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Jen Yokoyama
Jen Yokoyama on LinkedIn 
Jennifer Yokoyama serves as Senior Vice President and Deputy General Counsel for the Legal Innovation, Strategy & Technology team at Cisco. In this role, she leads a team of lawyers, operational specialists, program managers, engineers, and subject matter experts who serve as strategic partners to the business, providing the legal framework necessary to support Cisco’s growth and innovation agendas. Jennifer and her team possess a breadth of legal and regulatory expertise that covers a comprehensive legal portfolio, including intellectual property, data governance and privacy, open source policy and compliance, mergers & acquisitions, incubation and R&D, and all things AI - including AI governance, responsible AI, procurement and policy. Her team also supports Cisco’s Chief Strategy Officer and Chief Communications Officer. By partnering closely with engineering, sales, communications, marketing, STO, and finance teams, she ensures that Cisco’s growth and innovation strategies are legally sound and resilient, effectively safeguarding the company’s ability to deliver transformative technology to organizations worldwide.
Prior to joining Cisco, Jennifer held senior leadership roles at Microsoft, most recently serving as Corporate Vice President and Deputy General Counsel for Cloud + AI and Strategic Missions and Technologies, where she directed global legal strategy for the company’s most critical technology sectors. Her tenure at Microsoft also included serving as Vice President and Deputy General Counsel for the IP Group and Head of IP Litigation.
Jennifer’s extensive career includes significant in-house leadership at Apple and Nike, where she focused on IP litigation, brand protection, and global client counseling, with a particular specialization in Asian markets. Her foundational legal experience was established as an IP litigator and partner at the law firms McDermott Will & Emery and White & Case.
Beyond her corporate responsibilities, Jennifer is a committed advocate for diversity and equity in the legal and technology sectors. She serves on the Board of Directors for ChIPs, a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing women in tech, law, and policy, and is a frequent mentor to emerging leaders in the field. A registered patent attorney, Jennifer holds a JD from Georgetown University of Law and Bachelor of Science degrees in both Biology and Sociology from the University of California, San Diego.
Jennifer Yokoyama serves as Senior Vice President and Deputy General Counsel for the Legal Innovation, Strategy & Technology team at Cisco. In this role, she leads a team of lawyers, operational specialists, program managers, engineers, and subject matter experts who serve as strategic partners to the business, providing the legal framework necessary to support Cisco’s growth and innovation agendas. Jennifer and her team possess a breadth of legal and regulatory expertise that covers a comprehensive legal portfolio, including intellectual property, data governance and privacy, open source policy and compliance, mergers & acquisitions, incubation and R&D, and all things AI - including AI governance, responsible AI, procurement and policy. Her team also supports Cisco’s Chief Strategy Officer and Chief Communications Officer. By partnering closely with engineering, sales, communications, marketing, STO, and finance teams, she ensures that Cisco’s growth and innovation strategies are legally sound and resilient, effectively safeguarding the company’s ability to deliver transformative technology to organizations worldwide.
Prior to joining Cisco, Jennifer held senior leadership roles at Microsoft, most recently serving as Corporate Vice President and Deputy General Counsel for Cloud + AI and Strategic Missions and Technologies, where she directed global legal strategy for the company’s most critical technology sectors. Her tenure at Microsoft also included serving as Vice President and Deputy General Counsel for the IP Group and Head of IP Litigation.
Jennifer’s extensive career includes significant in-house leadership at Apple and Nike, where she focused on IP litigation, brand protection, and global client counseling, with a particular specialization in Asian markets. Her foundational legal experience was established as an IP litigator and partner at the law firms McDermott Will & Emery and White & Case.
Beyond her corporate responsibilities, Jennifer is a committed advocate for diversity and equity in the legal and technology sectors. She serves on the Board of Directors for ChIPs, a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing women in tech, law, and policy, and is a frequent mentor to emerging leaders in the field. A registered patent attorney, Jennifer holds a JD from Georgetown University of Law and Bachelor of Science degrees in both Biology and Sociology from the University of California, San Diego.
