IreneYu

Irene Yu focuses her practice on international arbitration and complex litigation, representing foreign and domestic clients in high-stakes disputes across state and federal courts.

Adept at navigating the nuances and complexities of cross-border issues, Irene's practice also includes cross-border internal investigations and matters involving economic sanctions and export controls, particularly concerning China and the Asia region. She has contributed to publications on a range of topics, including the enforcement and recognition of international arbitration and judgment, and USC Section 1782 discovery relating to foreign proceedings.

Irene grew up in Taiwan and mainland China, having native fluency in Mandarin, and is proficient in both traditional and simplified Chinese. Before law school, Irene worked as an advocate for at-risk detainees in China, managing a $1 million annual program budget and securing multiyear grants from international governments and private partners. She represented her organization at the United Nations Human Rights Council during China's Universal Periodic Review in 2018. She also served as a Labor Commissioner for the City of Berkeley, where she coauthored the 2014 Minimum Wage Ordinance.

Irene maintains an active pro bono practice, which includes representing asylum seekers through the Firm's Border Project and assisting individuals facing domestic violence with applications for temporary restraining orders. Recently, she represented a refugee in a case under the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California, achieving a favorable settlement for the client.