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You might know Waymo by a different name. In 2009, Google launched the Google Self-Driving Car Project. In 2016, the project was renamed Waymo and spun out from Google under its parent company, Alphabet. At present, the company operates robotaxi services in Phoenix, Los Angeles, and San Francisco, where they now serve more than 100,000 trips each week to riders via the Waymo One app, with service scheduled to go online soon in Austin, Texas, and Atlanta, Georgia.
There is no shortage of discourse about the risks and rewards of autonomous vehicles, but one thing is certain—they’re part of the future. Waymo’s operations on the absolute frontlines of transportation technology make it an ideal location for any in-house attorney looking to answer the toughest questions under the most scrutiny with the smallest amount of precedent possible. Lawyers like managing counsel and head of intellectual property Chia-Hao La.
La, who has two decades of IP experience, spent nearly a decade on Google’s patent team before joining Waymo. At Google, he worked on patents for products such as Android, Play, Chrome, and Google Photos. La spent the early years of his career (law school at Fordham, following undergrad and grad school at MIT) earning his IP stripes at law firm Ropes & Gray.
“Being a good leader doesn’t always mean that you’re universally well liked. It means that you do the right thing while also taking into account the needs and the goals of everyone involved.”
Chia-Hao La
The lawyer’s undergraduate and master’s degrees in electrical engineering and computer science are critical at a company like Waymo, where La’s purview can range from custom-developed sensors to advanced AI.
“Understanding Waymo’s technology helps me set an IP legal strategy that takes our strong IP portfolio into account,” La explains. “That portfolio has been built up over the course of fifteen-plus years of cutting-edge R&D. I draw heavily on my technical background.”
La’s previous experience at Google also prepared him well for life at Waymo. At Google, the attorney’s tasks ranged from pure patent acquisitions and licenses to commercial deals that included significant IP components. It was, he says, a masterclass in understanding the different ways that IP can impact an ecosystem, how it can incentivize or disincentivize stakeholders, and what it means to be on the front lines of negotiating complex, high-impact deals.
“My time at Google has paid dividends when I think about how Waymo’s leading IP portfolio can add business value,” La says.
Google also gave La the chance to lead people. As a manager on Google’s patent team, La learned how to lead a team of talented employees and think more holistically about IP portfolio management. At Waymo, he leads a team of experienced IP professionals who are helping shape the fully autonomous driving industry.
“I love working for a company that aims to make it safer, more accessible, and more sustainable to get around.”
Chia-Hao La
La’s leadership emphasizes empathy and communication. He strives to understand what each team member brings to their work, their short- and long-term goals, and how he can maximize shared outcomes for his people.
“One skill I’ve had to work hard to develop is the willingness and ability to disagree with others cross-functionally and deliver unwelcome messages,” La says. “That is simply part of leadership, and being a good leader doesn’t always mean that you’re universally well liked. It means that you do the right thing, while also taking into account the needs and the goals of everyone involved.”
La’s role as a father may shape his leadership style—or perhaps his leadership at work is influencing how he parents his kids. Regardless, the attorney says that both he and his wife endeavor to show their children that “a good life” is more multifaceted than just career success. For instance, La recently joined the board of the Bay Area Tutoring Association, a nonprofit that offers academic assistance to disadvantaged youth in his community.
At work, La is incredibly proud of what he and his team are building. “I love working for a company that aims to make it safer, more accessible, and more sustainable to get around,” he says. “Autonomous technology will improve cities and individual lives in transformative ways.”
“Chia has an innate instinct for understanding how legal issues will implicate business concerns, and he excels at collaborating with outside counsel to craft effective legal strategies that can achieve the desired result without losing sight of the big picture affecting the overall business.”
–Rachael Meny, Partner
