Biotech Intellectual Property: Insights & Strategies

Having a strong IP Strategy can help capture value for your company by giving you meaningful exclusionary power in your market and help prepare your company for your next milestone.

The morning agenda will feature an expert panel. Bringing deep biotech expertise to the discussion are Dr. Ali R. Alemozafar and Dr. Lisa Silverman, both seasoned biotech patent attorneys, joined by experienced biotech patent agent, Shirley Recipon, M.S., R.P.A. Their insights will help you navigate the complexities of IP, avoid common mistakes, and help position your innovations for long-term success.

The discussion will cover:

--The Starting Point - Tips and Resources for Formulating a strong I.P. strategy

--When, Why and How to file a patent and special considerations for Biotechnology

--Show me the money: What are investors looking for and how can you discuss your business without compromising trade secrets

--Trademarks/Copyrights/Patents- what you should know

Throughout each step we will look at Pitfalls, Challenges, Risk Mitigation along with successful habits and new tools to move you along in the process.

The panel will be followed by lunch and a formal presentation delivered by the United States Patent Office.

USPTO representative, Mary Fuller, JD, will provide an overview of patent basics. Drawing from her extensive experience in Silicon Valley, where she has worked at top law firms, served as general counsel for multiple startups, and her current role as the Regional Director of the USPTO’s Western Regional Office, she is well-equipped to discuss the common challenges and roadblocks that startups face. She will also share best practices for leveraging intellectual property, from trademarks to patents, to strengthen and grow their pipelines. Additionally, she will offer actionable insights on simple steps that can be easily implemented but are often overlooked.

This program will offer valuable perspectives into the IP landscape while providing a unique opportunity for the audience to engage with experts, ask critical questions, and gain practical knowledge.

Join us to ensure your biotech innovations are protected and positioned for success.

During registration, you will have an opportunity to ask your most pressing IP question for panel discussion consideration.

Register today!

Agenda:

9:30-10:00 am - Check-in and networking

10:00-11:00 am - Panel discussion

11:00-11:30 pm- 30-minute Q & A

11:30 AM-12:30 PM- Lunch & Networking

12:30-1:30 pm -U.S.P.T.O. – Patent basics and process

1:30-1:45 PM- Q & A

2:00 - 4:00pm – U.S.P.T.O. 1-on-1 Meetings (BVL offices)

INCREDIBLE BONUS OPPORTUNITIES: 1-on-1 Meetings will be available from 2:00 - 4:00.

(Space is limited! Follow-up information will be provided to registered guests who indicate interest in a meeting. )

Those interested in 1-on- 1 meetings please indicate your interest during registration. We will make every effort to accommodate as many requests as we can. Meeting times will vary with each speaker but will be around 15-20 minutes.

1-on-1 Meetings with Morning Panelists consider their areas of interest/expertise:

• Ali Alemozafar - Tools / Diagnostics
• Lisa N. Silverman - Therapeutics
• Shirley Recipon - Multiplatform & Miscellaneous

1-on-1 Meetings with USPTO

The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) will offer limited fifteen-minute 1-on-1 meetings with a USPTO patent prosecution specialist to discuss the patent process. These sessions are designed for entrepreneurs and independent inventors seeking guidance and resources to navigate the patent system.

(Please note that USPTO staff cannot provide legal or business strategy advice, and for those with pending applications under power of attorney, assistance may be limited without your representative present.)

Thank you to our event sponsors!

Meet Our Experts:

Dr. Ali R. Alemozafar is a partner at Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati where he leads the tools, diagnostics and deep tech patent practice. Ali focuses on strategic intellectual property counseling in a wide range of technical fields, including diagnostics, tools, genomics, digital health, bioinformatics, artificial intelligence, materials and various engineering fields. His expertise includes patent strategy, patent prosecution, and patent diligence—including freedom-to-operate analyses—for financings, mergers and acquisitions, and public offerings. Ali has prepared and prosecuted patent applications in the United States and other jurisdictions, including Europe, China, and Japan. He provides legal counseling to companies at various stages of growth, from pre-financing start-ups to public companies.

Ali frequently lectures at the UC Berkeley School of Law on various intellectual property topics, including patent strategy and IP due diligence.

Dr. Lisa Silverman’s practice focuses on patent portfolio management and strategic patent counseling in the areas of life sciences, pharmaceuticals, and chemistry. She has extensive experience in securing U.S. and global patent protection for pharmaceutical products and a deep understanding of patent lifecycle management and strategies for maximizing patent term and product exclusivity. She currently leads the firm’s Pharma Subgroup within the Patent Strategy + Prosecution practice group, and she is a member of the firm’s Life Sciences + Healthcare Leadership Team. Dr. Silverman works with clients on diverse technologies including small molecule pharmaceuticals, antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), peptide therapeutics, pharmaceutical formulations and uses, drug-device combinations, clean technology, bioassays, and medical devices.

Shirley Recipon, M.S., is a Registered U.S. Patent Agent and co-founder of Recipon Consulting, LLC providing patent drafting and prosecution, due diligence , IP strategy and instructions to foreign associates for early stage and established companies. Shirley’s practice covers numerous technical areas including, biologics, genomics, immunology, diagnostics, large molecule pharmaceuticals, medical devices, sound attenuation, edible packaging alternatives, natural cosmetics and biotechnology tools to advance the understanding of disease processes and methods for developing therapeutics. She leverages her multi-platform technical expertise from both academic and industrial research experiences in metabolism, analytical & physical chemistry, genetics, pharmacogenomics, cellular processes, immunology, and bioinformatics to understanding innovations and their potential research and market applications.

As Regional Director of the USPTO’s Western Office, Mary Fuller carries out the strategic direction of the Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property. Director Fuller actively engages with stakeholders in communities in the Western Region, while ensuring the USPTO’s initiatives and programs are tailored to the region's unique ecosystem of industries and stakeholders.

Director Fuller began her career as a Silicon Valley patent attorney at law firms, including Pennie & Edmonds, Carr & Ferrell, and Bingham McCutchen. She later joined Marvell Semiconductor where she rose to Director and Managing Counsel for Litigation, then served as Maxim Integrated Products’ (now a part of ADI) first Chief IP Counsel. She also served as General Counsel at Adaptive Spectrum and Signal Alignment and Head of Legal at Jupiter Intelligence. Additionally, Director Fuller served as Santa Clara University’s School of Law’s first Senior Clinical Fellow.

Director Fuller is the recipient of the Silicon Valley Business Times Women of Influence Award and the Watermark Emerging Leaders Award. She has been featured in a Modern Counsel Article, “How to Create an IP Program from Scratch,” and is a long-time member of the San Francisco Bay Area IP Inn of Court, where she served as its first female president.

Tim is a director of early-stage life science startups in the San Francisco Bay Area. In this role, he mentors and advises startups at the beginning stages of their journey, connecting them to the larger SVB ecosystem and accelerating them to their next fundraising goals via company building and fundraising strategies.

Before joining SVB, Tim spent 16 years in the medical device industry where he focused on early commercialization. From sales to surgeon training to sales leadership, he played an integral role in bringing medical devices from concept to the operating room to becoming the gold standard of care. He is excited to bring his experience to SVB’s startup banking team helping founders find success.

Tim received his undergraduate degree in biology and neuroscience from University of California, Santa Barbara from College of Creative Studies. Tim also completed a Master of Science degree from University of California, Santa Barbara with a thesis on evolutionary genetics. Most recently, Tim received a Master of Business Administration from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill focused on entrepreneurship and innovation.