Marisa Sanders is an associate in Morrison Foerster’s New York office and a member of the firm’s Patent Strategy and Prosecution Group.

Marisa’s practice focuses on patent preparation, prosecution, and counseling.

Before joining Morrison Foerster, Marisa served as a registered patent agent at an Am Law 50 law firm. In this role, she drafted patent applications in a broad array of fields, including pharmaceuticals, life sciences, and materials science. Marisa also performed freedom-to-operate and patentability investigations, and drafted responses to USPTO and foreign office actions. Marisa additionally counseled clients on patent portfolio strategy, conducted chemical structure searches using databases such as STN and SciFinder, and served on the firm’s Patent Optimization Committee. Marisa participated in Morrison Foerster’s summer associate program, during which she supported the Patent Practice Group.

Marisa obtained her Ph.D. in chemistry and materials science from Princeton University. During her graduate studies, Marisa investigated the magnetic properties of novel oxide and fluoride compounds and synthesized new materials with applications in batteries, quantum computers, clean energy, and magnetic storage devices.

Marisa currently serves as vice-chair of the American Chemical Society’s Committee on Ethics and is a member of the New York Society of Cosmetic Chemists and the New York Intellectual Property Law Association.

Marisa received her J.D. magna cum laude from Seton Hall University School of Law, where she served on the Moot Court Board and was elected to the Order of the Coif. She received her Ph.D. from Princeton University in chemistry and materials science and her B.S. magna cum laude in chemistry with a minor in English from The College of New Jersey, where she was elected to Phi Beta Kappa.