Morrison Foerster is an international law firm with lawyers practicing throughout the United States, Asia, and Europe. Click to discover more.

mofo_share_image.jpg

Morrison Foerster

common-default.jpeg

Terms / Notices

Cookies

Privacy Policy

Reporting Hotline

Attorney Advertising

Alumni

  Linkedin

MoFo LinkedIN

  Facebook

MoFo Facebook

YouTube

MoFo Youtube

Morrison Foerster - Footer

Plant IP, Regulatory + Commercialization Strategies: Seminar & Social

You have not solved the recaptcha challenge yet or session expired, try again.

Email Disclaimer

Disclaimer

Unsolicited e-mails and information sent to Morrison Foerster will not be considered confidential, may be disclosed to others pursuant to our <a href="https://www.mofo.com/about/privacy-policy.html">Privacy Policy</a>, may not receive a response, and do not create an attorney-client relationship with Morrison Foerster. If you are not already a client of Morrison Foerster, do not include any confidential information in this message. Also, please note that our attorneys do not seek to practice law in any jurisdiction in which they are not properly authorized to do so.

Feedback

mofo-logo-2022.svg

People

Capabilities

Resources

About

Community

Offices

Careers

Stay Connected

The MoFo Food & Ag Team is proud to host our inaugural Plant IP, Regulatory + Commercialization Strategies: Seminar & Social in...

<h3>Sorry, we weren’t able to find the terms you entered.</h3>Please try a different term or keyword.

People

Capabilities

Resources

Not Found Cards

The MoFo Food & Ag Team is proud to host our inaugural Plant IP, Regulatory + Commercialization Strategies: Seminar & Social in <a href="https://www.rtp.org/the-foundation/" target="_blank">Research Triangle Park (RTP)</a>, one of the world’s leading hubs for agricultural innovation.Home to more than 180 AgTech companies, NC State University’s Plant Sciences Initiative, and global R&D leaders, RTP is at the forefront of AI-enabled agriculture, gene editing, predictive breeding, biologicals, and next-generation crop technologies. We’re excited to bring together the region’s community of innovators, investors, researchers, and industry leaders with some of MoFo’s leading Intellectual Property and Regulatory partners to share insights, connect, and network.MoFo partners Meghan McLean Poon, Ph.D., Jon Bockman, Brian Sylvester, and Kathleen Kean will lead an interactive seminar exploring the legal and strategic issues shaping the next generation of plant innovation. The discussion will cover IP strategies for protecting new plant traits and varieties, including patents, plant variety protection, and trade secrets; navigating intellectual property considerations for gene editing, AI-enabled discovery, and predictive breeding technologies; understanding the rapidly evolving global regulatory landscape for gene-edited crops and novel plant technologies; and structuring collaborations, licensing, and commercialization strategies to maximize long-term value. The seminar will conclude with a Q&A, followed by a networking reception.To learn more about MoFo’s Food & Ag Group, visit our <a href="/capabilities/food-agriculture" target="_self">capabilities page</a>.<hr>

Sign Up

As chair of the biotechnology group and a member of the firm’s food and agriculture steering committee, Dr. Meghan Poon counsels clients on patent preparation and prosecution, portfolio strategy, and IP due diligence in the areas of life science and agriculture. Meghan is passionate about working with cutting edge technologies at the frontier or science that impacts human health and global food security. She has significant experience in diverse technologies including antibodies, cell and gene therapies, diagnostics, and gene edited plants. Meghan manages a cross-technology team to service clients developing technology at the interface of life science and AI.Meghan represents clients ranging from large international pharmaceutical companies to midsized companies, startups, and universities. She has filed numerous Patent Term Extension applications to secure additional term for her clients’ patents which cover FDA approved products. In addition, Meghan has extensive experience addressing complex obviousness-double patenting and subject matter eligibility issues impacting her clients’ patent portfolios. Meghan also represents clients in both investor side and target side due diligence in deals from seed funding to initial public offerings.Meghan is a thought leader on intellectual property issues facing pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and agriculture companies and is sought after to speak at events and publish on these issues. Meghan has written numerous articles on the topics of patents vs. trade secrets, subject matter edibility, written description and enablement in life sciences. Meghan is editor of the MoFo Life Sciences Blog, where she directs content.Prior to law school, Meghan earned her PhD in biological chemistry based at the University of California, Los Angeles. Meghan’s Ph.D. work focused on analysis of protein-protein and protein-DNA interactions of site-specific recombinases. Meghan is the author of several scientific publications and has presented her research at international conferences.Meghan received her J.D. from the University of Southern California Law School and spent a year as a visiting student at Santa Clara University, where she focused on intellectual property.

