Agatha H. Liu, Ph.D.

Partner

  • Agatha H. Liu, Ph.D.
  • Phone: +1 650 847 4174

    Import to Address Book

  • Duane Morris LLP
    260 Homer Avenue, Suite 202
    Palo Alto, CA 94301-2777
    USA

Agatha H. Liu, Ph.D. practices intellectual property law, focusing on IP analysis, portfolio management, and strategic counseling. Drawing on over twenty years of experience in computer science and engineering, with a concentration on artificial intelligence, Dr. Liu advises clients on all IP matters related to computers and the Internet, ranging from enterprise platform development to online data protection.

Dr. Liu serves on Duane Morris’ AI Steering Committee and client-facing AI Taskforce. She earned her doctorate from a prominent AI research institution and worked as a technology and management consultant at technology powerhouses handling large data analytics. Leveraging her significant background in AI, Dr. Liu takes a holistic, forward-thinking approach in helping clients understand, evaluate, and resolve AI-related issues across copyright, patent, trademark, data security, and personal privacy as well as life sciences, manufacturing, education, and various other industries. 

Dr. Liu speaks and writes extensively on topics related to the intersection of law and technology, including eligibility for IP protection, the value of IP in emerging technology, and global IP management. Her recent presentations highlight responsible AI promoting explainability and transparency, fair AI that balances beneficial use to advance technology and hard-earned IP rights, and IP ownership and liability in connection with AI-assisted IP.

Areas of Practice

  • Patents
  • Intellectual Property Litigation
  • Technology Transactions, Licensing and Commercial Contracts
  • Trademark, Copyright, Entertainment and Advertising
  • Privacy and Data Protection

Admissions

  • California
  • U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California
  • New York
  • U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York
  • U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York
  • U.S. District Court for the Northern District of New York
  • U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO)

Education

  • Fordham University School of Law, J.D.
  • University of Washington, Ph.D., Computer Science and Engineering
  • Columbia University, B.S.

Experience

  • Duane Morris LLP
    - Partner, 2023-present
  • Hickman Becker Bingham Ledesma LLP
    - Partner/Counsel, 2017-2023

Professional Activities

  • International Association of Privacy Professionals
    - CIPP/US Certification
  • California Lawyers Association
    - Intellectual Property Section
    - Executive Committee

  • American Intellectual Property Law Association

  • Asian Pacific American Bar Association Silicon Valley

  • Licensing Executives Society—Silicon Valley
  • Santa Clara University
    - Bronco Venture Accelerator and Entrepreneurs’ Legal Advising Clinic

Selected Publications

Selected Speaking Engagements

  • Speaker, "Key Federal and State AI Legal Developments Impacting Employment Decisions, Privacy Rights, Vendor Management and IP Practices," Duane Morris LLP, Zoom Event, April 30, 2025
  • Speaker, "Deepfakes Unveiled: Navigating the Line Between Deception and Reality," Lawline Webinar, October 24, 2024

  • Speaker, “Critical AI Employment, Privacy and IP Policies and Practices for Your Business,” Duane Morris LLP, March 19, 2024

  • Speaker, “Get Smart with AI: Strategic Contracting to Reduce Risk,” Duane Morris Webinar, November 15, 2023
  • Moderator, “Where Our AI Policy is Headed – A Discussion with the Copyright Office and the Patent and Trademark Office,” California Lawyers Association, Webinar, October 26, 2023
  • Panelist, "Understanding and Navigating Bias in Artificial Intelligence," Duane Morris 2023 George Boyer Vashon Lecture, May 19, 2023
  • Participant and Mentor, ChIPs Mock Pitch Program on Generative AI, May 18, 2023
  • Speaker, “Filing Strategies in Light of EU Unitary System,” Berkeley-Stanford Advanced Patent Law Institute - 23rd Annual Event, December 8th, 2022

  • Speaker, “Strategic Global Protection of Your Inventions,” AIPLA Webinar, August 11, 2021

  • Speaker, “Better Leveraging Companies' Intellectual Property for Maximum Business Growth,” Bay Area CHIZAI's 33rd Seminar, June 25, 2021

  • Speaker, “The Intersection of Artificial Intelligence and Intellectual Property: Hot Buttons in 2020,” The Knowledge Group/The Knowledge Congress Live Webcast Series., July 8, 2020

  • Speaker, “Machine Learning Patents,” High Tech Law Journal and Journal of International Law Machine Learning Symposium, Santa Clara University, San Jose, California, April 12, 2020

  • Speaker, “Artificial Intelligence and Intellectual Property: What Are the Prospects?” International Intellectual Property Law Association (IIPLA) 3rd Annual Meeting, San Francisco, December 31, 2018

  • Speaker, “Artificial Intelligence and the Patent Law – Promises and Perils,” The Knowledge Group/The Knowledge Congress Live Webcast Series, December 30, 2018

Representative Matters

  • Counseled a medical laboratory company on IP diligence for AI-based, personalized precision medical treatment.

  • Advised a software company on privacy policy and other user agreements related to using and developing generative AI tools.

  • Assisted a software company in developing their patent portfolio that optimizes and secures operations of complex industrial systems with innovative machine learning.

  • Represented the patent portfolio of an AI-based enterprise SaaS platform deigned to predict and automate repetitive computer tasks.

  • Represented a patent portfolio for an international company using machine learning to empower a skill-based labor market.

  • Counseled a company offering AI-powered solutions to the education sector on intellectual property matters, including designs, trademarks, and due diligence.

  • Assisted companies in an AI incubator with developing patent portfolios for supply chain and IT infrastructure sectors.

  • Assisted a global audio technology company in protecting deep-learning based technology for speech enhancement and noise reduction.

  • Counseled a cloud-based spend management platform on acquisition of technology companies and IP portfolios.

  • Counseled an online collaboration platform on global trademark protection involving various trademark proceedings.

  • Represented a global data analytics company in their patent portfolio for data integration, transformation and security in distributed database management systems.

  • Represented a digital agriculture company with their global patent portfolio covering advanced machine learning analysis of nature and agriculture data.

  • Assisted with IP evaluation and due diligence for an investment firm offering strategic financing to fund emerging technologies and build patent portfolios.