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Michelle Ybarra is a leading intellectual property and class action litigator who has delivered decisive wins for clients in courts around the country. A fierce advocate and talented strategist, she regularly leads high-stakes, bet-the-company litigation—often involving emerging technologies and issues of first impression. Her clients include tech giants and innovators alike, such as OpenAI, Google, Netflix, LinkedIn, Instacart, SpinX Games, and Moonton.

Michelle has also effected sweeping changes through her pro bono work—from challenging California’s Proposition 8 on behalf of individual married plaintiffs, to winning an Administrative Procedures Act challenge against California’s lethal injection protocol on behalf of a San Quentin death row inmate, to advancing access to reproductive healthcare for California families.

A thought leader on the legal frontier, Michelle regularly writes and speaks on the intersection of law and technology, with a focus on copyright, patent law, artificial intelligence, and online gaming. Michelle serves on the Board of California ChangeLawyers and is the Chair of Keker's Hiring Committee.

Michelle’s leadership and impact have earned her repeated recognition as a Woman Leader in Tech Law by The Recorder, and in 2024 she was named one of California’s Top AI Lawyers by the Daily Journal.

Michelle Ybarra is a leading intellectual property and class action litigator who has delivered decisive wins for clients in courts around the country. A fierce advocate and talented strategist, she regularly leads high-stakes, bet-the-company litigation—often involving emerging technologies and issues of first impression. Her clients include tech giants and innovators alike, such as OpenAI, Google, Netflix, LinkedIn, Instacart, SpinX Games, and Moonton.

Michelle has also effected sweeping changes through her pro bono work—from challenging California’s Proposition 8 on behalf of individual married plaintiffs, to winning an Administrative Procedures Act challenge against California’s lethal injection protocol on behalf of a San Quentin death row inmate, to advancing access to reproductive healthcare for California families.

A thought leader on the legal frontier, Michelle regularly writes and speaks on the intersection of law and technology, with a focus on copyright, patent law, artificial intelligence, and online gaming. Michelle serves on the Board of California ChangeLawyers and is the Chair of Keker's Hiring Committee.

Michelle’s leadership and impact have earned her repeated recognition as a Woman Leader in Tech Law by The Recorder, and in 2024 she was named one of California’s Top AI Lawyers by the Daily Journal.

A Q&A With Michelle Ybarra, Finalist for Women Leaders in Tech Law, IP Award

06/11/2025

The Recorder interviewed Michelle Ybarra, a finalist for the 2025 Women Leader in Tech Law, Intellectual Property Award. This is the second consecutive year that Ybarra is recognized in the annual California Legal Awards. Read more

Keker, Van Nest & Peters, Attorneys Honored by 2025 CA Legal Awards

4/24/2025

The Recorder announced the honorees for its annual California Legal Awards and revealed that Keker, Van Nest & Peters and four attorneys are honorees and finalists in several categories. Read more

Report on Deepfakes: What the Copyright Office Found and What Comes Next in AI Regulation

12/18/2024

In an article for Westlaw Today and Reuters Legal News, Keker partners Paven Malhotra, Michelle Ybarra, and Matan Shacham analyze the U.S. Copyright Office's report on artificial intelligence and deepfakes. Read more

Women in Tech Law Award Winner Michelle Ybarra on Going Deep With Clients

10/16/2024

Michelle Ybarra is interviewed by The Recorder for her recognition as a 2024 Women Leader in Tech Law Litigation. Read more

Keker, Van Nest & Peters Partners Featured in 2024 California Legal Awards

08/16/2024

Bob Van Nest, Rachael Meny, and Michelle Ybarra are featured in Law.com’s 2024 California Legal Awards. Read more

Keker, Van Nest & Peters is Key Player in Emerging Disputes Over AI

07/29/2024

Keker, Van Nest & Peters partners connect with the Daily Journal on how the firm has established itself at the forefront of intellectual property within Silicon Valley, particularly in the evolving field of artificial intelligence. Read more

Michelle Ybarra Featured Among Daily Journal's Top Artificial Intelligence Lawyers in California

07/24/2024

Michelle Ybarra is featured among Daily Journal's 2024 Top Artificial Intelligence Lawyers in California. Read more

Shanghai Moonton Defeats Riot Games Copyright Lawsuit

11/09/2022

Representing Shanghai Moonton Technology Co., Ltd., Keker, Van Nest & Peters lawyers secured the dismissal of a copyright lawsuit filed by Riot Games, Inc. in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California. Read more

