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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...

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 - 4:30 Check-in and Introduction4:30 - 5:15 Patent Strategy for Life Sciences Companies: Building a Strong IP Foundation - Lisa Silverman5:15 - 6:00 IP due diligence and unique considerations for cross-border deals - Janet Xiao6:00 - 6:30 Break 6:30 - 7:30 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.Detailed agenda to be announced.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. Kate You is a member of the firm’s Patent Group and focuses her practice on patent prosecution and counseling, including domestic and international patent preparation and prosecution, and litigation support. Dr. You’s experience includes diagnostic assays and she has expertise in neurology, microbiology, and immunology.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 an executive council member 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

Associate

Lisa N. Silverman focuses on patent portfolio management and strategic patent counseling in the areas of chemistry and life sciences. She has extensive experience in securing U.S. and foreign patent protection for pharmaceutical products and a deep understanding of patent lifecycle management and strategies for maximizing patent term. In addition to pharmaceuticals, Dr. Silverman also works with clients in the areas of clean technology, bioassays, and medical devices.Dr. Silverman routinely represents clients in both investor- and target-side due diligence, including patentability and freedom-to-operate assessments. She has a keen interest in the intersection of patent and regulatory considerations for pharmaceutical products and medical devices, and she has prepared numerous applications for patent term extension.Dr. Silverman has represented companies of all sizes, from start-ups to multi-national corporations, and 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 several 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 also advised small companies on securing early foundational patents.Prior to entering the legal field, Dr. Silverman obtained her Ph.D. in chemistry from Stanford University, where she was the recipient of a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship. Her doctoral research in the laboratory of Professor Steven G. Boxer focused on spectroscopic investigation of charge transfer reactions in organic, organometallic, and biological molecules. Dr. Silverman received her B.A. summa cum laude, in chemistry and political science from Barnard College, where she performed synthetic organic chemistry research in the laboratory of Professor Christian M. Rojas. She also studied alpha-helical folding of small peptides in the laboratory of Professor Ronald Breslow at Columbia University.Dr. Silverman received her J.D. from Stanford Law School. She was a member of the Organizations and Transactions Group of the Stanford Law School Mills Legal Clinic, where she provided governance advice and drafted contracts and management materials for Northern California non-profit organizations.

Lisa Silverman

Partner

Janet focuses her practice on worldwide patent procurement, patent portfolio management, and strategic planning for life sciences companies. Janet’s clients range from large multinational biopharmaceutical companies, such as Celgene and Genentech, to emerging startup companies around the world. 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 by Chambers as being highly sought after for patent prosecution and strategy mandates by innovators from around the world, Janet develops and strengthens her clients’ complex patent portfolios to maximize their commercial value. She is instrumental in developing strategies for multibillion-dollar patent portfolios for pharmaceutical clients. As impressed clients noted to Chambers, “Janet’s work is thorough, polished and always of the highest caliber. She is well equipped to advise international clients on patent prosecution and strategy in the biotech industry, drawing on substantial technical knowledge.”Janet works extensively in performing IP due diligence reviews in the contexts of VC investments, technology transactions, mergers and acquisitions, and marketing and manufacturing clearance for biopharmaceutical products. She helps some of the world’s most-sophisticated biopharmaceutical companies and investors 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 noted for her in-depth knowledge of patent landscapes in the fields of cancer immunotherapy, gene editing, next-generation sequencing, liquid biopsy, antibody manufacturing, and medical devices. Janet works regularly with patent litigators in the event of legal challenges by third-party competitors or vice versa, and she is frequently called upon to represent clients in litigation and post-grant proceedings.Janet is the Head of firm’s China Life Sciences Group and served as co-chair of the global Life Sciences Group from 2016 to 2019. She 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. Chambers Global praises her as an outstanding IP lawyer “who is renowned for her work on IP issues concerning complex cross-border transactions, where she regularly advises Chinese clients.” In a recent edition of Chambers Global, a client says, “Janet . . . 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.”Since 2005, Janet has been actively involved in the leadership team of the Chinese-American Biopharmaceutical Society (CABS), a nonprofit organization dedicated to bridging the life sciences communities in the U.S. and China, including serving as president for the 2011–2012 term. She is also a member of BayHelix, a nonprofit organization of Chinese heritage leaders in the global life sciences and healthcare fields.

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 Lawyer 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

Jim Ryan is a partner in Morrison Foerster's Transactions Department. His practice focuses on domestic and cross-border corporate and securities matters, including venture capital and private equity financings, mergers and acquisitions, securities compliance, and corporate governance.Jim represents entrepreneurs, startups and emerging companies as outside general counsel, venture capital and private equity investors, and financial and strategic acquirers across the technology, media, telecommunications, and life sciences industries. His clients operate in a variety of sectors including machine learning and artificial intelligence, robotics, autonomous vehicles, cybersecurity, data analytics, fintech, e-commerce, gaming, life sciences, and medical devices.Jim earned his J.D. from the Santa Clara University School of Law, where he was a comments editor for the Santa Clara Law Review and was published on the topic of cloud computing regulation. He received his B.A. in Economics with a minor in Information Systems and Technology Management from the University of California, Santa Cruz.

Jim Ryan

Stephanie assists companies with technology and life sciences transactions, representing both private and public companies, from emerging growth through the Fortune 50. In particular, Stephanie focuses on helping companies that leverage data through technology in structuring their business and commercial transactions.Stephanie has over two decades of experience working with clients on the complex technology, intellectual property, and data rights issues across technology and business sectors, including, among others: artificial intelligence (including machine learning and other data analytics approaches), cloud services, life sciences and healthcare, the Internet of Things (IoT), fintech, digital transactions, autonomous systems, cybersecurity solutions, semiconductors, edtech and cleantech. Additionally, Stephanie advises on the commercial technology and intellectual property aspects of mergers, acquisitions, asset spin-off transactions, and private equity investments. Stephanie served 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. Stephanie is also a member of the firm’s global ESG + Sustainability steering committee as well as the firm’s FinTech steering committee, where she helps to lead and collaborate with attorneys across multiple practices. Stephanie is also a sought-after speaker and thought leader on the issues at the intersection of technology and law, including regarding AI, Life Sciences and FinTech.Since 2016, Stephanie has taught as a guest lecturer in the Technology Transactions course in Cornell Law School’s Technology and Entrepreneurship LLM program at CornellTech. She also was adjunct faculty at Cornell Law School for a Legal Issues in FinTech course.

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

14 May 2025 - 11 Jun 2025

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