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.
More on the course
Michael R. Ward
Michael R. Ward is global head of the firm’s Life Sciences Practice Group, head of the firm’s Patent Practice Group, co-chair of the firm’s Intellectual Property Practice Group and co-chair of our global AgTech + Food Industry practice.
Dr. Ward is widely recognized as one of the world’s leading agriculture IP lawyers. As the founder and head of the firm’s Plant Intellectual Property Group, Dr. More ›
James J. Mullen III
James combines his scientific experience with his legal training in his practice to craft commercially relevant solutions for his clients’ intellectual property challenges. He is the founder and head of MoFo’s Antibody Patent Group and leads the Patent Group in the San Diego office.
As a patent prosecutor, James is well versed in obtaining focused patent protection that provides a commercial advantage in the marketplace. More ›
Bethany J. Hills
Bethany advises her life sciences business clients on both pre- and post-market issues, including everything from FDA submissions and communications strategies to post-approval compliance and reimbursement issues. Her clients include medical device, drug, combination product, diagnostic, biologic, and regenerative medicine, cosmetic, dietary supplement, and food industry companies, and the investor groups focusing on these industries. More ›
Matthew Karlyn
Matthew A. Karlyn has 23 years of experience in working with companies in the healthcare, pharmaceutical, medical device, and technology industries on a wide range of commercial life sciences, licensing, and technology transactions. His clients range from Fortune 100 companies to start-ups, and he regularly advises companies on matters involving IP commercialization, complex collaboration transactions, licensing initiatives, subscription-based economics, and business transactions related to More ›
Janet Xiao
Janet focuses her practice on worldwide patent procurement, patent portfolio management, and strategic planning for life sciences companies. Janet’s clients range from large multinational biopharmaceutical companies, such as Celgene and Genentech, to emerging startup companies around the world. She advises her clients on patent matters relating to various technologies, including antibody therapeutics, cell therapeutics, nanomedicine, gene therapy, drug delivery systems, diagnostics, and nutraceuticals.
Recognized by More ›
Matthew A. Chivvis
Matthew protects his life sciences and high-tech clients’ intellectual property and defends his clients wrongly accused of infringement. His hearing and trial experience is extensive. Although his practice focuses on intellectual property litigation in federal and state courts, he also regularly advises clients on plant and agriculture intellectual property matters, including strategic use of plant patents, plant-variety protection certificates, and trademark rights. Matthew also More ›
Jie Zhou
Dr. Jie Zhou is a partner in Morrison & Foerster’s Life Sciences Group. Her practice focuses on patent prosecution and counseling clients in the areas of biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, and cleantech. She has significant experience developing worldwide patent portfolios for companies of all sizes, from start-ups to multinational companies. She also advises clients on IP management and strategic portfolio planning.
Because of her extensive experience in More ›
Anna Yuan
Anna Yuan’s practice focuses on patent prosecution, IP due diligence, post-grant proceedings, and patent litigation support. She leverages her experience in software development and product design gained as a product manager at Microsoft to build valuable patent portfolios covering highly complex technologies. As a founder of the firm’s Life Sciences Data Analytics patent group, Anna counsels companies on IP strategies around the application of More ›
Jillian A. Pesin-Fulop
Jillian Pesin-Fulop is an associate in the firm’s Intellectual Property Group.
Dr. Pesin-Fulop’s practice focuses on patent preparation and prosecution, patent portfolio management, and patent due diligence for life science companies and universities in the fields of biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, immunology, cancer therapeutics, diagnostics, biofuels, and agricultural biotechnology. She has experience developing and managing U.S. and worldwide patent portfolios. Dr. Pesin-Fulop also assists clients More ›
Yan Qi
Dr. Yan Qi is committed to delivering targeted solutions to clients’ diverse intellectual property needs in the life sciences. Her practice includes patent preparation and prosecution, freedom-to-operate, landscape and patentability analyses, intellectual property due diligence, and patent litigation support.
Yan’s experience spans the areas of antibody design, gene editing, cell-based therapy, RNA therapeutics, next-generation sequencing, and medical devices. She has served a variety of clients, More ›
