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IP Essentials and Startup Strategies for Life Sciences Innovators (Two-Part Series)

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Join the Chinese-American Bio/Pharmaceutical Society and Morrison Foerster for a two-part event series exploring key intellectual...

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Join the Chinese-American Bio/Pharmaceutical Society and Morrison Foerster for a two-part event series exploring key intellectual property considerations and strategic insights for innovators in the life sciences sector.<h4>Schedule</h4>Wednesday, May 14, 2025 | 4:00 p.m.–7:30 p.m.: IP Essentials and Investor Perspectives in Life Sciences Discover the keys to protecting and growing your life sciences innovations and startups! Morrison Foerster partner Lisa Silverman will discuss patent essentials and share strategies for securing strong protection for life sciences inventions ranging from novel therapeutics to AI-based technologies, while partner Janet Xiao will explore IP due diligence and unique and critical considerations for cross-border deals. Join a dynamic panel discussion, moderated by MoFo associate Yuying (Kate) You, featuring two seasoned investor panelists <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/suexu/" target="_blank">Sue Xu</a>, <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexisji/" target="_blank">Alexis Ji</a>, as well as Janet Xiao, Lisa Silverman, and Anna Yuan, which will explore what investors and potential partners look for.<h5>Agenda</h5>4:00 pm - 4:30 pm: Check-in and Introduction4:30 pm - 5:15 pm: Patent Strategy for Life Sciences Companies: Building a Strong IP Foundation - Lisa Silverman5:15 pm - 6:00 pm:  IP due diligence and unique considerations for cross-border deals - Janet Xiao6:00 pm - 6:30 pm: Break 6:30 pm - 7:30  pm: Panel discussion (Panelist: Sue Xu, Alexis Ji, Janet Xiao, Lisa Silverman, Anna Yuan, Moderator: Kate You)Wednesday, June 11, 2025 | 3:00 p.m.–6:30 p.m.: Startup Spotlight: Strategies, Stories, and SolutionsMorrison Foerster partners Jim Ryan and Stephanie Sharron will share practical guidance on company formation, fundraising, and start-up traps for the unwary tailored for life sciences startups. Learn key life sciences transactional issues and navigate around the potential pitfalls life sciences start-ups often face.<h5>Agenda</h5>3:00 pm - 3:15 pm: Check-in and Introduction3:15 pm - 4:15 pm: Formation, Fundraising, and Licensing in Life Sciences - Jim Ryan and Stephanie Sharron4:15 pm- 5:15 pm: Fireside chat with Dr. David Shen, The Success Story of Proteologix Break5:15 pm- 5:45 pm: Break5:45 pm - 6:45 pm: Panel discussion (Panelists: David Shen, Josh Xiao, Stephanie Sharron, Jim Ryan, Moderator: Lu Lu)To register for the event, please contact Life Sciences Events (<a href="mailto:LifeSciencesEvents@mofo.com">LifeSciencesEvents@mofo.com</a>). <hr>

IP Essentials and Startup Strategies for Life Sciences Innovators (Two-Part Series)

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Dr. Yuying (Kate) You advises life sciences and biotechnology clients on complex intellectual property strategy, offering pragmatic and business-aligned counsel to support innovation and commercialization. She partners with in-house teams to develop robust patent strategies tailored to evolving technologies and competitive landscapes, with a focus on maximizing long-term portfolio value and practical outcomes.Kate has deep experience in advising on a broad spectrum of technologies, including cell therapy (such as CAR-T, TCR-T, NK, Treg), gene therapy, biologics, cancer therapeutics, metabolic modulators, in vivo delivery vehicles and strategies, circular RNA, and diagnostics/prognostics. She is experienced in portfolio building, balancing strategic strength, commercial priorities, and lifecycle planning.Prior to joining the firm, Dr. Kate You was postdoctoral fellow at Stanford University, School of Medicine, Department of Neurology, where she worked on multiple clinical research projects, established several international and domestic collaborations, and developed a novel diagnostic assay for an autoimmune neurological disease. During her Ph.D. study at University of Alabama at Birmingham in the department of microbiology, Dr. You conducted two research projects on basic immunology, both published in peer-review journals. Dr. You received the Hiramoto Travel Award and was invited to orally present her findings at three international conferences.Dr. You was co-president of the Chinese Life-Science Postdocs and Students at Stanford for a year and president at the Chinese American BioPharmaceutical Society (CABS).Dr. You earned her J.D. at University of California, in Los Angeles, CA, her  Ph.D. in microbiology/immunology from the University of Alabama in Birmingham, AL and her B.S. in biology from the Fudan University in Shanghai, China.Dr. You is admitted in California and is fluent in Mandarin.

