About Ethan Y.
Ethan Y. Lee combines a quantitative undergraduate background with a legal education. He earned both a B.S. and a B.A. in Mathematics and Economics from Duke University. He then went on to receive his J.D. from UCLA School of Law in 2009. Those years of study left him comfortable with technical concepts and careful with numbers—skills that often matter in intellectual property work.
After law school he built his practice at Fenwick & West LLP, where he is an attorney on matters that intersect law, technology and business. He is licensed to practice in California and New York and is registered to appear before the United States Patent and Trademark Office. That combination of admissions allows him to handle patent matters and related counseling across key U.S. venues.
Colleagues describe him as precise in analysis and methodical in drafting. He has experience preparing and prosecuting patent applications and helping clients shape IP strategy. His mathematical training informs how he approaches claim drafting and patentability analysis. He also assists clients in assessing intellectual property portfolios and in managing prosecution timelines and responses to office actions.
Working at a firm known for representing technology companies, he regularly engages with inventors and in-house counsel. He translates technical descriptions into legal claims and explains procedural choices in plain terms. He often balances technical detail against broader business goals when advising clients. His practice involves coordinating with patent agents, engineers, and business teams to move complex matters forward.
He practices in both California and New York, and handles filings and prosecution matters before the USPTO. That means he works on matters that require knowledge of federal patent procedures as well as state-bar practice rules. He spends significant time on written work—drafting specifications, preparing office action responses, and editing claims to reflect client priorities and patentability constraints.
Outside the office he keeps up with developments in patent law and technology to serve clients who operate in specialized technical fields. He aims for clarity in written work and efficiency in prosecution. He currently focuses on patent prosecution and intellectual property counseling for companies and inventors.
