Ali Alemozafar, Partner, Wilson Sonsini
Dr. Ali R. Alemozafar is a partner at Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, where he focuses on strategic intellectual property counseling in a wide range of technical fields, including diagnostics, tools, genomics, digital health, bioinformatics, artificial intelligence, materials and various engineering fields. His expertise includes patent strategy, patent prosecution, and patent diligence—including freedom-to-operate analyses—for financings, mergers and acquisitions, and public offerings. Ali has prepared and prosecuted patent applications in the United States and other jurisdictions, including Europe, China, and Japan. He provides legal counseling to companies at various stages of growth, from pre-financing start-ups to public companies. Prior to joining the firm, Ali worked on data warehousing, business intelligence, and enterprise data integration. He frequently lectures at the UC Berkeley School of Law and University of California College of the Law, San Francisco, on various intellectual property topics, including patent strategy and IP due diligence.
Miranda Biven, Partner, Wilson Sonsini
Miranda Biven is a partner in the technology transactions practice and a previous member of the board of directors at Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati. Her practice focuses on the life sciences industry, representing public and private companies based in the United States and abroad in complex partnering and licensing arrangements, mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, spin-outs, and other business arrangements. Miranda counsels clients on the legal and business issues associated with such transactions, as well as the full spectrum of technology and intellectual property-based agreements, including research and development agreements; manufacturing, supply, and distribution agreements; clinical trials arrangements; materials transfer agreements; and commercialization and co-commercialization agreements. She also regularly represents clients in their dealings with academic institutions and other not-for-profit organizations.
Jason Breen, Partner, Wilson Sonsini
Jason Breen is a partner in the Los Angeles office of Wilson Sonsini, where he represents public and private companies at all stages of growth in M&A transactions, primarily working with clients in the life sciences and technology industries. Jason also represents venture capital, growth equity, and private equity funds and focuses on other strategic transactions, including divestitures, joint ventures, and financings. Throughout his career, Jason has represented a broad spectrum of companies in pivotal M&A transactions. This includes assisting biotech companies like DTx Pharma and XinThera in their sale to Novartis and Gilead respectively, guiding AI healthcare leader Caption Health in its sale to GE Healthcare, and overseeing Amphastar Pharmaceuticals in its acquisition of Eli Lilly’s low blood sugar drug BAQSIMI. Jason has also supported Obsidio, a medical device company, in its sale to Boston Scientific and Novosteo, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company, in its sale to Cortexyme. Prior to joining Wilson Sonsini, Jason was an equity partner at Goodwin Procter's Los Angeles office and began his legal career at Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP in New York. A distinguished figure in corporate law, Jason was honored as the "Corporate Attorney of the Year" by the Los Angeles Business Journal in 2019. He holds a J.D. with honors from UCLA School of Law and a B.S. in Applied Mathematics from Harvard University.
Matt Bresnahan, Partner, Wilson Sonsini
Matt Bresnahan is a partner in the San Diego and Los Angeles offices of Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, where he has focused his practice for the past fifteen years on establishing and building biotech companies. Matt’s training is in all aspects of intellectual property, including strategic patent counseling, patent prosecution, licensing, and litigation. Matt is primary outside IP counsel to more than 50 life sciences companies within the biotechnology, therapeutic, genomics, and medical device fields in Southern California.
Matt leads a team of more than 30 patent attorneys and patent agents based in the San Diego office. A significant number of Matt’s clients are life science spin-outs from, or collaborators with, the one or more of the major universities, hospitals, and research institutions in Southern California.
Brian Bronk, Experienced Business Development Leader, Sanofi
Accomplished Life Sciences Business Development leader with a strong Research and Development background, skilled at building vibrant, productive organizations and teams. Broad experience in start-up biotech and large pharmaceutical environments. Initiated and led BD and R&D programs at all stages of discovery, development, as well as commercial. Adept at creating and communicating strategic and business plans in complex, dynamic and multi-disciplinary organizations. Demonstrated ability to deliver results in a timely manner. Major contributor to multiple successful financing events, from dilutive and non-dilutive sources.
Leadership: Key architect and leader of numerous operational and strategic teams.
Results Oriented: Built and led high performing teams that delivered multiple new partnerships to Sanofi, as well as renegotiated/restructured agreements. While leading R&D, delivered 20+ development candidates, 13 IND filings, 10 Phase 2 starts and 4 products.
