Keeping pace with the ever-changing life sciences industry, Morrison Foerster stays on top of the trends and political, legal, and economic drivers to support striking the balance between innovative discovery and purposeful business planning to assure our clients continued success. MoFo Life Sciences shares timely legal and business insights and in-depth analyses on trends and the complex technologies at the heart of the global pharmaceutical, biotechnology, diagnostics, medical devices, digital health, and AgTech fields.Learn more about our <a href="https://www.mofo.com/capabilities/life-sciences-healthcare" target="_self">Life Sciences practice</a>.<h2 dir="ltr">ABOUT MORRISON FOERSTER</h2>Morrison Foerster is a leading global law firm that transforms complexity into advantage for its clients. Our clients include some of the largest financial institutions, banks, consulting and accounting firms, and Fortune 100, technology, and life sciences companies. Highlighting the firm’s commitment to client service, leadership in market-changing deals and impact litigation, and values-based culture, Morrison Foerster has been repeatedly recognized as one of the top 10 firms on The American Lawyer’s A-List. Year after year, the firm receives significant recognition from Chambers and The Legal 500 across their various guides, including Global, USA, Asia‑Pacific, Europe, UK, Latin America, and FinTech Legal. Our lawyers passionately care about delivering legal excellence while living our values. Morrison Foerster has a long-standing commitment to creating a culture that respects and celebrates differences, while providing an inclusive environment. The firm has achieved Mansfield Certification Plus since 2018 as a result of successfully reaching at least 30 percent women, communities of color, and LGBTQ+ lawyer representation in a notable number of current leadership roles and committees. The firm also has a long history of commitment to the community and society through providing pro bono legal services, including litigating for civil rights and civil liberties, improving public education and fostering the wellbeing of children, advocating for veterans, promoting international human rights, enforcing the right to asylum, and safeguarding the environment.

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Dr. Meghan Poon counsels clients on patent preparation and prosecution, portfolio strategy, and IP due diligence in the areas of biotechnology and biologics. She has significant experience in diverse technologies including antibodies, cell therapies, gene therapies, diagnostics, and gene-edited plants. She represents clients ranging from large international pharmaceutical companies to midsized companies, startups, and universities.Meghan has filed numerous Patent Term Extension applications to secure additional term for her clients’ patents, which cover FDA-approved products. In addition, Meghan has extensive experience addressing complex obviousness-double patenting and subject matter eligibility issues impacting her clients’ patent portfolios. Meghan also represents clients in both investor-side and target-side due diligence, in deals from seed funding to initial public offerings.Prior to law school, Meghan attended graduate school at the University of California, Los Angeles, where she received a Ph.D. in biological chemistry based on her work on protein-protein and protein-DNA interactions at a molecular level. Meghan is the author of several scientific publications and has presented her research at international conferences.Meghan received her J.D. from the University of Southern California Law School and spent a year as a visiting student at Santa Clara University, where she focused on intellectual property.

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Dr. Meghan Poon counsels clients on patent preparation and prosecution, portfolio strategy, and IP due diligence in the areas of biotechnology and biologics. She has significant experience in diverse technologies including antibodies, cell therapies, gene therapies, diagnostics, and gene-edited plants.

