A highly respected intellectual property attorney with a strong dedication to environmental and social justice, Jiaxiao Zhang is this year’s recipient of the Distinguished Alumni Award from the UC Irvine School of Law.

After earning an undergraduate degree in electrical engineering, Jiaxiao worked as an engineer and and patent agent before enrolling at the UC Irvine School of Law. This life-changing decision set her on a path to becoming a leader in the UC Irvine Law community.

Now a partner at Kirkland & Ellis LLP, Jiaxiao primarily focuses on intellectual property litigation. Before joining Kirkland & Ellis, she gained extensive experience as a patent examiner at the United States Patent and Trademark Office, as well as serving as a technical advisor and patent agent.

As an engaged UC Irvine alumna, Jiaxiao regularly mentors students and serves as a member of the UC Irvine Law Alumni Association Board and Council. She has volunteered her time for UC Irvine Law’s Intellectual Property Law Career Day, the State Bar Admission Ceremony, Moot Court, Admitted Students Weekend and other campus events.

Outside of UC Irvine, Jiaxiao is a leader in the public interest law community with a deep commitment to expanding access to justice for underserved communities. She has held multiple roles within the Howard T. Markey Intellectual Property American Inn of Court, Orange County Coalition for Diversity in the Law and Public Law Center Advocates, where she served as co-chair in 2023, fundraising chair in 2022, and pro bono co-chair in 2021. She is a member of the Public Law Center board of directors, leading its development and outreach committee; the board of the Howard T. Markey Intellectual Property American Inn of Court, as the Linn Inn Alliance Liaison; and the board of the Orange County Asian American Bar Association, where she heads the pipeline committee. She also serves on the social committee of the Chinese American Lawyers Association of Orange County, fostering connections and support within the legal community.

Jiaxiao’s commitment to pro bono efforts led to an award from the Surfrider Foundation for representing the organization in a Clean Water Act citizen lawsuit to address water-quality violations and seek clean water in the Tijuana River Valley and Pacific Ocean. She proudly displays a small replica surfboard that she received for her work.