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U.S. Plant Variety Protection Office Invited Comments on UPOV Test Guidelines and Is Aligning Exhibit C Forms with UPOV

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On April 3, 2023, the U.S. Plant Variety Protection Office (PVPO) held a preparatory session for the International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV) Technical Working Party for Vegetables (TWV) and Technical Working Party for Agricultural Crops (TWA) virtual meetings in May.

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We are Morrison Foerster — a global firm of exceptional credentials. Our clients include some of the largest financial institutions, investment banks, and Fortune 100, technology, and life sciences companies. Our lawyers are committed to achieving innovative and business-minded results for our clients, while preserving the differences that make us stronger.Because of the generality of this update, the information provided herein may not be applicable in all situations and should not be acted upon without specific legal advice based on particular situations. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.

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On April 3, 2023, the U.S. Plant Variety Protection Office (PVPO) held a preparatory session for the International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV) Technical Working Party for Vegetables (TWV) and Technical Working Party for Agricultural Crops (TWA) virtual meetings in May. This session was to provide an opportunity for feedback and comments on the UPOV Test Guidelines and the PVPO Exhibit C forms.Read the <a href="https://lifesciences.mofo.com/topics/u-s-plant-variety-protection-office-invited-comments-on-upov-test-guidelines-and-is-aligning-exhibit-c-forms-with-upov" target="_blank">full blog post</a>.

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Dr. Claire Bendix is a senior patent agent with almost a decade of experience supporting intellectual property protection for plant-related innovations.Her work focuses on plant biology, including patent preparation and prosecution for plant varieties and traits, genetically engineered plants, and the agricultural biotechnology. She supports clients such as plant breeding companies, agricultural biotechnology companies, and emerging growth startups.Prior to joining the firm, Dr. Bendix initiated a project on the invasive citrus greening disease pathogen as a research molecular biologist at USDA-ARS. Dr. Bendix received her Ph.D. in plant molecular biology from the University of California, Berkeley. Her doctoral research focused on the effects of gene duplication on circadian clock regulation in cereal crop species. Dr. Bendix obtained her bachelor's degree in biological sciences from the University of Oxford, where she conducted research on plant microRNAs.Claire is registered to practice before the USPTO. She is fluent in German.

Claire Bendix

Sr Patent Agent

Dr. Deborah Pohlmann focuses on patent preparation and prosecution, specializing in biology.Prior to joining the firm, Deborah earned her Ph.D. in biology from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where she studied the interplay between gene regulation and epigenetics in the model plant species Arabidopsis in Dr. Mary Gehring’s lab. She used CRISPR-based mutagenesis to create deletions in the endogenous chromosomes of Arabidopsis in order to identify DNA regions that regulate transcription of the DNA demethylase ROS1, and characterized flowering time and fertility defects in quadruple demethylase mutant plants.Deborah earned her B.S. in biology from the University of Richmond, where she worked on the Porifera Tree of Life (PorToL) project and used molecular DNA techniques and phylogenetics to evaluate evolutionary relationships between families of Porifera.

Deborah Pohlmann

Patent Agent

Michael (Mike) Ward is co-chair of the firm's Life Sciences + Healthcare Group and Food + Agriculture Group.Life SciencesFor his work across the life sciences sector, Mike was named San Francisco Biotechnology Lawyer of the Year by Best Lawyers in America in 2020 and is recommended for his patent strategy and prosecution practice in LMG Life Sciences. He also led the team that was named 2022 Patent Management and Strategy Firm of the Year at the 2022 LMG Life Sciences Americas Awards.Food + AgricultureRecognized as “one of the world’s foremost plant and agriculture IP lawyers,” Mike manages a wide range of intellectual property issues related to plants and plant products. He and his team advise clients on plant and plant utility patents; licensing agreements for plant IP; litigation in U.S. state and federal court and before the International Trade Commission; and regulatory approvals from the USDA, FDA, and EPA for gene edited and genetically engineered plants.Patent Strategy + ProsecutionMike is a Legal 500 US Hall of Fame lawyer for patent prosecution and is consistently named one of the leading IP lawyers by Managing Intellectual Property, Chambers USA and Chambers Global, and IAM Patent 1000.Mike works closely with many clients to develop and manage their patent portfolios. He helps clients identify, monitor, and assess the infringement risks of third-party patents. He also assists clients in preparing both offensive and defensive patent portfolios, with a particular emphasis on drafting patent applications that will be utilized in licensing and in litigation efforts.IP Due DiligenceFor venture capitalists seeking to invest in early- and mid-stage companies, underwriters involved in IPOs, and companies seeking to acquire or merge with other companies, Mike has managed extensive IP diligence. His work includes assessment of the strengths and weaknesses of patent portfolios, evaluation of freedom to operate issues, and strategic recommendations for maximizing the value of patent portfolios going forward.Mike also works closely with the IP Litigation Group on various litigation matters including patent interferences to determine the first-to-invent and patent re-examination work and actively participates in both mediation and arbitration proceedings on behalf of clients in the life sciences and food and agriculture areas.He is a frequent lecturer and speaker. Among numerous speaking engagements, Mike is the IP instructor at the UC Davis Licensing Academy and founded Morrison Foerster’s annual Harvard Biotechnology Club Fall Patent Law Course.Mike holds a Ph.D. in plant physiology (biochemistry) and an M.S. in agronomy from the University of California, Davis; a B.S. in biology from the University of California, Berkeley; and a J.D. from Golden Gate University School of Law. He was a post-doctoral fellow in plant molecular biology at the Harvard Medical School and the Department of Molecular Biology at Massachusetts General Hospital, where he worked on the Arabidopsis genome project.