Meghan Poon

Wolfgang advises clients on contentious and non-contentious matters involving their most valuable intellectual property assets in life sciences, digital, and high-tech industries.His subjects of focus include research and development collaborations, complex licensing agreements, and other technology transactions, as well as know-how protection strategies, and employee invention law. He also has substantial experience in litigating patents, trademarks, and other intellectual property assets, often in a multijurisdictional context. In addition, Wolfgang and his team frequently clear trademarks and ad campaigns and prosecute trademark applications.Wolfgang is co-editor of our <a href="https://lifesciences.mofo.com/" dir="ltr" target="_blank">MoFo Life Sciences Blog</a>.Wolfgang is a partner of Morrison Foerster based in our German office in Berlin.<h4 dir="ltr">Representative Transactional Matters</h4><ul dir="ltr"><li>U.S.-based BioTech fund on various research collaborations and other transactions with German start-ups or research institutions.</li><li>Negotiate multimillion-euro strategic partnership between two AgTech leaders concerning the development and commercialization of pest-resistant transgenic traits.</li><li>Craft global multi-million collaboration regarding AI-powered robotic MaaS.</li><li>UK-based digital health company on product roll-out of RPM applications in Germany; coordinate international expansion.</li><li>Advise numerous German start-ups on their U.S. expansion.</li><li>Draft diverse global patent and know-how license agreements in the areas of AgTech and life sciences—including gene licensing and licensing of genome editing technologies (e.g., CRISPR)—and medical devices; draft correlating supply and distribution agreements.</li><li>Structure IP rights in connection with joint ventures and other M&A transactions, including the carve-out of a patent-heavy semiconductor business comprising nine jurisdictions into a German–U.S. joint venture.</li><li dir="ltr">Advise on government-funded, multi-partner R&D projects and/or R&D projects with academic institutions, as well as on employee invention law.</li></ul><h4 dir="ltr">Representative Contentious IP Matters</h4><ul dir="ltr"><li>Lead counsel in an international dispute between software companies on rights and obligations following termination of a multi-million licensing and distribution arrangement; coordinate local counsel.</li><li>Defend Japanese chip manufacturer in high-profile SEP-litigation; advise on global settlement arrangement.</li><li>Represent leading internet retailer in patent infringement and concurrent invalidity proceedings in the context of a multijurisdictional dispute concerning touch-screen technology.</li><li>Represent diverse pharmaceutical and life sciences companies in national and cross-border patent infringement proceedings and other technology-related disputes, including preliminary injunctions as well as pre‑trial discovery and inspection proceedings, concerning, inter alia, drug-coating technologies, toner cartridges, medicinal gases, transgenic plants, and vaccines.</li><li dir="ltr">Conduct trademark, copyright, and false advertising litigation, including, most notably, a high-profile trademark litigation for a German bank, and a nine-country cross-border trademark litigation involving a famous pharmaceutical brand.</li></ul>

