Dr. Fei-Fei Chao (1955-2009)
(Washington, DC)—It is with heavy hearts and regret that we acknowledge the passing of our partner, Dr. Fei-Fei Chao. Fei-Fei passed away on the morning of December 19, 2009, in the company of her husband, Mr. Fred Chen, after battling the H1N1 flu and pneumonia over the last several weeks.
Fei-Fei joined the Washington, DC office of Andrews Kurth in 2006 as a partner in the Intellectual Property section. Her practice focused on ITC and other litigation, primarily for Taiwanese and Chinese clients.
Fei-Fei was born in Hong Kong and grew up in Taiwan. After completing her undergraduate and Masters of Science degrees in Botany and Microbiology, respectively, at National Chung-Hsing University, she came to the United States to earn her Ph.D. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from The University of Oklahoma. Her studies focused on atherosclerosis and obesity, and she completed her post-doctoral training at the National Institutes of Health. She worked as an Assistant Professor at George Washington University, and in 1996, Fei-Fei earned her J.D. at the University of Maryland School of Law.
Fei-Fei began her legal career as a patent attorney by forming her own firm, Snider and Chao, LLP. In 1999, she represented a start-up company in California in a trade secret misappropriation matter, marking the beginning of her journey as an IP litigator. Fei-Fei joined Andrews Kurth LLP in 2006 where she took the lead in several cases before district and appellate courts, and the International Trade Commission. Fei-Fei is hailed as having built a practice from scratch on her own efforts, and with great success.
Fei-Fei was an extraordinary individual and lawyer, and she will be remembered for her good heart and fighting spirit. Her warmth and compassion drove her to fight with determination and heart for her clients and friends. In her native Taiwan, Fei-Fei was a national champion-caliber bridge player, and this skill translated to her legal work, helping her to find creative solutions to difficult problems. She will continue to serve as a shining example for both Asian-American and women attorneys, particularly those in the patent field.
Heartfelt sympathies and caring thoughts are with Mr. Chen, their family and friends during this very sad and difficult time. Fei-Fei will be remembered not only for her strong work ethic and dedication to her clients, but also for her good humor and enthusiasm. Her spirit will live on in all of those who were lucky enough to have known her.
Services will be held on December 29, 2009 at the Hines-Rinaldi Funeral Home, 11800 New Hampshire Avenue, Silver Spring, Maryland.
Visitation - 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM
Funeral - 11:00 AM
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