More than 120 life sciences graduate students, post-docs and industry professionals attended the first class of a six part Patent Law Course offered by Morrison & Foerster and the GSAS Harvard Biotech Club on September 16, 2020.
The Harvard Biotech Club is a student organization that seeks to bridge the gap between industry and academia. Club President and Church Lab Ph.D. candidate Soufiane Aboulhouda commented that “the Patent Law Course is a fundamental part of the GSAS Harvard Biotech Club experience. Working with a world-class firm like MoFo, who shares our educational values, has enabled us to bridge the gap in a field of growing interest. We’re thrilled to see that our partnership has created a positive impact for our community - from those pursuing careers in patent law, to those launching a company.”
MoFo partner and Global Head of both its Life Sciences and Patent practices Michael Ward indicated that “the level of student engagement and participation during the first class was incredibly high as the students were introduced to the concepts of patentability, freedom to operate and inventorship determinations. Students were also introduced to the perils of IP litigation by MoFo IP litigation partner Matthew Chivvis who told the story of a professor who tried to steal his invention from his university.”
Upcoming sessions will include classes on patent application drafting, life sciences data analytics IP, the FDA drug approval process, tips on forming a life sciences startup, and a discussion on patent licenses. The Patent Law Course director is Nima Shamtoub, an Harvard Law School student, who also initiated this blossoming partnership with MoFo.