Yuying (Kate) You

Of Counsel

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

Partner

Dr. Janet (Jian) Xiao is a leading patent attorney specializing in global patent procurement, patent portfolio management, and IP strategic planning for life sciences and biopharmaceutical companies. Recognized by Chambers USA and Chambers Global as a top-ranked intellectual property lawyer, Dr. Xiao is highly sought after by biotech and pharmaceutical innovators worldwide for patent prosecution, patent strategy, and life sciences IP counsel.Dr Xiao’s clients range from large renowned multinational companies to emerging startups worldwide. She advises her clients on patent matters relating to various technologies including antibody therapeutics, cell therapeutics, nanomedicine, gene therapy, drug delivery systems, diagnostics, and nutraceuticals. Recognized for her deep understanding of the industry and knowledge of IP, Janet is known for developing and strengthening her clients’ complex patent portfolios to maximize their commercial value and success. She has been instrumental on the strategy development for multibillion-dollar patent portfolios for pharmaceutical clients, and adds tremendous value by combining her creative legal skills, keen business acumen, and solid foundation in science. As impressed clients noted to Chambers, “Janet consistently delivers a very high level of client service and exhibits strong commercial awareness and vision.”Janet works extensively in performing IP due diligence reviews in the contexts of VC investments, technology transactions, mergers and acquisitions, as well as marketing and manufacturing clearance for biopharmaceutical products. She works closely with her clients to assess potential risks and devise preemptive risk-management strategies for their product development and investments. She has led hundreds of IP due diligence projects, and is most notable for her deep knowledge about patent landscapes in the fields of cancer immunotherapy, gene editing, next-generation sequencing, liquid biopsy, antibody manufacturing, and medical devices. Janet works synergistically with patent litigators in the event of legal challenges by third-party competitors or vice versa, and is frequently called upon to represent clients in litigation and post-grant proceedings.Janet is among the very few IP attorneys in the world who are both equipped with solid skills in global strategic IP management and knowledgeable about IP issues unique to China and Chinese clients, and she has been the go-to counsel for IP issues in U.S./China cross-border transactions and operations in China. As Chambers Global 2024 notes, “She is great, very strong and thoughtful. She has a very large contingent of Chinese companies.”Janet is the Head of China Life Sciences at Morrison Foerster and served as co-chair of the firm’s global Life Sciences Group from 2016 to 2019. Chambers Global states that Janet “is recognized for her knowledge of IP law relating to the life sciences arena,” and that she is “held in high regard by sources for her deep understanding of the pharmaceutical and biotech industries.” In a recent edition of Chambers Global, a client remarks, “Janet is a wonderful lawyer. She is very experienced in advising life sciences clients doing business in China and the US. She is highly responsive and always gives practical advice. Her IP expertise adds tremendous value to our business.”

