Barry Lai has been promoted to partner at Jones Day in Taipei, where he focusses on intellectual property, particularly regarding of patent and trade secret litigation in Taiwan and the United States. 

Lai’s promotion is one of 33 announced by Jones Day, effective January 1, 2026. 

With a degree in communication engineering, Lai possesses significant knowledge in technology fields such as networking, communication systems, and electronic design automation. He has handled patent litigations spanning numerous technical areas, including voltage converter circuits, software and control circuits for LED (light emitting diode) arrays. 

When representing patent holders, Lai collaborates with clients on reviewing patent validity and acquiring infringing products for infringement analysis, filing lawsuits and obtaining favourable judgment results. In representing potential patent infringers, Lai assists clients in prelitigation patent analysis, design around, and preparing noninfringement and validity defenses after being sued, achieving satisfactory litigation results. 

With his dual experience in technology and law, Lai is a rare Taiwan patent litigator who can assume responsibility for technical and legal issues during court hearings. “As a lawyer who understand the relevant technology, he can accurately assist parties in analyzing infringement and validity issues and establish stronger arguments,” the firm said in a statement. “By presenting complex technology through simple yet precise statements, the court can better comprehend the core technology, leading to favourable judgments.” 

Lai has conducted research on the patent system in the United States and is well-versed in procedures such as post-grant reviews (PGRs) and inter partes reviews (IPRs). He has published several articles in legal journals and has assisted numerous Taiwanese clients in U.S. patent litigation, IPR proceedings and evidence disclosure procedures during litigation. 

“This class of new partners once again reflects Jones Day’s ability to provide our valued clients the guidance and legal solutions for their most complex business challenges across the globe,” said Gregory M. Shumaker, the firm’s managing partner.