Created, negotiated, communicated and delivered against multi-disciplinary time and milestone oriented business plans.
Managing and Mentoring Teams: Forged strong collaborations with key internal and external partners including academic institutions and CRO organizations. Expertise creating, mentoring and leading new and innovative multi-disciplinary teams to efficiently deliver key milestones.
Technology Expertise: Preclinical, Clinical and Commercial knowledge in multiple disease areas, including Rare Diseases, CNS, infectious disease, pain and inflammation and metabolic disorders.
Brendan Coffman, Partner, Wilson Sonsini
Brendan Coffman is a partner in the Washington, D.C., office of Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, where he is a member of the antitrust and competition practice. Brendan represents the world's most innovative companies in connection with mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, government investigations, private litigation, and distribution practices. His clients include stalwarts and emerging firms in electronic gaming and entertainment, ridesharing and ADAS/Autonomous Driving, semiconductor and connectivity, pharmaceutical, healthcare, and financial services.
Karen Deschaine, Partner, Wilson Sonsini
Karen Deschaine is a corporate partner in the San Diego office of Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, where she represents clients in the life sciences sector, primarily in the biotechnology and therapeutics space. Over the course of 16-plus years, Karen has developed a sophisticated company-building corporate life sciences practice. She has handled private financings, public offerings, corporate governance matters, commercial transactions, strategic transactions, securities matters, and the general representation of public and private companies. Karen has successfully represented clients—which range from start-ups to public companies—throughout their life cycles, from formation to exit.
After graduating from law school in 2007, Karen joined Cooley LLP, where she was named a partner in 2016. Before law school, Karen served as a captain in the U.S. Army and commanded two companies. While at West Point, she was a member of the sport parachute team. As such, she jumped the game ball into numerous Army football games and was named the Overall Novice Champion at the 1994 National Collegiate Skydiving Championships.
Ian Edvalson, Partner, Wilson Sonsini
Ian Edvalson is a technology transactions partner in Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati’s Palo Alto office and a former member of the firm’s board of directors. Ian advises numerous domestic and international public and private biopharmaceutical, medtech, and life sciences companies with all of the transactions related to the discovery, development, supply, and commercialization of their products, technologies, and services. He counsels clients with respect to the structuring and negotiating of a wide range of arrangements designed to maximize the value of their businesses.
Ian specializes in working with his clients on the most complex strategic alliances and joint ventures for the development and marketing of all stages of pharmaceutical and other products. In addition, he helps companies with a broad range of other transactions, including technology and asset acquisition, license, discovery, research, development (including clinical development), manufacture and supply, promotion, marketing, distribution, and services agreements.
Ian draws on his almost 30 years of business and legal experience (including his time leading the corporate and business development functions at Third Wave Technologies, a public genomics company) to address the full range of issues and transactions facing biopharmaceutical, medtech, and life sciences companies. He works closely with his clients in setting strategic direction and structuring and negotiating mission-critical business arrangements.
Jennifer Fang, Partner, Wilson Sonsini
With a long-standing career in the legal and life sciences sectors, Jennifer Fang is currently a partner in the Boston office of Wilson Sonsini. She provides counsel to innovative start-ups and pre-IPO companies in the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, medical device, and diagnostic industries, leveraging her legal expertise and Biological Engineering background. Jennifer specializes in navigating transactions, including conversions, spinouts, financings, public offerings, mergers and acquisitions, and joint ventures. Jennifer received numerous honors and recognition, including the 2022 "Best Under 40" award by the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA), recognition in Chambers USA, and an acknowledgement as a “Top Woman of Law” by Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly. She also featured in Boston Magazine’s “Top Lawyers” list. She serves on the General Counsel Advisory Board of the National Venture Capital Association and contributes her thought leadership through frequent speaking engagements on corporate and securities topics. She also co-chairs the firm's Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee and serves on the investment committee for the firm's WS Investment Company. Jennifer holds a J.D. from the University of Pennsylvania Law School and an M.Eng. and B.S. in Biological Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Her memberships extend to MIT Alumni Angels, MIT Alumni Life Science Angels, and Breaking Seven. She also serves as a Mentor for Athena on Board.
