Cisco Systems, Inc. is the worldwide leader in networking for the Internet. Networks are an essential part of business, education, government, and home communications, and Cisco Internet Protocol-based (IP) networking solutions are the foundation of these networks. Cisco’s hardware, software, and service offerings are used to create Internet solutions that allow individuals, companies, and countries to increase productivity, improve customer satisfaction, and strengthen competitive advantage. Intellectual property attorney Lillian Hou has worked in Cisco’s San Jose office since 2006 and currently serves as the company’s Senior Corporate Counsel in its Licensing & Technology Group. As Senior Corporate Counsel, Lillian Hou’s has many important responsibilities connected with the development of the company. She advises senior management on IP strategies and complex technology licensing transactions, including joint IP development, open source licenses, and strategic alliance agreements. Lillian Hou negotiates and drafts development licenses and OEM agreements. She oversees technology licensing programs between Cisco and its strategic technology partners. Lillian Hou gives legal advice to many groups within the company such as Cloud Services & Switching Technology, Data Center Switching Technology, and Voice Technology. Lillian Hou is also actively involved in development and distribution of Cisco’s data center switching and storage products. Lillian Hou’s knowledge in intellectual property makes her useful in matters of open source software. She is one of the lead attorneys overseeing Cisco’s Open Source Specialists, setting license constraints for open source licenses. She provides guidance to executives and engineering teams in complying with open source licenses, and handling external open source requests as well as understanding policy matters. Lillian Hou helps manage and provides legal support to the Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC) Development Process Initiative. Prior to joining Cisco, Lillian Hou spent nearly 15 years working in various legal positions throughout California at law firms like Jones, Day, Reavis & Pogue (Jones Day) and at companies like Acer Group, SPL WorldGroup, Inc., and Sony Pictures Entertainment, Inc. She received her J.D. from Duke University School of Law (1991) and L.L.M. degrees from Santa Clara Law (2003), UC Berkeley School of Law (1988), and School of Law, National Taiwan University (1987).