肖荐（Janet Xiao）博士的业务侧重于为生命科学公司处理在全球范围内的专利采购、专利组合管理和战略策划事宜。肖博士服务的客户范围广泛，包括大型跨国生物制药公司，例如赛尔基因公司（Celgene）和基因泰克公司（Genentech），也包括全球范围的新兴创业公司。她经常就与各种技术有关的专利事宜向客户提供法律意见，其中涉及的技术包括抗体疗法、细胞疗法、纳米医学、基因疗法、给药系统、诊断和和营养学等。来自全球的创新者纷纷向肖博士寻求专利申请和专利战略的法律咨询，这一点也得到了《钱伯斯指南》的认可。她帮助客户开发和加强其复杂的专利组合，从而为客户实现最大的商业价值。在为制药行业的客户制定数十亿美元专利组合的战略方面，肖博士发挥着重要的作用。《钱伯斯指南》曾引用客户评价称，“肖博士是我曾合作过的律师当中知识最渊博、效率最高的一位律师。她能很好地将专利组合的历史信息用于全球专利申请问题上。”肖博士针对风险投资、技术交易、并购和生物医药产品的市场推广与生产许可事宜开展广泛的知识产权尽职调查审查工作。她协助世界上一些最成功的生物制药公司和投资者，为其产品开发和投资评估潜在风险，并制定先发制人的风险管理策略。她曾牵头处理过数百个知识产权尽职调查项目，并凭借自己对癌症免疫治疗、基因编辑、新一代测序、液体活检、抗体制造和医疗设备领域的专利方面的深厚知识而闻名。肖博士时常与专利诉讼律师合作，处理由第三方竞争者提出的法律质疑，或对第三方竞争者提出的法律质疑，她还经常受聘代表客户处理专利诉讼和授予后程序。肖博士是美富中国生命科学业务组主管，她曾在2016至2019期间担任美富全球生命科学业务组的联席主管。肖博士是全球为数不多的既拥有很强的全球战略性知识产权管理技能，同时又对中国和中国客户独特的知识产权问题具有深刻理解的知识产权律师之一，她一直是处理中美跨境交易和在中国境内经营中所涉知识产权问题的首选律师。《钱伯斯全球指南》称赞她是一位优秀的知识产权律师，“她因处理与复杂跨境交易有关的知识产权问题工作而知名，经常代表中国客户处理这方面的事宜” 。在近期一版《钱伯斯全球指南》中，某客户评价称，“肖博士在为于中国和美国开展业务的生命科学客户提供法律意见方面，有非常丰富的经验。她非常负责而且总是提供切实可行的法律意见。她在知识产权方面的专业意见为我们的业务增添了巨大价值。”自2005年以来，肖博士一直积极参与北美华人生物医药协会（CABS）的领导工作。该协会是一家非营利组织，致力于成为连接中美两国生命科学领域的纽带。肖博士在2011至2012年间担任该协会主席。她还是百华协会（BayHelix）的成员。百华协会是一家非营利组织，由全球生命科技和医疗保健产业领域的华人精英组成。

Janet Xiao

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

Jim Ryan is a partner in Morrison Foerster’s Emerging Company + Venture Capital Group based in Palo Alto. He advises high-growth technology and life sciences companies, venture capital and growth funds, and corporate venture capital and other strategic investors.Jim’s work includes navigating domestic and cross-border venture capital and growth financings, secondaries and tender offers, recapitalizations, joint ventures, carve-outs and spinoffs, and mergers and acquisitions. He has particular experience in large complex financings and has advised companies and investors on dozens of venture capital and growth financings in which $100 million to over $1 billion were raised along with dozens more in the $25 million to $100 million range.His clients span a variety of technologies and industries including artificial intelligence, robotics, autonomous and other software-defined vehicles, industrial tech, cloud computing and data center hardware and software, fintech and digital assets, SaaS, biotech, and medical devices.Beyond transactions, Jim writes and speaks on practical issues that shape venture capital-backed companies and boardrooms. He serves as the startup columnist for The Journal of Robotics, Artificial Intelligence & Law and is the lead editor of MoFo’s “<a href="https://scaleup.mofo.com/guidance">Ask a MoFo</a>” series, where he translates board governance, deal mechanics, and venture structures into actionable guidance for founders and investors.Jim was recognized as a 2026 Rising Star by Venture Capital Journal.He earned his J.D. from Santa Clara University School of Law, where he served on the Santa Clara Law Review and published articles on cloud computing regulation. He received a B.A. in economics from the University of California, Santa Cruz.

Jim Ryan

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.

IP Essentials and Startup Strategies for Life Sciences Innovators (Two-Part Series)

14 May 2025 - 11 Jun 2025

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