University of Washington Law School Wins AIPLA Moot Court Competition Regionals

SEATTLE- A University of Washington School of Law team led by Yeu-Yan Perng and Annie Allison recently won the western regionals competition at the Giles Sutherland Rich Memorial Moot Court Competition held in Palo Alto, California. Stoel Rives of counsel Alex Oh, who teaches an IP appellate advocacy class at the law school, coached the winning team. 

The win represents the first time a team from UW has qualified to compete at the national competition of the Giles Sutherland Rich Memorial Moot Court, which is organized by the American Intellectual Property Law Association. In addition to winning the regionals competition overall, Perng and Allison also won Best Appellant Brief and had the highest combined brief score at regionals. They will compete at the National Finals Competition in Washington, D.C., on April 23-25, 2014.

“We’re thrilled to represent Husky nation in the finals of this prestigious competition,” said 3L Yeu-Yan Perng, who plans to practice corporate law with a focus on intellectual property upon graduation. “We really appreciate the support and encouragement of Professor Oh and his Stoel Rives colleagues,” added Annie Allison, a 3L who also intends to pursue a career in corporate law with an intellectual property focus.

“We’re very proud of Yan’s and Annie’s achievements and dedication,” said Alex Oh, a registered patent attorney who focuses on U.S. and foreign patent strategy, preparation and prosecution, and patent litigation. “Smart, hard-working attorneys with a practical mind for business is what our clients look for, and we’re excited to partner with UW law school in molding the next generation of patent attorneys for active practice.”

This year’s moot court problem focused on a patent licensing dispute, with jurisdictional and patent validity elements. Stoel Rives served as team sponsor, funding travel and per diem expenses. In addition to Alex Oh’s coaching, a group of Stoel Rives attorneys led by Brian Park, Jill Bowman and Hunter Ferguson along with former partner Sam Webb worked with Perng and Allison on oral argument preparation.