Farah Gerdes, Partner, Wilson Sonsini
Farah Gerdes founded and leads the technology transactions practice in Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati's Boston office, where she focuses on the representation of pharmaceutical, biotechnology, medical device, and diagnostic companies in complex collaboration and partnering transactions. She advises numerous domestic and international, public and private life sciences companies on business transactions related to the discovery, development, supply, and commercialization of life sciences products and technologies. She counsels her clients with respect to the structuring and negotiation of a wide range of agreements, including strategic alliances, joint ventures, incubator structures, options, and build-to-buy arrangements, each designed to maximize the value of their assets. In addition, Farah helps companies with a broad range of other transactions, including technology and asset acquisition, license, discovery, research, development (including clinical development), manufacture and supply, promotion, marketing, distribution, and services agreements. She works closely with her clients in setting strategic direction and structuring and negotiating mission-critical business arrangements. As a complement to her transactional IP practice, Farah advises her life sciences clients on a variety of FDA regulatory and healthcare issues, in the context of their business transactions. Farah’s clients include notable industry leaders in the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, medical device, and diagnostic industries. She has represented Recursion Pharmaceuticals in partnering deals with Takeda, Bayer, and Roche/Genentech. She also advised Ultragenyx in its license agreement with Regeneron for the commercialization of Evinacumab outside the US. Other high-profile clients include Tango Therapeutics, Zymeworks, Theravance Biopharma, Rheos Medicines, NanoString Technologies, Neon Therapeutics, GRAIL, Mylan, oresight VISION4, and Neurotechnology Innovations Translator. Gerdes was named a “2023 Top Women of Law” honoree by Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly and made it to the “Rising Stars” list by Northern California Super Lawyers from 2011 to 2015.
Norm Hovijitra, Partner, Wilson Sonsini
Dr. Norm Hovijitra is a partner in the technology transactions practice at Wilson Sonsini. He advises emerging and established companies in the life sciences industry on legal and business issues associated with the development, manufacture, and commercialization of their products and technologies, including matters relating to intellectual property strategy and patents. Norm's practice focuses on the representation of clients in complex partnering and licensing arrangements, merger and acquisition transactions, and spin-outs. In addition, he advises clients on a range of related transactions such as license agreements with academic and nonprofit institutions; research and development services agreements; clinical trial agreements; and manufacture, supply, and distribution agreements. Dr. Hovijitra has successfully guided many leading companies through significant transactions. These include Amphastar's asset purchase from Lilly, Arcellx's collaboration with Kite, IGM Biosciences' collaboration with Sanofi, Dren Bio's collaboration with Pfizer, and Vividion Therapeutics' collaboration with Roche among others. His expertise also extends to facilitating impactful collaborations for Vertex Pharmaceuticals and Denali Therapeutics with leading entities, and guiding companies like Arrinex and Akarna Therapeutics through successful acquisitions. Previously, Norm worked as a patent agent at the firm, focusing on patent preparation and prosecution, research related to intellectual property, and due diligence matters in the life sciences and clean technology industries. Norm received his Ph.D. in chemical engineering at Stanford University, where he gained research experience in fermentation, molecular biology, and biochemistry. His graduate work focused on the production and characterization of membrane proteins and lipids.
Tony Jeffries, Partner, Wilson Sonsini
Tony counsels technology and life sciences clients on a wide range of corporate, securities and governance matters, represents them in IPOs, M&A transactions and other complex transactions and matters, and guides their Boards of Directors and management teams through these matters with experienced, practical and tailored advice. Tony is active in firm management and a member of the firm’s Board of Directors. Tony is also a member of the Board of Visitors at Duke University School of Law. With more than 25 years of experience practicing corporate and securities law, Tony has represented clients ranging from entrepreneurs to Fortune 500 companies on IPOs and other public offerings, corporate governance, mergers and acquisitions, strategic alliances, venture capital financings, the structuring of start-up companies, and other transactional matters. Among the clients Tony represents are companies in a wide variety of technology and life sciences sectors. He also represents prominent venture capital firms and investment banks. Tony is highly esteemed in the industry, as reflected by his inclusion in the 2018-2023 editions of Chambers USA: America's Leading Lawyers for Business and the 2020-2024 editions of Chambers Global. His thought leadership has been widely recognized in numerous publications. Tony has also been interviewed and quoted in numerous business and legal trade media, including Dow Jones/The Wall Street Journal, The Silicon Valley Business Journal, Law360, The Recorder, and The Daily Journal.
