Alison Watkins
- Palo Alto
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Clients rely on Alison for litigation experience and strategic counseling on cutting edge privacy, AI, and intellectual property issues.
Alison Watkins represents and counsels technology companies on a range of legal issues. Valued by her clients for her understanding of their technology and business priorities, Alison regularly advises on the expanding landscape of privacy and AI laws and regulations, with a focus on section 5 of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Act and U.S. state privacy laws. Alison works with clients across industries and technologies, including virtual and augmented reality, wearable technologies, telecommunications, AI, and third-party platforms—at every stage leading to product launch. She drafts privacy notices, online terms, and consumer disclosures. Additionally, Alison helps clients develop and strengthen compliance programs to comply with negotiated FTC consent orders and consumer privacy laws such as the California Consumer Privacy Act and the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation.
An experienced litigator, Alison represents clients in matters involving software, semiconductors, wireless networking, mobile communications, and recombinant DNA technology. Her litigation work includes patent, trade secret, breach of contract, and unfair competition claims, as well as privacy litigation and investigations by the FTC, state attorneys general, and private plaintiffs. Alison has played a leading role in litigation in federal district courts throughout the United States, the U.S. International Trade Commission, and in private arbitration. She has substantial experience in all aspects of litigation, from pre-suit diligence through appeals to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.
Alison maintains an active pro bono practice and serves on the Board of Directors for the Legal Aid Society of San Mateo County.
Education & Credentials
Education
- UC Berkeley School of Law, J.D., Articles Editor and Annual Reviews Editor, Berkeley Technology Law Journal, 2007
- University of Pennsylvania, B.A., Urban Studies, with honors, 2000
Bar and Court Admissions
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California
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
- U.S. District Court for the Central District of California
- U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California
- U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas
Related Employment
- Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP, Associate, 2007-2020
Professional Recognition
Named “40 Under 40” by Silicon Valley Business Journal, 2017
Impact
Professional Leadership
- Legal Aid Society of San Mateo County, Board Member, 2016-2022
Professional Experience
Representative Litigation Matters
- Defended large mobile communications company in a 16-patent case brought by an IP licensing company resulting in summary judgment of non-infringement as to one patent and dismissal of the remaining 15 patents, both dismissal and summary judgment affirmed by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.*
- Won summary judgment of non-infringement for mobile communication company in a patent infringement action involving Wi-Fi cellular switching technology in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, affirmed by the Federal Circuit.*
- Defended a highly successful San Francisco technology startup in two high-profile IP cases against a systems and applications software company in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York and the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. Both cases settled favorably.*
- Represented semiconductor technology company in three separate ITC investigations against various companies alleging infringement of certain semiconductor patents.*
- Represented social media company in FTC investigation related to disclosures regarding the company’s use of consumers’ personal information.*
- Represented social media company in a series of putative class actions and government enforcement actions relating to alleged misuse of personal data.*
*Prior experience.
Privacy
- Advised virtual and augmented reality company on CCPA compliance.
- Advised virtual and augmented reality company on compliance with FTC consent order.
- Advised virtual reality company on GDPR compliance.*
- Defended social networking company in a FTC investigation.*
*Prior experience.
Intellectual Property
- Defended one of the largest mobile communications companies in a 16-patent case brought by an intellectual property licensing company in which 15 of the 16 patents were dismissed. The plaintiff’s appeal of the dismissal as to seven of the patents was denied.*
- Won complete summary judgment of non-infringement for the same mobile communication company in a patent infringement action involving Wi-Fi cellular switching technology in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, affirmed by the Federal Circuit.*
- Defended a highly successful San Francisco technology startup in two high-profile intellectual property cases against a systems and applications software company in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York and the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. Both cases settled favorably.*
*Prior experience.
