Derek West is an associate in Quinn Emanuel’s Silicon Valley office. He joined the firm in 2023 after working as a patent prosecution attorney at another multinational law firm. His practice focuses on intellectual property, primarily patent and trade secrets litigation.
Prior to joining the firm, Derek attended the University of California, Berkeley, School of Law. While there, Derek focused his studies on intellectual property law, earning Berkeley’s Law and Technology Certificate and writing extensively on issues in copyright law. Derek was also engaged with veterans issues on campus, serving on the leadership committee of the Veterans at Berkeley Law, participating in the Veterans’ law clinic, and assisting his colleagues in establishing Legal Obstacles Veterans Encounter (LOVE) pro bono organization.
Before entering the legal field, Derek was a Captain in the United States Army where he served as an infantry and military intelligence officer conducting operations across the Pacific region. He is a graduate of U.S. Army Ranger School and maintained a Top Secret/Sensitive Compartmented Information (TS/SCI) clearance during his tenure.
- University of California, Berkeley, School of Law
(J.D, 2022)- Berkeley Technology Law Journal
- Law & Technology Certificate
- United States Military Academy
(B.S, Physics, Nuclear Engineering Focus, honors, 2014)
- Superintendent's Award for Achievement
- Dean's List
- The State Bar of California