SILICON VALLEY—Womble Bond Dickinson continues to expand its intellectual property practice in Silicon Valley with the addition of patent attorney Yi Wilkinson, Ph.D., who speaks fluent Chinese and works regularly with both U.S. and Chinese companies on technology matters.

Wilkinson focuses her practice on preparing and prosecuting patent applications in wireless communications, electronics, computer software, optics, and medical devices. Prior to becoming an attorney, she worked as an engineer for more than seven years for high-tech companies in Silicon Valley, including KLA-Tencor and Applied Biosystems.

“Womble Bond Dickinson has an amazing patent team in Palo Alto and I’m very excited to join the practice,” said Wilkinson. The firm has more than 20 patent lawyers and litigators in Silicon Valley and a total of 150 IP, technology and data lawyers in the US and UK overall.

“Yi has an incredibly strong technical background and brings deep experience in a wide variety of important technologies to the practice,” said Mike Gencarella, Managing Partner of Womble Bond Dickinson’s California offices. “The firm’s work for Chinese companies continues to grow and she’ll also be an important part of our China team.”

Wilkinson received her J.D. from University of California Hastings College of Law after previously earning a Ph.D. in Optical Engineering and an M.S. in Electrical Engineering from University of Alabama in Huntsville. Before coming to the U.S., she received a B.S. in Optical Engineering and an M.S. in Electronic Physics from Huazhong University of Science & Technology, China.

Wilkinson joins the firm from Arent Fox LLP.