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2026 MoFo-UCSF Seminar Series: AI in Drug Discovery and the Life Sciences: IP and Legal Essentials

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Morrison Foerster and UCSF have partnered to offer a six-week seminar series focused on the evolving role of artificial...

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Morrison Foerster and UCSF have partnered to offer a six-week seminar series focused on the evolving role of artificial intelligence in drug discovery and the life sciences. The program offers a practical, interdisciplinary look at the legal, regulatory, and ethical issues at the heart of responsible AI-enabled innovation. Participants will gain a structured overview of intellectual property, regulation, data governance, ethics, and transactions, and how these frameworks shape scientific advancement and commercial decision-making.Course Schedule:<ul><li>March 4: AI in Life Sciences: Navigating Innovation, Ethics & Regulation (Stephanie Sharron)</li><li>March 11: FDA and Healthcare Regulation of AI (Brigid Bondoc) </li><li>March 18: Protecting Innovation: AI and Intellectual Property in the Life Sciences (Lisa Silverman, Anna Yuan)</li><li>March 25: Data Privacy, Compliance, and Ethics for AI in Life Sciences (Mary Race)</li><li>April 1: AI in Life Sciences Deals: Strategies for Life Sciences Transaction (Daisuke Gatanaga)</li><li>April 8: Investment Panel Discussion</li></ul><hr>

2026 MoFo-UCSF Seminar Series: AI in Drug Discovery and the Life Sciences: IP and Legal Essentials

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Stephanie is a trusted advisor to companies with respect to technology and life sciences transactions, related IP counseling, and responsible tech and AI governance practices.Stephanie represents both private and public companies, from emerging growth through the Fortune 50. For over 25 years, her practice has focused on helping companies that leverage data through technology.Stephanie serves on the Responsible AI Venture Council, part of the recently launched Lucas Institute for Venture Ethics at Santa Clara University’s Markkula Center for Applied Ethics and currently serves as an advisor to certain research projects of the Institute. Stephanie is also a member of the firm’s global Sustainability + Corporate Responsibility and FinTech steering committees.In addition to publishing on a variety of legal topics related to AI, since 2016, Stephanie has taught as a guest lecturer on data licensing and other IP-related topics in Cornell Law School’s Technology and Entrepreneurship LLM program at CornellTech and has served as a guest lecturer at Cornell Law School.