Dr. Wolfgang Schönig berät Mandanten zum Schutz des geistigen Eigentums sowohl in streitigen als auch nichtstreitigen Angelegenheiten, mit einem besonderen Fokus auf die IP-rechtliche Beratung von Unternehmen aus den Bereichen Life Sciences, Digitalwirtschaft und High-Tech.Zu seinen Beratungsschwerpunkten gehören Forschungs- und Entwicklungskooperationen, komplexe Lizenzvertragsgestaltungen und andereTechnologie-Transaktionen, sowie Know-how-Schutz-Strategien und das Arbeitnehmererfinderrecht. Er verfügt zudem über umfangreiche Prozesserfahrung zur Durchsetzung von Patenten, Marken- und anderen IP-Rechten, häufig auch in einem grenzüberschreitenden Kontext. Darüber hinaus bewertet Dr. Wolfgang Schönig zusammen mit seinem Team regelmäßig die Rechtskonformität von Werbekampagnen, prüft die Verfügbarkeit von Marken und entwickelt entsprechende Anmeldestrategien.Dr. Wolfgang Schönig ist Co-Editor des Life Sciences Blogs von Morrison Foerster.Er hat seinen Doktortitel an der Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf und seinen LL.M. an der Fordham School of Law in New York erworben, jeweils mit Schwerpunkt im gewerblichen Rechtsschutz. Seinen MBA-Abschluss erhielt er von der European University in Barcelona.Dr. Wolfgang Schönig ist Partner des deutschen Büros von Morrison Foerster in Berlin.<h4 dir="ltr">Repräsentative Transaktionen</h4><ul><li dir="ltr">BioTech-Fonds mit Sitz in den USA bei verschiedenen Forschungskooperationen und anderen Transaktionen mit deutschen Start-ups oder Forschungseinrichtungen</li><li dir="ltr">Verhandlung einer hochvolumigen strategischen Partnerschaft zwischen zwei Technologieführern im Bereich Crop Science betreffend der Entwicklung und Kommerzialisierung von bestimmten Resistenzen</li><li dir="ltr">Gestaltung einer globalen Multi-Millionen-Zusammenarbeit für KI-gestützte Roboter</li><li dir="ltr">Ein in Großbritannien ansässiges Unternehmen für digitale Gesundheit bei der Markteinführung von RPM-Anwendungen in Deutschland; Koordination der internationalen Expansion</li><li dir="ltr">Beratung zahlreicher deutscher Start-ups bei deren US-Expansion</li><li dir="ltr">Strukturierung und Verhandlung diverser Patent- und Know-How-Lizenzen in den Bereichen Ag Tech und Life Sciences – einschließlich Fragen zu genome editing wie CRISPR-Medizingeräte, sowie Gestaltung von Softwarelizenzverträgen und Erstellung korrespondierender Liefer- und Vertriebsvereinbarungen</li><li dir="ltr">Strukturierung von IP-Rechten im Zusammenhang mit Joint Ventures und anderen M&A-Transaktionen, darunter die Koordination eines neun Länder umfassenden IP Carve-Outs im Rahmen eines Halbleiter-JVs</li><li dir="ltr">Beratung zu staatlich geförderten Multi-Partner F&E-Projekten und/oder F&E-Projekten mit akademischen Einrichtungen sowie zum Arbeitnehmererfindungsrecht</li></ul><h4 dir="ltr">Repräsentative IP-Streitigkeiten</h4><ul><li dir="ltr">Lead Counsel in einem internationalen Rechtsstreit zwischen Softwareunternehmen über Rechte und Pflichten nach Beendigung einer millionenschweren Lizenz- und Vertriebsvereinbarung; Koordinierung der lokalen Anwälte</li><li dir="ltr">Verteidigung eines japanischen Chipherstellers in einem prominenten Streitfall bezüglich Standardessentieller Patente (SEP); Beratung zu einer globalen Vergleichsregelung</li><li dir="ltr">Verteidigung einer führenden Internetplattform gegen Ansprüche eines Patenttrolls wegen vermeintlicher Verletzung von Patent bezüglich Touchscreen-Technologie sowie korrespondierende US-Streitigkeiten</li><li dir="ltr">Vertretung von Pharma- und Life Science-Unternehmen in nationalen und grenzüberschreitenden Patentverletzungsverfahren und anderen technologiebezogenen Streitigkeiten, einschließlich einstweiliger Verfügungsverfahren und vorprozessualer Beweissicherungs- und Besichtigungsverfahren, unter anderem in Bezug auf Arzneimittelbeschichtungstechnologien, Tonerkartuschen, medizinische Gase, transgene Pflanzen und Impfstoffe</li></ul>

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Wolfgang Schönig is a partner of Morrison Foerster (International) LLP based in our German office in Berlin. His practice specialty is advising on IP aspects relative to transactions in, among others, the life sciences, AgTech and pharmaceuticals industry, as well as legal representation in IP disputes. Wolfgang is specialized in research and development collaborations, complex licensing agreements, technology acquisitions, know-how protection strategies, and employee invention law.

Wolfgang Schönig focuses his practice on IP aspects relative to transactions in the digital, telecoms, high tech, life sciences, and pharmaceuticals industry, as well as legal representation in IP disputes.

Wolfgang Schönig advises clients on IP aspects relating to transactions in, among others, the life sciences, AgTech and pharmaceuticals industry, as well as legal representation in IP disputes. His additional focus areas include research and development collaborations, complex licensing agreements, technology acquisitions, know-how protection strategies, and employee invention law.

