- Ku Oversaw Office of Technology Licensing at Stanford University; Developed the Key Principles for University Technology Licensing -
PALO ALTO, CA (March 18, 2019) – Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, the premier provider of legal services to technology, life sciences, and growth enterprises worldwide, announced today that Katharine "Kathy" Ku has joined the firm as chief licensing advisor in the Palo Alto office.
Ku is an internationally recognized leader in the field of technology transfer. Ku served nearly four decades at Stanford University's Office of Technology Licensing (OTL), where she led the University's technology licensing program as executive director for 27 years. She helped establish nine principles related to university technology licensing. The principles are set forth in a document entitled "In the Public Interest: Nine Points to Consider in Licensing University Technology." More than 120 institutions have adopted the principles since they were published in 2007.
"Kathy was involved in Stanford's transformation of research projects into some of the most important technologies in use today. She is well known for her leadership in catalyzing the formation of remarkable technology and life science enterprises." said Ian Edvalson, WSGR partner and co-leader of the firm's technology transactions practice. "She has a level of insight into company formation and technology licensing matters that perfectly complements the expertise we offer to innovative companies and institutions. We are excited that Kathy has joined the firm and look forward to collaborating with her."
Ku came to Stanford in 1979, first as a patent engineer in the Office of Sponsored Research. She joined Stanford's OTL in 1981, and became its executive director in 1991, focusing on OTL's management, planning, and policy issues, where she served until June 2018. For four years in the mid-1990s, she also directed Stanford's Office of Sponsored Research. In 2001, she was awarded the Bayh-Dole Award for her work in advancing technology transfer from the Association of University Technology Managers. During her tenure, OTL licensed hundreds of new technologies and brought in $1.8 billion, much of which went back to fund new research. The companies that were formed from these technologies have resulted in the employment of thousands of individuals.
Ku earned her M.S. in chemical engineering from Washington University, and received her B.S. in chemical engineering from Cornell University. She is a registered patent agent.
About Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati
For more than 50 years, Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati has offered a broad range of services and legal disciplines focused on serving the principal challenges faced by the management and boards of directors of business enterprises. The firm is nationally recognized as a leader in the fields of corporate governance and finance, mergers and acquisitions, private equity, securities litigation, employment law, intellectual property, and antitrust, among many other areas of law. With deep roots in Silicon Valley, Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati has offices in Austin; Beijing; Boston; Brussels; Hong Kong; London; Los Angeles; New York; Palo Alto; San Diego; San Francisco; Seattle; Shanghai; Washington, D.C.; and Wilmington, DE. For more information, please visit www.wsgr.com.