Stephanie Lynn Sharron

Partner

Brigid is a food, drug, and medical device lawyer who counsels life sciences companies on a wide range of U.S. Food & Drug Administration pre- and post-market regulatory issues.As the lead of our FDA + Healthcare Regulatory and Compliance Group, Brigid practices across the spectrum of FDA-regulated products, including medical devices, drugs, biologics, cell and gene therapies, food, cosmetics, dietary supplements, tobacco, laboratory-developed tests, in vitro diagnostics, radiation-emitting electronic products, combination products, and products that may not fit neatly into any of these categories. Accordingly, she counsels established and start-up companies in life sciences, healthcare, and consumer products on a wide range of FDA pre- and post-market regulatory issues. Brigid also frequently advises innovative product developers on threshold FDA jurisdictional questions and develops strategies for approval and marketing, while identifying and mitigating regulatory risks.In her day-to-day practice, Brigid advises on:<ul><li>product development and FDA’s pre-authorization requirements;</li><li>advertising and promotion of FDA-regulated products;</li><li>clinical trials regulation, including strategic advice for sponsors in receipt of a clinical hold;</li><li>responses to warning letters, Form 483s, import alerts, and FDA enforcement actions;</li><li>informal and formal dispute resolution for high-stakes issues;</li><li>compliance with FDA regulatory requirements such as current good manufacturing practice (GMP), quality system regulation (QSR), food safety preventive controls, adverse event reports, product recalls, radiological health issues, risk evaluation and mitigation strategies (REMS), pharmacy compounding and the new track-and-trace regulations for prescription drugs; and</li><li>technical legal questions involving the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act (FDCA), the Public Health Service Act (PHSA), Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA), Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), and the Administrative Procedure Act (APA).</li></ul>Brigid also has experience in the development, regulation, and procurement of medical countermeasures (MCMs) against chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) threats and pandemic infectious diseases, including animal rule approvals and special incentives for the development of MCMs.Complementing her focus on FDA regulatory law, Brigid has a strong litigation background and has served as FDA counsel in product liability cases, civil litigation, international arbitration, and FDA enforcement proceedings. She particularly enjoys providing clients with advice that integrates technical, legal, and political considerations.Brigid maintains an active pro bono practice focused primarily on reproductive health and especially enjoys working with inventors who aim to improve health outcomes for mothers and infants in the peri- and post-natal period. She has represented several clients before the Social Security Administration in appealing denials of applications for disability benefits. She has also worked on several appeals in criminal cases in the District of Columbia.Brigid is a graduate of the University of Tulsa, where she earned her B.S. in biochemistry before attending law school at Stanford Law School. Prior to law school, Brigid worked as an Environmental Policy Analyst in the Office of the Secretary at the U.S. Department of Transportation. She has also worked as a benchtop scientist in a number of laboratories, including FDA’s National Center for Toxicological Research.<h4>Representative Experience</h4><ul><li>Counseled online marketplaces regarding FDA compliance and enforcement for a variety of products.</li><li>Advised development-stage companies on regulatory considerations and FDA engagement strategies related to development and launch of products based on disruptive technologies.</li><li>Advised consumer technology companies with respect to potential FDA regulation under the medical device provisions of the FDCA;</li><li>Served as FDA regulatory counsel to clients evaluating compliance issues under reporting provisions of Corporate Integrity Agreements and related negotiated resolutions of government investigations.</li><li>Helped a large, publicly traded drug company comply with the FDA’s new track-and-trace pedigree requirements for prescription drugs.</li><li>Led regulatory team on numerous initial public offerings (IPO), stock and asset purchase agreements, acquisitions, mergers, and other transactions for life science company.</li><li>Provided strategic advice, conducting regulatory assessments and negotiating key FDA-related terms in connection with due diligence for transactions and post-acquisition integration activities.</li><li>Developed policy positions related to FDA regulation of laboratory-developed tests (LDTs) for multiple clients in this space.</li><li>Represented manufacturers in matters involving regulatory letters, inquiries, advisory comment proceedings, competitor complaints and citizen petitions focused on their products and policy issues affecting their strategic priorities.</li><li>Advised on issues related to promotion of drugs and medical devices, including communication of pharmacoeconomic/healthcare economic information (HCEI), communications by medical science liaisons (MSLs).</li><li>Provided solutions-oriented advice to development-stage companies confronting FDA regulatory issues for the first time, including good clinical practices (GCP), investigator-initiated research (IIR), pre-approval communications and strategies for obtaining FDA approval.</li><li>Collaboratively advised client on FDA, ethical, and product liability issues associated with early termination of a clinical study involving an implanted medical device.</li></ul>

Brigid Bondoc

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 co-leads the firm’s Pharmaceutical Patent practice, and she is a member of the firm’s Life Sciences + Healthcare Leadership Team. Lisa works with clients on diverse technologies including small molecule pharmaceuticals, antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), peptide therapeutics, pharmaceutical formulations and uses, drug-device combinations, cosmetics, digital therapeutics, clean technology, bioassays, and medical devices.As a member of the firm’s <a href="/capabilities/venture-intellectual-property" target="_self">Venture Intellectual Property Group</a>, Lisa routinely represents clients in both investor- and target-side IP due diligence, including patentability and freedom-to-operate assessments, and she provides advice to transactions teams on IP considerations for licensing, financing, and M&A deals. She has a keen interest in the intersection of patent and regulatory considerations for pharmaceutical products and medical devices.  She has prepared numerous applications for patent term extensions for approved drugs and medical devices, and she frequently advises on patent strategies for optimizing Orange Book listings.Lisa represents companies of all sizes, from start-ups to multi-national corporations, as well as venture capital, private equity, and other investment firms, and she provides advice tailored to each client’s unique business needs. She has worked with large companies to ensure robust patent protection for marketed drug products. She has worked closely with mid-size companies to expand patent protection and mitigate potential infringement risks as lead drug candidates have moved through clinical development toward commercialization. She has advised small companies on securing early foundational patents.Lisa received her J.D. from Stanford Law School. Prior to entering the legal field, Lisa obtained her Ph.D. in chemistry from Stanford University, where she was the recipient of a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship.