Wolfgang Schönig

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On September 24, 2024, Morrison Foerster hosted another installment of its premier MoForum series at the firm’s San Diego office.Mayor Todd Gloria shared his vision for San Diego’s commitment to the industry. The event featured expert panel discussions on cutting-edge scientific developments, market trends, and technological innovations. Three innovative companies showcased their breakthrough technologies and business models. Renowned keynote speaker Orly Lobel highlighted the transformative power of digital technology in shaping the future of life sciences.Key Takeaways from the Panel’s DiscussionThe ScienceKaren Potter, a partner in MoFo’s Patent Strategy and Prosecution practice, moderated the Science panel. She was joined by Brendan Eckelman (Co-Founder and CSO of Inhibrx Biosciences), Michael Ports (CSO of CARGO Therapeutics), Kit Pogliano (Dean of Biological Sciences, UCSD), and Vaughn Smider (President of Applied Biomedical Science Institute). The discussion highlighted the current and emerging innovation landscape that is driving drug development in life sciences, the role of scientific collaboration in fostering innovation and how it has evolved in San Diego, and the challenges and future outlook for the life sciences sector.The MarketJim Krenn, co-chair of MoFo’s Emerging Companies + Venture Capital Group led the Market panel. He shared the stage with Kim Kamdar (Managing Partner of Medical Excellence Capital), Gavin Liu (Senior Director of Legal Strategic Transactions, Astellas), Niall O’Donnell (Managing Director of RiverVest Venture Partners), and Hunter Reed (Vice President of Alexandria Venture Investments). The panel discussed the current state of the life sciences venture market, including the ongoing challenges many companies raising capital continue to face as well as optimism for the future as interest rates trend downwards.The TechnologyErin Bosman, founder and co-head of MoFo’s Artificial Intelligence Group and chair of MoFo’s Class Actions and Mass Torts Group, led an in-depth dialogue on the Technology panel with Andrés Bratt-Leal (SVP of Research & Development, Aspen Neuroscience), Andrew Burch (President of Nucleic Acid Production, Maravai LifeSciences), Brendan Daly (Senior Innovation & Licensing Manager of San Diego State University), and Doug Komen (CFO of Vektor Medical). They explored the new technologies revolutionizing life sciences, including how these technologies are benefiting companies and customers, the pace of advancement, San Diego’s infrastructure and support of life sciences, and the current challenges posed by these new technologies.ConclusionThe MoForum program provided invaluable insights and sparked meaningful discussions in the life sciences sector. The next installment will take place in Boston in January 2025, with a special focus on women in life sciences. Stay tuned for more details.<div data-reactroot=""><img class="rich-text-embed-image" alt="241001-life-sciences-blog-1.jpeg" src="https://media2.mofo.com/v3/images/blt5775cc69c999c255/blt1ea7645406b44e8e/66fbeee5640f1cc40785775a/241001-life-sciences-blog-1.jpeg?format=auto&amp;quality=60"/></div><div data-reactroot=""><img class="rich-text-embed-image" alt="241001-life-sciences-blog-2.jpeg.jfif" src="https://media2.mofo.com/v3/images/blt5775cc69c999c255/blt107ba51d021e914b/66fbeefe809624210a7f8127/241001-life-sciences-blog-2.jpeg.jfif?format=auto&amp;quality=60"/></div>

Life Sciences MoForum 2024 | San Diego: The State of the Life Sciences Industry

Erin Bosman is chair of MoFo’s Class Actions and Mass Torts Practice Group and is a founder and co-head of the Artificial Intelligence Group. Clients value her business strategy, seeking her comprehensive counsel throughout the product life cycle, especially in high-stakes litigation and product recalls.

Erin M. Bosman

Erin Bosman is chair of MoFo’s Class Actions and Mass Torts Practice Group and is a founder and co-head of the Artificial Intelligence Group. Clients value her business strategy, seeking her comprehensive counsel throughout the product life cycle, especially in high-stakes litigation and product recalls.

