Thirty years of federal courts
Complex patent, commercial, and criminal litigation across U.S. federal courts and ITC - tried to verdict
Federal courts coast to coast. From federal prosecutor to IP litigator.
Forty years of Japan
A connection that predates the legal career - language, culture, and business.
Collaboration with Japanese counsel in cases before the JPO & IP High Court - from gene editing to microchips
One practice that brings them together
For Japanese companies in U.S. courts, and for U.S. and European firms with Japan matters. . . .
the conversation starts here.
Practice Areas
U.S. Intellectual Property Practice
A full-service U.S. intellectual property practice — from strategic counseling and portfolio development through federal court and ITC litigation. Career focus on complex, high-stakes matters across pharmaceuticals, medical devices, semiconductors, and the full range of patent-intensive industries.
A practice dedicated to sophisticated clients and their investments in IP.
Japan-Facing Legal Services
For U.S. and European companies in Japanese proceedings: strategic co-counsel with Japanese attorneys, bridging the gap between practices, brief writing, and strategic choices.
For U.S. law firms with Japanese clients in U.S. proceedings: Japan-capable co-counsel for discovery, witness preparation, and client communication - without conflicts.
Firm Overview
YMF Law leads clients in assembling specialized teams in the United States and Japan, tailored to the expertise required for each case.
A Practice Without Borders
YMF Law is not a regional practice. York has appeared in U.S. district courts nationwide, including, D.C., E.D. Virginia, Delaware, New Jersey, M.D. Pennsylvania, N.D. Illinois, W.D. North Carolina, Arizona, Nevada, Utah, Idaho, Oregon, N.D. California, S.D. California, and the U.S. International Trade Commission. The firm's clients are as diverse as their jurisdictional needs.
The Japan Connection
Few U.S. litigators can operate in Japanese legal and business culture without an intermediary. York speaks and reads Japanese, has represented Japanese companies in U.S. courts for decades, and has worked hand-in-hand with Japanese counsel in advising U.S. and European clients navigating Japan's legal system — in both directions and in technologies involving the highest levels of complexity. York first moved to and lived in Japan from 1984 through 1986, after his freshman year at university and at the height of Japan's "Bubble Jidai" that firmly established Japan on the world's economic landscape. York has lived and worked periodically in Japan over the ensuing forty years, including nearly a decade as a partner in Quinn Emanuel's Tokyo office and then founder of YMF Law.
York Moody Faulkner
YMF Law is the practice of York M. Faulkner — a trial lawyer who began his career as a federal prosecutor at the U.S. Department of Justice and was one of several prosecutors recruited from the DOJ by patent powerhouse Finnegan, Henderson, Farabow, Garrett & Dunner at a moment when the legal market was first recognizing that patent litigation required experienced courtroom advocates, not just technical specialists.
Over 22 years as an equity partner at Finnegan — including service in firm management and leadership of the IP Specialties Group — York tried patent and IP cases across the full range of technology sectors: pharmaceuticals, biosimilars, semiconductors, medical devices, automotive, consumer electronics, fiber optics, and more. Then after three years as an equity partner at Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan, York left Big Law to build something more nimble and responsive to client needs and the evolving legal market.
Independent Senior Partner Practice
York built an independent senior partner practice — designed for the way sophisticated clients increasingly select legal talent today — "retaining lawyers, not law firms." Talented partners are now leaving BigLaw to pursue their specialties in their own firms and on their own terms. Technology makes it all possible. YMF Law offers a 30+ year patent trial lawyer freed from large firm overhead, billing structures, and organizational constraints. In its sixth year, this structure invites early pre-suit consultation and the ability to design litigation teams tailored to the jurisdiction, technological subject matter, and specific needs of each case.
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General Counsel, Pharmaceutical Conglomerate
We don't retain law firms. . . . We retain the best lawyers.
Recent Articles
Following are a few recent articles of interest appearing in the firm's "Insights" page of this website and published more broadly on Lexology and Mondaq:
When Knockoffs Arrive Overnight but Justice Takes Years - Why the gap between infringement and justice is wider than most clients think when trying to serve a Complaint on Chinese infringers.
Dismissal with Prejudice Creates Implied License Under the Patent Marking Statute? The Federal Circuit Seems Unconvinced - Why patentees should think twice before agreeing to dismiss an infringement suit with prejudice. It might create a patent "license."
The Vanishing $10 Million Verdict in Rex Medical v. Intuitive Surgical - "The math is stark: infringement victory + validity win + $10 million jury award = $1, if you cannot apportion value to the patented invention. . . ."
Eastern District of Virginia Rocket Docket - Schedules & Procedure - A concise walk-through of the peculiar local rules of the EDVA Rocket Docket that accelerate the case schedule, compress discovery dispute resolution, and open common pitfalls to the unwary.
The Taxation of Tip Income - The Untold Story - York's detailed recounting of the decades-long war waged against tip taxation by Las Vegas casino dealers, as told by one who served in its trenches.
Thought Leadership
Japan Focus
The firm frequently publishes articles on patent and other IP related decisions by Japanese courts that are of interest to clients and practitioners outside Japan:
The CRISPR Patent Wars Hit Japan: A High-Stakes Battle Over Gene-Editing's Future - Detailing the University of California's favorable outcome before Japan's IP High Court, rejecting Toolgen's efforts to invalidate the university's foundational CRISPR Cas9 gene editing patent.
In Vivo Production and Patent Infringement - An Issue of First Impression in Japan's IP High Court - A groundbreaking decision that may shape the scope and enforceability of Japanese patents directed to patient therapies administered by medical professionals in Japan.
Law Firm Opportunities in the Japanese Market - Documenting opportunities for U.S. law firms arising from shifting trends in Japanese corporate foreign investment. Legal needs for transactional, regulatory, litigation, and arbitration work - amplified by recent tariff policies.
FDA Pharmaceutical Regulation and Drug Patent Litigation: A Guidebook for U.S. Drug Development (published by "Keizai Sangyo Chosakai" Research Institute of Economy, Trade & Industry) - York co-authored the leading Japanese-language publication on FDA approvals and Hatch-Waxman drug and biosimilar litigation.
Future of the Profession
The legal profession is rapidly changing. York writes about law firm economics from the perspective of his years in BigLaw firm management, the founding of his own firm, and his background in economics. The following "DOGE" trilogy traces the fortunes of a fictional managing partner who, while struggling to keep the law firm afloat, is visited by a data analyst from "DOGE." The visits result in a near 300% profit turnaround only to be faced with the challenges and disruptions of artificial intelligence:
What if DOGE Paid a Visit to YOUR Law Firm? - A detailed and mathematical presentation of how hourly cost rate and hourly profit rate metrics can revolutionize your firm's profitability with concrete guidance on headcount management, hourly rate pricing, and more.
The DOGE Analyst Returns to YOUR Law Firm to Discuss the Rise of Non-Equity Partners: A Sequel - A formalized analysis explaining the role of technology in driving modern trends in law firm management, including seniority biased staffing, the rise of non-equity partners, runaway hourly billing rates, and more.
Banishing the DOGE Analyst from YOUR Law Firm: The End of a Trilogy and the Practice of Law as We Know it? - An analysis of your law firm's uncertain future when confronted with the full scope and force of artificial intelligence. See the drama unfold in real time during your partners' annual retreat.
Contact Information
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