Lisa Silverman

Anna Yuan’s practice focuses on patent prosecution, IP due diligence, post-grant proceedings, and IP litigation support. She has been recognized as one of the “Ones to Watch” in America by Best Lawyers and a Rising Star in Intellectual Property by Americas Women in Business Law. Anna is the co-founder and co-chair of the firm’s Life Sciences + AI patent practice. 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 to maximize their commercial value. Anna’s practice spans a wide array of technologies, including artificial intelligence, autonomous driving, blockchain, robotics, electronic devices, data analytics, virtual reality, wireless communications, network security, medical devices, diagnostics, health care, and genomics. She has developed and managed clients’ core portfolios in the United States, China, Canada, Europe, Japan, Korea, Mexico, and Australia. Anna’s clients include emerging companies, multinational corporations, and universities.Anna received her J.D. from Harvard Law School. During law school, she served as an executive editor of the Harvard International Law Journal and co-founded the Harvard China Law Association. She was also active in clinical and pro bono programs such as the Cyberlaw Clinic based at the Harvard Berkman Center for Internet and Society, and the Harvard Mediation Program.She received her B.S. summa cum laude in computer engineering from Louisiana State University, with minors in computer science and mathematics. Prior to attending law school, Anna worked as a program manager at Microsoft in the Windows Division. At Microsoft, she led projects relating to software user interface design, software reliability, and software privacy compliance. She has also worked as a facilities engineer at Chevron and as a software developer at Halliburton.She is admitted to practice in California and is registered to practice before the United States Patent and Trademark Office. Anna is a fluent Chinese speaker and regularly counsels Chinese clients in Silicon Valley and abroad.

Anna Yuan

Of Counsel

Mary Race assists clients with a wide range of challenging privacy compliance and data security matters. Her practice focuses on managing privacy risks and helping clients develop and implement comprehensive privacy programs across a variety of industries, including tech, retail, manufacturing, advertising, social media, and communications.Mary is a go-to source of guidance on the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) and other state privacy laws, as well as a thought leader on the complexities of these laws, offering clients practical compliance advice. She also counsels clients on privacy matters worldwide, including advising one of the world’s largest international companies on deploying new technologies in 40+ jurisdictions.Mary works on high-profile M&A transactions for multinational clients, such as Salesforce, the global leader in customer relationship management. She frequently advises cutting-edge startups as well as tech industry and social media giants on the privacy and data security aspects of their platforms, products, and services.Mary has a history of commitment to pro bono service. In law school, she volunteered for Pro Bono Students Canada, with a focus on environmental law and social justice.  She continues her pro bono work at MoFo, where she argued an appeal for a pro bono client before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit and supports pro bono clients in building out their privacy programs.Following her studies at McGill University’s Faculty of Law, Mary served as a law clerk to the Honorable Justice Louis LeBel of the Supreme Court of Canada. Prior to joining the firm, Mary was a development consultant for Human Rights Watch and taught writing at the University of Southern California.Mary is also an accomplished pianist and organist.

Mary Race

Daisuke Gatanaga is an associate in the Technology Transactions Group of Morrison Foerster’s Palo Alto office.Daisuke earned his J.D. from Stanford Law School in 2017, where he served as an Executive Editor for the Stanford Technology Law Review. He received a B.S. in Chemistry, summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa, from Yale University and holds master’s degrees from both Stanford University and Yale University.Daisuke has native proficiency in both English and Japanese. He is admitted to practice law in the state of California.Daisuke has been recognized by The Best Lawyers in Japan in its “Ones to Watch” category for Patent Practice.

2026 MoFo-UCSF Seminar Series: AI in Drug Discovery and the Life Sciences: IP and Legal Essentials

04 Mar 2026 - 08 Apr 2026