Erin Bosman

Co-Chair of Emerging Companies + Venture Capital Practice

Jim has extensive experience representing private and public companies and investors in significant business transactions from formation through liquidity. His practice focuses on mergers and acquisitions, venture capital financings, and emerging company counseling. His clients span a broad range of industries, with a concentration in life science and technology companies.

Jim Krenn

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Karen Potter is a partner in Morrison & Foerster’s Life Sciences Patent group. Her practice focuses on patent preparation, prosecution, and strategic counseling for start‑up, emerging, and established

Karen G Potter Ph.D.

Karen Potter

Life Sciences MoForum 2024 | San Diego: The State of the Life Sciences Industry

On September 24, 2024, Morrison Foerster hosted another installment of its premier MoForum series at the firm’s San Diego office.

MoFo partners Kate Driscoll and Nate Mendell launched the MoFo life sciences podcast When Your Life Sciences Are on the Line this week, and Episode 1 is now <a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-496742723/03-27-lifescience-podcast01-v1" target="_blank">available</a>. The podcast features interviews with legal experts who share insights and advice you just might need when your life sciences are on the line.The special guest for Episode 1 was Jim Krenn, a MoFo partner whose practice is focused on major corporate transactions for emerging and established companies in the life sciences. Jim, Nate, and Kate discuss strategies to maximize and protect the value of trade secrets, how investing in compliance early pays dividends as companies mature, and where companies may face government scrutiny on the journey from startup to public company.Trade secrets play a central role in raising capital, selling a company, and going public, and the rise of cyber breaches and sophisticated intellectual property theft has pushed investors to look closely at how trade secrets are safeguarded. Jim maps out strategies for maximizing the value of trade secrets at key stages and discusses with Nate and Kate how to protect a critical asset for many life sciences companies.Early-stage companies often focus on development and growth, but an appropriate compliance function is important to control present and future downside risk. Jim explains the decision dynamics at play, and Kate discusses how increased scrutiny on life sciences companies makes good compliance a winning value proposition.Outside scrutiny on company systems peaks when the time comes to take a company public or consider a merger or acquisition. Interested parties pore over compliance functions at this stage, particularly in the highly regulated life sciences industry. Nate and Kate discuss corresponding risks for company insiders.

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Katherine (Kate) Driscoll, partner, focuses her practice on white collar defense, investigations and enforcement actions for companies and senior executives.

Kate Driscoll

Katherine (Kate) Driscoll is a partner in Morrison Foerster’s Investigations + White Collar Defense Practice Group. Kate focuses her practice on investigations, enforcement actions, and compliance, representing companies and senior business executives.

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Nathaniel (Nate) Mendell is a partner in Morrison Foerster’s Investigations + White Collar Defense and Privacy + Data Security practice groups and was the former Acting U.S. Attorney for the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts. 

Nathaniel Mendell

Nathaniel R. Mendell

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MoFo partners Kate Driscoll and Nate Mendell launched the MoFo life sciences podcast When Your Life Sciences Are on the Line this week, and Episode 1 is now available. 

When Your Life Sciences Are on the Line: Protecting Your Company’s Most Valuable Asset: Trade Secrets

This article is Part B of the fifth alert in our series of alerts focussed on the alternative protein industry. While Part A provided an overview of financing options in the industry, this Part B considers a variety of key financing options in more detail, including important considerations for nascent companies.Read the <a href="https://www.mofo.com/resources/insights/221207-financing-options-in-the-alternative-protein-industry" target="_self">full client alert</a>.

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Simon Arlington is a partner based in the Corporate Group focusing on M&A and private equity.

Simon Arlington

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Associate

Michelle Luo is an associate in the firm’s London office and a member of the Technology Transactions, Intellectual Property and Global Privacy Groups.

