NewsMorgan Chu Named to Daily Journal’s Top 100 List
Morgan Chu was recognized on the Daily Journal’s 2019 list of the Top 100 attorneys in California. The publication noted that Morgan is preparing to argue before the U.S. Supreme Court in the Peter v. NantKwest Inc. case, which will decide whether patent and trademark applicants who appeal to district courts an adverse federal agency decision must pay the government’s legal costs – regardless of who wins or loses. In 2018, Morgan convinced an en banc Federal Circuit panel to side with NantKwest and reject the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office’s position that applicants must foot those costs regardless of the outcome of the matter. In the Daily Journal’s write-up on Morgan’s recognition, he spoke to the importance of the case for inventors. “Our system allows individual inventors to obtain patents,” Morgan was quoted as saying. “It would be a disadvantage if they had to pay the government’s attorney fees because it would diminish an excellently balanced system. Individuals and startups aren’t always so well-heeled.” Oral argument before the U.S. Supreme Court is set for Oct. 7, 2019.