Alex Key, Partner, Wilson Sonsini
Dr. Alexander Key is a partner in the technology transactions practice of Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, where he focuses primarily on the representation of biotechnology, pharmaceutical, medical device, diagnostic, and digital health companies. Alex advises private and public companies, both domestic and international, in a broad range of complex partnering transactions, including the structuring and negotiation of acquisitions, licenses, strategic alliances, financings, initial public offerings, research and development agreements and procurement arrangements. He also assists non-profit clients with transactional and intellectual property matters, including The Fogarty Institute and The Buck Institute for Research on Aging. Prior to practicing law, Alex conducted doctoral research on G protein-coupled receptor signaling in the laboratories of Drs. Larry Sklar and Eric Prossnitz and undergraduate research on endocrinology in the laboratory of Dr. Richard Dorin.
Lou Lieto, Partner, Wilson Sonsini
Lou Lieto is the chair of Wilson Sonsini’s patents and innovations department. He has decades of experience advising clients on the intricacies of patent law and associated business matters, working with a broad range of innovators in the biotechnology, pharmaceutical, and the life sciences sectors.
Lou helps clients build life science companies and provides advice on IP matters to both investors and companies in connection with financings and M&A transactions.
Maureen Ohlhausen, Partner, Wilson Sonsini
Maureen Ohlhausen is a Partner and Co-Chair of the Antitrust and Competition practice at Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati's Washington, D.C., office. A respected regulatory leader, she has held the highest-ranking position at the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) serving as Acting Chairman and Commissioner. She also headed the Policy Planning at the FTC, spearheading key initiatives in digital commerce issues. In her illustrious career, Maureen has cemented her position as a veteran antitrust practitioner. Prior to joining Wilson Sonsini, she co-chaired the global antitrust and competition law group at an international firm, successfully representing numerous Fortune 100 companies in government investigations and merger reviews. Maureen's expertise in the field has been recognized by leading industry outlets, including Chambers Global, Chambers USA, and Lawdragon 500 Leading Litigators in America. A recognized thought leader, Maureen's insights are frequently sought by leading media outlets. She is a published author and speaker on antitrust, FTC, privacy, and data security matters, and her scholarship has been cited approvingly by U.S. Courts of Appeal and the U.S. Supreme Court. Furthermore, Maureen has testified over two dozen times before Congress and the Antitrust Modernization Commission. Maureen's impressive contributions to the FTC have been recognized with the Robert Pitofsky Lifetime Achievement Award. Her academic credentials include a J.D. with distinction from George Mason University School of Law and a B.A. with honors from the University of Virginia.
Daniel Orr, Senior Counsel, Wilson Sonsini
Daniel (Dan) Orr has over 20 years’ experience helping clients navigate the FDA and in related transactions and litigation. While working at the FDA, he solved regulatory problems in a product portfolio with combined annual sales of over $37 billion. Dan have particular expertise in regulatory exclusivity and FDA-related intellectual property issues.
Derrick Rowe, Partner, Wilson Sonsini
Dr. Derrick Rowe is a partner in the Washington, D.C., office of Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, where his practice focuses on patent prosecution and counseling designed to help clients protect their intellectual property rights both domestically and internationally in the life sciences, biotechnology, molecular biology, pharmaceutical, diagnostic, and medical device fields. Derrick has extensive experience and has developed his practice in view of his experience in private practice as well as an in-house counsel at a large pharmaceutical company where he provided patent, contract, regulatory, and strategic counseling for pharmaceuticals and vaccines (including for multiple marketed products and related strategic partnerships). Derrick is the author or co-author of eight peer-reviewed scientific articles and several published legal articles. He has also served as speaker/panelist/moderator in multiple life science settings and has guest lectured at a U.S. law school on the topic of Intellectual Property Licensing Law.