Michelle Ybarra and Erin Meyer Named Among California's Top 40 Lawyers Under 40

August 14, 2019

Michelle Ybarra and Erin Meyer were named among California's Top 40 Lawyers Under 40 by the Daily Journal for their litigation victories. Read more

Court Grants Statewide Preliminary Injunction Challenging Trump's Changes to Title X

April 26, 2019

On April 26 District Court Judge Edward Chen granted a statewide preliminary injunction in Essential Access Health v. Azar, et al., a lawsuit challenging the Trump Administration’s sweeping changes to the federal Title X family planning program. Read more

Keker, Van Nest & Peters Files Preliminary Injunction Motion to Block the Trump Administration’s New Title X Family Planning Program Rules

March 22, 2019

Representing Essential Access Health and Dr. Melissa Marshall, Keker, Van Nest & Peters filed a motion for a preliminary injunction seeking to prevent the Department of Health and Human Services from enforcing sweeping changes to the Title X Family Planning Program. Read more

The Recorder Names Michelle Ybarra Among its Next Generation Women Leaders in Tech Law

November 12, 2018

Women Leaders in Tech Law through their work in courtrooms, boardrooms and classrooms, are helping the law and the legal profession address novel issues raised by technological advances. Read more

Facebook Says Advertisers Can’t Sue Over False Metrics

June 19, 2017

Facebook Inc. asked a California federal judge on Monday to toss a putative class action alleging the company misled advertisers with false consumer viewing metrics. Read more

Keker & Van Nest Wins California's Top Defense Verdict for LinkedIn

02/16/2016

Bob Van Nest, David Silbert, Dan Jackson, and Michelle Ybarra used a 2014 U.S. Supreme Court decision to prove that patents in lawsuits against Facebook Inc. and LinkedIn Corp. were invalid based on subject matter ineligibility. Read more

Lyft Settles $12.25 Million California Driver Lawsuit Over Employment Status

01/27/2016

Rachael Meny, Jamie Slaughter and their team removed a major threat to Lyft's business model when they settled a proposed class action lawsuit without classifying drivers as employees. Read more

Keker & Van Nest Elevates Reid Mullen and Michelle Ybarra to Partner

01/06/2016

Both attorneys have played key roles in several of the firm’s recent noteworthy matters. Read more

Invoking 'Alice,' Lawyers for LinkedIn, Facebook Knock Out Database Patent

01/06/2015

David Silbert and his team score a win for LinkedIn. Read more

Keker & Van Nest Named Top Litigation Boutique

10/15/2014

One name mentioned by virtually everyone the Daily Journal spoke to was Keker & Van Nest. Lawyers at some of the best firms in California said they model themselves after the litigation powerhouse. Read more

Mobile/Social Gaming Clones: Evolution Or Theft?

04/24/2013

Ben Hur and Michelle Ybarra will cover what constitutes “cloning,” and how courts and current IP laws address this hot topic. Read more

Keker & Van Nest Leads Trial Team Which Disposed of NY AG's Antitrust Suit

02/14/2012

The New York Attorney General claimed Intel violated federal and state antitrust statutes by maintaining an illegal monopoly in the microprocessor market. Read more

  • Panelist, “Generative AI & The Law: Latest Developments & Ethical Issues,” Association of Corporate Counsel, 2025
  • “Report on Deepfakes: What the Copyright Office Found and What Comes Next in AI Regulation” Reuters Legal News, 2024, co-authored with Paven Malhotra and Matan Shacham
  • Panelist, “Sports & Entertainment Trends in 2024,” Corporate Counsel Women of Color, 2024
  • Panelist, “Averting IP Debacles, Lessons From the Trenches,” Corporate Counsel Women of Color, 2022
  • Panelist, “The Ever-Changing Patent Litigation Playbook: Exploring the Latest Trends and Litigation Tactics,” Association of Corporate Counsel, 2020
  • Panelist, “Click Here to Accept Terms: Litigating Online Contracts,” Association of Corporate Counsel, 2019  
  • Presenter, “Videogame Clones: Evolution or Theft?” Berkeley Center for Law & Technology, 2018
  • Panelist, “Trade Secret and Employee Mobility, San Francisco” Bridgeport Continuing Legal Education, 2017
  • "Four Tips for Fending Off IP Litigation," The Daily Journal, 2016, co-authored with Justina Sessions
  • "Defeating Mobile Game Clones: Why Copyright Protection is Not Enough," VentureBeat, 2013, co-authored with Ben Hur
  • "When Clones Attack: How to Protect Social/Mobile Games from Copying," Intellectual Property Today, 2012, co-authored with Ben Hur
  • "Three Ways Game Developers Can Avoid Cloning," TechRepublic, 2012