Margaret A. Pierri is a Senior Of Counsel in the Litigation Department of the New York office of Morrison & Foerster LLP. She counsels large companies, start-ups and universities on global intellectual property and rights management issues. These include patent portfolio design and strategy, due diligence, product clearance, and licensing. Her practice extends to interferences, oppositions, enforcement and defense proceedings, patent term extensions and supplementary protection certificates. The focus of her practice is life sciences, including biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, and chemistry. Prior to joining Morrison & Foerster, Ms. Pierri was a partner in the Fish & Neave IP Group of Ropes & Gray. She has represented clients in the biotechnology industry since 1980.

Ms. Pierri has extensive experience in interferences before the United States Patent and Trademark Office and oppositions before the European and Australian Patent Offices. She prosecuted, enforced, and defended Biogen Idec’s worldwide patent portfolio on recombinant hepatitis B virus antigens, which was listed among the “10 Patents That Changed the World” by IP Worldwide magazine. She has been recognized as a leading intellectual property practitioner in New York Superlawyers (2006) and New York Super Lawyers 2007 - Metro Edition.

Ms. Pierri is a member of the Biotechnology Committee, Interference Committee and Chemical Practice Committee of the American Intellectual Property Law Association. Additionally, she is a member of the New York Intellectual Property Law Association.

Ms. Pierri received her B.A. in Biology from Barnard College of Columbia University and her J.D. from Fordham University School of Law.

• Represented Biogen Idec and Columbia University in prosecution, interference and opposition proceedings involving antibodies to human CD40L protein.
• Represented Biogen Idec in prosecution, interference, opposition and litigation proceedings involving recombinant hepatitis B virus antigens.
• Represented ExxonMobil in an interference involving linear low density copolymers.
• Represented General Electric in an interference involving phenol synthesis.
• Represented AstraZeneca in its $1 billion license and collaboration agreement with AtheroGenics for an anti-inflammatory cardiovascular therapeutic.
• Represented AstraZeneca in its license agreement with Theravance for intravenous anesthetic.