IP Baker's Dozen Every Startup Should Be Familiar With"
LAUNCH Startup Cohort
July 2021
"Legal Considerations in Formation"
Webinar for The Founder Institute
May 2021
"Developing a Patent Strategy"
Webinar for Silicon Valley Innovation & Entrepreneurship Forum
January 2020
"Intellectual Property Strategies and Considerations for Startups"
In-person presentation co-hosted by Fenwick and Stanford Chinese Entrepreneur Organization
Biography
Fredrick has over 10 years of experience advising both emerging growth companies and established enterprises on a wide range of intellectual property issues with a focus on patent portfolio development.
He works closely with both investors and successful startups, and has the industry-specific insights to successfully help clients approach patents and budget planning according to what investors and business partners in Silicon Valley would consider as the gold standard.
His years of cross-discipline work in patent litigation and client counseling in mergers and acquisitions lend him a unique perspective in developing a balanced patent portfolio that is valuable in both transactions and enforcement.
His unique approach to patents not only protects a company's key market differentiators and provides defensive value, but also helps startups develop a sound and holistic larger IP strategy that is appealing to key stakeholders, including investors and potential acquirers. He has successfully scaled companies' portfolios from single digits to hundreds of patents.
Experience
IP Transactions and Licensing
- •Leads patent due diligence effort in various M&A deals, from startup acquisitions to a public $20B deal
- •Evaluates freedom to operate risks in various settings, from rendering opinions of counsel in pre-IPO diligence to day-to-day FTO counseling
- •Assists clients in numerous licensing and contract negotiations
Patent Litigation
- •Lancium LLC v. Layer1 Technologies, Inc.: patent litigation involving blockchain technology
- •DivX, LLC v. Amazon.Com, Inc.: patent litigation and ITC proceedings involving video players
- •Homeland Housewares v. Whirlpool: co-authored an appellate brief that persuaded the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit to reverse a final decision
Education & Admissions
Education
J.D., cum laude
University of California College of the Law, San Francisco
Senior Editor, UC Law SF Journal • Best Moot Court Oral Argument
M.S., Electrical Engineering
University of California, Los Angeles
B.S., Chemical Engineering, magna cum laude
University of California, Los Angeles
Admissions
State Bar of California
Admitted to practice
U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
Registered Practitioner