Michelle Si-Ting Luo

Michelle Luo

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Financing Options in the Alternative Protein Industry

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This article is Part B of the fifth alert in our series of alerts focussed on the alternative protein industry. While Part A provided an overview of financing options in the industry, this Part B considers a variety of key financing options in more detail, including important considerations for nascent companies.

Financing Options in the Alternative Protein Industry

Innovation, agriculture, and technology took center stage at San Diego’s first AgTech Hackathon. The event took place October 21 – 23 in the city of Escondido, a key farming hub in San Diego County looking to attract agtech startups to the region. The event brought together entrepreneurs, farmers, investors, students, and community leaders to collaborate and develop innovative agtech ideas into viable business pitches.MoFo was a proud sponsor of the event, and Partner Matthew Ferry served as a judge in the pitch competition that culminated the weekend. Prior to the competition, Matthew Ferry and scientific analyst Dr. Edith Pierre-Jerome presented on the Top Three IP Issues for AgTech Startups, including:#3. Not understanding the different IP areas applicable to your business.Intellectual property takes many different forms. Classic forms of IP, such as patents, copyrights, trademarks, and trade secrets, are all forms of intellectual property protection that can be used strategically to protect different aspects of a business. Here are the main differences between them:Patents provide exclusive rights to inventions. There are three types of patents within the United States:<ul><li>Utility patents, which protect a new and useful process, machine, manufacture, or composition of matter;</li><li>Design patents, which protect a new, original, and ornamental design of a functional item; and</li><li>Plant patents, which protect the invention or discovery of a new and distinct plant varieties </li></ul>Copyrights protect original works of authorship fixed in a tangible medium of expression, like a book or this blog post.Trademark rights protect words, phrases, or designs that denote a product or service and help consumers associate the product or service with its source.Trade secret rights protect information that derives value from not being generally known and is subject to reasonable efforts to maintain secrecy.Plant Variety Protection (PVP) certificates are a plant-specific form of IP protection that, similar to patents, provide exclusive rights to new sexually reproduced, tuber propagated, and, as of 2020, asexually reproduced plant varieties. Unlike patents, PVP certificates are issued by the USDA Plant Variety Protection Office, offer use exemptions for noncommercial purposes, and cover Essentially Derived Varieties. For more information, see <a href="https://lifesciences.mofo.com/topics/planting-the-seeds-of-change">Planting the Seeds of Change | MoFo Life Sciences</a>.#2. Employees, contractors, and founders failing to assign IP to the company.In the United States, a patentable invention or discovery belongs to the inventor until ownership is assigned to another person or entity. This is true (generally) even if the inventor was an employee or founder of the company.Without owning the IP, the company may not be able to stop others from practicing the invention and may have unclear rights in its own freedom to operate. As a company matures and seeks to attract investment, investors will often look to make sure all the intellectual property meant to be owned by the company is actually owned by the company. This may not be the case if the inventor did not assign their rights to the company in writing.Assignment to the company should happen early on since it is often difficult to track down inventors the more time passes.#1. Publishing inventions before filing for patent protection.Inventors are often their own worst enemy when it comes to obtaining a patent. AgTech startups may want to publish whitepapers, sell prototypes, or gain traction for their market by publishing and presenting their discoveries. But they should beware of doing so without first consulting IP counsel. Once the subject matter is published or publicly used, the inventor may no longer be able to obtain patent protection in many foreign jurisdictions and has a strict one-year deadline to seek a patent within the U.S. Matthew Ferry also shared his thoughts on MoFo’s support of the AgTech industry:“For more than two decades, MoFo’s global Food + Agriculture practice has helped shape the food and agribusiness sector. We pride ourselves on delivering innovative, business-minded solutions to help our clients feed a rapidly growing global population.We have unparalleled technology experience, with a top-tier patent group that has a deep technological understanding of critical areas driving the industry. Our collaborative team offers full life cycle counseling from farm to table to help companies and investors navigate the future of food across the supply chain.With a growing population demanding an increased supply of healthier foods and global climate change altering where and how we can grow it, the innovations being developed by the AgTech community have never been more vital.”