Meghan Poon

Partner

Jon Bockman is the head of the firm’s Technology Patent Practice. In this capacity, he leads the firm’s prominent group of patent practitioners with degrees in electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, computer science, computer engineering, chemical engineering, biomedical engineering and physics. His team handles work in all technology areas including medical devices, AI and machine learning, cybersecurity, computer hardware, advanced materials, and robotics. His practice concentrates on domestic and international patent prosecution, portfolio management, IP due diligence, patent infringement and validity determinations, and IP litigation support. His clients range from some of the largest domestic and international companies to early-stage startups.As lead patent prosecution counsel for several large and emerging companies, Jon has helped clients set up patent departments and committees for building and maintaining strategic patent portfolios. Clients note to IAM Patent 1000 that “[Jon] provides expert legal advice that is clear, understandable and tailored to the needs of the specific client. He is very responsive and is always available when you need him.”Jon has extensive experience helping clients navigate IP concerns including freedom-to-operate and potential litigation issues. Jon is also experienced with leading patent due diligence projects related to investments and mergers and acquisitions. He often leads investor-side and company-side patent due diligence reviews related to these transactions.Jon is a member of the firm’s Inter Partes Review and Post Grant Practice. In this capacity, he handles inter partes review and post-grant review proceedings that were introduced by the Leahy-Smith America Invents Act. He has also handled many disputes for clients in front of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), including inter partes reexaminations, ex parte reexaminations, and derivation proceedings.Jon is recognized as an IP Star by Managing Intellectual Property and as a leading patent practitioner by IAM Patent 1000. He is also recommended by The Legal 500 US for patent prosecution. While earning his J.D., Jon was the associate editor of the University of Colorado Law Review.

Jonathan Bockman

Brian P. Sylvester is a partner in our FDA & Healthcare Regulatory and Compliance Group. He is the head of Food Regulatory and an influential thought leader and practitioner in the field of food regulation.Brian counsels clients across the full life cycle of regulated products, serving global brands, startups, life sciences companies, investors, and trade associations. He has been recognized by a number of legal industry awards and publications such as Chambers USA, Bloomberg Law, and The National Law Journal. Chambers USA reports that Brian “is widely noted as an expert in regulatory issues relating to novel food technologies, with significant experience advising on USDA and FDA regulations.”Brian focuses his practice on Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) regulated products, with an emphasis on the food and beverage sector. He additionally counsels early-stage, growth, and global clients on all aspects of cosmetics, over the counter (OTC) human drugs, medical devices, animal food and drugs, and a range of Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) regulated commodities. Across all these regulated product categories, his work spans enforcement actions, audits and investigations, regulatory compliance, labeling and advertising, import and export, due diligence, consumer litigation, comment preparation, public policy advocacy at the federal and state levels, and new product development.In the area of food and beverage, Brian develops regulatory strategies to commercialize a range of food tech innovations, including transgenic crops and alternative proteins, such as cultivated meat and fermentation-derived food ingredients, among others. As a former regulator at USDA, he adeptly counsels clients on strategic considerations around engagement with and advocacy before USDA and FDA on numerous complex issues, including those of first impression.Brian is an author and frequent speaker at industry-leading events in the United States, the European Union, China, Israel, and other parts of the world. He is regularly called upon to offer insights on trending legal issues by preeminent industry and global publications.

Brian Sylvester

Kathleen Kean is a partner in the Boston office of Morrison Foerster and a member of the firm’s Technology Transactions Group. Kathleen represents private and public biotechnology, pharmaceutical, diagnostics, and medical device companies in intellectual property driven commercial transactions and strategic corporate matters. Kathleen advises clients on a broad range of transactions, including licensing and collaboration agreements, pre-clinical, clinical, and commercial arrangements, mergers and acquisitions, corporate restructurings, and intellectual property migration transactions. She also regularly serves as outside general counsel to biotechnology companies, advising on ongoing license strategy and complex commercial contracting needs. In addition, Kathleen maintains a vibrant pro bono practice. She also regularly speaks on licensing matters at meetings of the American Chemical Society. Kathleen received her B.S., magna cum laude, from Manhattan University and her J.D., cum laude, from Boston University School of Law.

Plant IP, Regulatory + Commercialization Strategies: Seminar & Social

15 Sep 2026 4:30 PM - 7:30 PM EDT