Partner
Areas of Practice:
Cedric Tan is a partner at Devlin Law Firm LLC and an accomplished litigator specializing in intellectual property, patent litigation, and technology-related business and commercial litigation. With nearly 30 years of experience, he has demonstrated deep expertise in these areas, successfully leading and managing all stages of litigation from pre-suit investigations and formulating legal strategies and opinions through to trial, appeal, and settlement negotiations. Beyond intellectual property, he is also a skilled commercial and tort litigator.
Cedric’s previous role as the managing partner of a large law firm’s Washington, DC office underscores his strong leadership and organizational capabilities. Among his professional milestones is the noteworthy feat of cross-examining a Nobel laureate in chemistry during a Markman hearing in a patent infringement case.
In his career, Cedric has spearheaded a diverse array of complex patent litigation cases. His litigation experience is comprehensive, encompassing first-chair and lead counsel roles in patent infringement matters, including multi-district litigation. His expertise covers pre-suit due diligence, offering opinions of counsel regarding potential infringement and invalidity, and navigating through trial and post-trial proceedings. His clientele extends beyond technology and pharmaceutical companies to include major financial institutions such as investment banks, whom he has counseled on potential patent infringement and invalidity matters, enabling them to make informed investment decisions and provide informed investment guidance to their clients. He has also represented reinsurance companies in coverage disputes related to patent infringement issues and has experience with international arbitration, including under the ICC. Additionally, he has argued summary judgment motions in cases against the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office under the Administrative Procedure Act (APA).
As a registered U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) patent attorney, Cedric has secured numerous wins, including favorable settlements, successful appeals, and motions for his clients. He regularly litigates patent matters in federal district courts and before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) in Inter Partes Reviews (IPRs). He also litigates and provides strategic patent counsel in fields such as consumer electronics, material sciences, automotive and EV systems, organic chemistry, biochemistry, biotechnology, and molecular biology.
In addition, Cedric has extensive experience handling pharmaceutical commercial and patent cases, including Abbreviated New Drug Application (ANDA) patent litigation under the Hatch-Waxman Act. He has served as lead counsel in numerous drug product and ANDA cases for some of the world’s largest pharmaceutical manufacturers, involving therapeutic areas such as narcolepsy, ADHD, glaucoma, epilepsy, oral contraceptives, diabetes, infantile spasms, cancer treatment, and multiple sclerosis. His expertise includes a deep understanding of Orange Book drug product exclusivities and the ANDA and 505(b)(2) New Drug Application (NDA) regulatory approval pathways, essential for FDA-regulated products. He has also co-chaired the pharmaceutical practices at leading law firms, further highlighting his leadership in this area.
Beyond patent litigation, Cedric is well-versed in copyright, trademark, trade secret, and other intellectual property litigation, as well as tort and general commercial litigation and counseling.
* Attorney is not barred in Delaware.
Devlin Law Firm provides expert-level patent and intellectual property litigation, strategy, and management services to companies and individuals around the globe.