Matt Ferry is a partner in the San Diego office and a member of the firm’s Technology Transactions Group.
Matt’s practice focuses on strategic transactions involving intellectual property (IP), techno

Matthew Ferry

Patent Agent

Dr. Edith Pierre-Jerome focuses her practice on patent drafting and prosecution in areas related to molecular and cellular biology, biochemistry, microbiology, and plant genetics.

Edith A. Pierre-Jerome Ph.D.

Edith Pierre-Jerome

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Top Three IP Issues for AgTech Startups

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Innovation, agriculture, and technology took center stage at San Diego’s first AgTech Hackathon. The event took place October 21 – 23 in the city of Escondido, a key farming hub in San Diego County looking to attract agtech startups to the region. The event brought together entrepreneurs, farmers, investors, students, and community leaders to collaborate and develop innovative agtech ideas into viable business pitches.

Top Three IP Issues for AgTech Startups

Having a clear picture of financing options is key for early-stage companies and will be relevant to players in the alternative protein industry generally, given the significant amounts of investment that the industry has seen in recent years (a record US $5bn was invested in 2021) and the rapid growth we are seeing in companies in this sector.Read the <a href="https://www.mofo.com/resources/insights/221020-financing-options-for-an-early-stage-company?utm_source=publication&utm_medium=email" target="_self">full client alert</a>.

Financing Options for an Early Stage Company in the Alternative Protein Industry

Having a clear picture of financing options is key for early-stage companies and will be relevant to players in the alternative protein industry generally, given the significant amounts of investment that the industry has seen in recent years (a record US $5bn was invested in 2021) and the rapid growth we are seeing in companies in this sector.

Financing Options for an Early Stage Company in the Alternative Protein Industry

Session 2 of the GSAS Harvard Biotech Club and Morrison & Foerster course on <a href="https://www.mofo.com/resources/events/201111-legal-topics-scientists.html" target="_blank">Legal Topics for Scientists, Entrepreneurs, and Start Ups</a> was led by <a target="_blank" href="https://www.mofo.com/capabilities/technology-transactions.html">Transactions and Licensing</a> partner Matt Karlyn and focused on how to navigate commercial life sciences transactions and licensing issues in a COVID-19 and post-COVID-19 world.Matt discussed three key aspects, the commercial aspects of AI and COVID-19, the critical aspects of cloud transactions, and the collaborations in a COVID-19 world. Maryam attended the session and shared that "The MoFo course offers an innovative and novel approach for acquiring the knowledge that is essential to successfully form or run a start-up. Several crucial topics are covered during the sessions including IP due diligence, licensing and patentability issues. The course also includes some of the top challenges in the industry transactions including the role of artificial intelligence in a COVID-19 world where you get to stay abreast of the latest developments in the health-care industry."<a target="_blank" href="https://www.mofo.com/capabilities/emerging-companies-venture-capital.html">Emerging Companies + Venture Capital</a> partner Jim Krenn followed in session 3 providing current and future entrepreneurs with the fundamentals of raising angel investments including the deal process, the different deal structures, and the general solicitation and equity crowdfunding. Jim commented that "angel investments are often the first type of outside capital that companies raise. We hope that by walking prospective entrepreneurs through the process, most common structures, key terms and related considerations around these investments, they can be better prepared to raise funds from angel investors to position their companies for future success."This week, we’ll turn to MoFo partner and head of our <a target="_blank" href="https://www.mofo.com/capabilities/fda-life-sciences-compliance.html">FDA Regulatory + Life Sciences Compliance</a> practice Bethany Hills to lead session 4 on COVID-19: FDA and Compliance Issues with Testing, Vaccines, and Therapies.

CSPC Pharmaceutical Group Limited

Matt Karlyn

Navigating Transaction and Licensing Issues in a COVID-19 World and Raising Angel Investments