Martin J. Waters, Partner, Wilson Sonsini
Martin (Marty) Waters is a corporate and securities partner in the San Diego office. He is a founding partner of the firm's San Diego office and Southern California corporate practice. He was a partner in the Palo Alto office until opening the San Diego office in 2004. He has served as a member of the firm's board of directors. Marty is a proven company builder with more than 25 years of experience providing corporate and securities counsel to high growth private and public companies. He has been instrumental in starting, building, and shepherding numerous emerging growth life sciences and technology companies through IPOs or strategic partnerships. His rich portfolio includes the representation of Ra Medical Systems and NantHealth in their IPOs, along with leading the acquisition of Inogen by New Area and Vertiflex by Boston Scientific, as well as advising ImmunityBio in its $320 million royalty financing and equity investment by Oberland Capital. Marty also represents several public companies in a general counsel capacity, as well as investment banks and placement agents in PIPEs and public offerings. Marty has counseled issuers and underwriters in more than 50 offerings. Recognized in Chambers USA: America's Leading Lawyers for Business since 2011, Marty is “highly respected for the superlative quality of the corporate counsel he offers corporate clients.” Sources describe him as a “a trusted partner” who “consistently delivers great advice” with a “specialty in managing complex and difficult stalemates.”
Eva Yin, Partner, Wilson Sonsini
Eva Yin, Ph.D., M.P.H., is a partner in Wilson Sonsini’s FDA regulatory, healthcare, and consumer products practice. Her practice includes conducting FDA and healthcare regulatory due diligence for corporate transactions; providing legal counsel to manufacturers regarding FDA approval/clearance for various products—including medical devices, mobile apps, and drugs, FDA compliance, regulation of promotional materials and labeling, and manufacturer compliance under federal and state healthcare laws, e.g., the federal Anti-Kickback Statute (AKS), False Claims Act (FCA), Sunshine Act, state licensing laws, corporate practice of medicine, etc.; reviewing contracts and compliance policies for manufacturers; and providing legal analysis and risk assessment of business models and fee arrangements involving patient assistance programs, healthcare professionals, or hospitals/clinics under federal and state healthcare laws and regulations. Eva's prior experience also includes patent counseling and patent prosecution for various life sciences and biotechnology companies, freedom-to-operate analysis, non-infringement and invalidity analyses, and legal research for matters involving proceedings before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Before joining Wilson Sonsini, Eva worked as an associate in the healthcare group of Sidley Austin LLP in San Francisco, where she advised pharmaceutical and medical device manufacturers on healthcare regulatory compliance, risks under the AKS, risks of off-label marketing, and Medicare coverage and reimbursement matters, as well as represented pharmaceutical and medical device manufacturers in government investigations. Eva has earned several accolades, including recognition on the 2024 "Lawdragon 500 X – The Next Generation” list, the 2023 Asian Leadership Awards from Profiles in Diversity Journal, and as a top author for life sciences by JD Supra’s “2023 Readers’ Choice Awards.” Eva holds a J.D. from the University of California College of the Law, an M.P.H. from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, and a Ph.D. in Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry from Yale University. She also earned her B.S. in Chemistry and Biology from Emory University. She is an active member of the American Health Law Association and the Food and Drug Law Institute. She is admitted to the State Bars of California and Washington, and the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Eva's significant contributions to the legal field also extend to her numerous publications and speaking engagements, shedding light on topics such as healthcare regulatory landscapes, medical product and service regulatory initiatives, and the impact of regulatory laws on different business models.
Michelle Yost Hale, Partner, Wilson Sonsini
Michelle Hale is a partner in the Washington, D.C., office of Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati. Her practice focuses on representing companies in government antitrust investigations, including mergers and acquisitions and other civil antitrust investigations. She regularly appears before the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the U.S. Department of Justice, representing companies across a range of industries. Michelle also provides antitrust counseling on a wide variety of business conduct, including joint ventures, collaborations, and pricing and distribution, among others. Prior to joining the firm, Michelle served as a lead attorney in the Mergers IV division of the FTC, where she led matters related to the healthcare, supermarket, and retail industries. During her time at the FTC, Michelle also served as counsel to the director of the Bureau of Competition, where she advised two Bureau of Competition directors on a wide range of antitrust issues. She has significant litigation experience and served as an integral member of the FTC's trial team in the FTC's successful challenges to ProMedica Health System's acquisition of St. Luke's Hospital. While attending law school, Michelle served as an antitrust research assistant to Professor Andrew Gavil and as a legal assistant to the Office of Student Affairs.