Is your Innovation protected? Have you taken the reasonable & necessary steps to protect your intellectual property?
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Intellectual property protection plays an important role in generating financial support for development of early stage innovation. To help you understand how to protect your intellectual assets, an overview of the patent process will be followed by a focused discussion on how recent IP issues apply to the biotech/pharma sector.
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Topics included:
·        A review of subject matter eligibility as it relates to life sciences. (i.e. patent coverage of diagnostics, immunotherapies, methods of treatment, etc.)
·        Recently issued USPTO guidelines.
·        Patent life cycle management including strategies to extend patent exclusivity beyond the expiration date of an initial compound patent.
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Bring your questions!
Dr. Carmella L. Stephens is a patent attorney with over 25 years experience in the biotech/pharma sector. She counsels a wide range of clients including biotechnology and pharmaceutical corporations as well as academic institutions on issues relating to biotech and pharmaceutical patents. Her experience includes development and management of complex U.S. and foreign patent portfolios based on her client’s business interests. The majority of her patent practice focuses on patent prosecution, IP due diligence and preparation of opinions relating to patent eligibility, validity, infringement and freedom-to-operate. Prior to pursuing a legal career, Dr. Stephens received her Ph.D. after completion of her thesis research at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory followed by a post-doctoral fellowship conducted at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Her technical background in the life sciences provides her with the ability to successfully interface with scientists to maximize protection of their intellectual property.
Vadim Vapnyar is a partner who has been with the firm since 2005. He has expertise in all phases of patent and trademark prosecution. Mr. Vapnyar is involved in strategic management of portfolios covering multiple commercial products on behalf of his corporate and university clients in a wide array of technologies, including electrosurgical power sources and systems, robotic and powered surgical systems, controller algorithms, computer software and hardware, business methods, pharmaceuticals and diagnostics, and cosmetic formulations. His patent and trademark practice includes conducting due diligence, validity studies, and clearance analyses, as well as opinion preparation. Mr. Vapnyar also advises clients on potential infringement and how to maximize the value of their IP through licensing arrangements.
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Mr. Vapnyar has always had an instinct for math and science, and he realized early on that patent law would offer him the chance to work with new technologies. He earned his B.A. in both chemistry and political science at New York University, while also studying computer science and mathematics. During this time, he honed his engineering skills at design and construction firms before earning his J.D. from St. John’s University School of Law where he was a member of the Law Review.
