Deborah Smith is a partner in the San Diego office of Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati. She assists with the preparation and prosecution of patent applications in the fields of chemistry, pharmaceuticals, and biotechnology.
Prior to joining the firm, Deborah was a medicinal chemist at Johnson & Johnson Pharmaceutical Research & Development in San Diego. In this role, she focused on the design and synthesis of organic compounds that modulate the inflammatory and immune response. Deborah received her Ph.D. from the University of California, Irvine, where she developed new synthetic methodologies. She went on to work as a postdoctoral researcher at Columbia University, where she developed novel catalytic carbon-carbon bond forming reactions. Deborah has co-authored several scientific publications and book chapters, and is a co-inventor on three U.S. patent applications.
Deborah Smith is a partner in the San Diego office of Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati. She assists with the preparation and prosecution of patent applications in the fields of chemistry, pharmaceuticals, and biotechnology.
Prior to joining the firm, Deborah was a medicinal chemist at Johnson & Johnson Pharmaceutical Research & Development in San Diego. In this role, she focused on the design and synthesis of organic compounds that modulate the inflammatory and immune response. Deborah received her Ph.D. from the University of California, Irvine, where she developed new synthetic methodologies. She went on to work as a postdoctoral researcher at Columbia University, where she developed novel catalytic carbon-carbon bond forming reactions. Deborah has co-authored several scientific publications and book chapters, and is a co-inventor on three U.S. patent applications.
- J.D., University of San Diego School of Law, 2016Summa Cum Laude
- Ph.D., Organic Chemistry, University of California, Irvine, 2006Recipient, Roche Excellence in Chemistry Award; Johnson & Johnson Graduate Fellowship in Synthetic Organic Chemistry
- B.S., Microbiology, Colorado State University, 2000University Honors Scholar, Distinguished Scholars Award, Phi Beta Kappa, Minor in Chemistry
- Recognized among San Diego Business Journal's 2025 "Leaders of Influence in Law"
- Named to the 2025 and 2026 Lawdragon “500 X – The Next Generation” lists
- State Bar of California
- U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
- J.D., University of San Diego School of Law, 2016Summa Cum Laude
- Ph.D., Organic Chemistry, University of California, Irvine, 2006Recipient, Roche Excellence in Chemistry Award; Johnson & Johnson Graduate Fellowship in Synthetic Organic Chemistry
- B.S., Microbiology, Colorado State University, 2000University Honors Scholar, Distinguished Scholars Award, Phi Beta Kappa, Minor in Chemistry
- Recognized among San Diego Business Journal's 2025 "Leaders of Influence in Law"
- Named to the 2025 and 2026 Lawdragon “500 X – The Next Generation” lists
- State Bar of California
- U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
Select Publications and Presentations
- Co-presenter with D.K. Wiener and J.P. Edwards, "Tricyclic Histamine H4 Receptor Antagonists," presented at the General Poster Session at the 239th ACS National Meeting, poster MEDI-521, San Francisco, California, March 2010
- Co-author with M.E. Pulling and J.R. Norton, "Tin-Free and Catalytic Radical Cyclizations," 129(4) Journal of the American Chemical Society 770-771, 2007
- Co-author with S.R. Shenoy and K.A. Woerpel, "Nucleophilic Additions of Trimethylsilyl Cyanide to Cyclic Oxocarbenium Ions: Evidence for the Loss of Stereoselectivity at the Limits of Diffusion Control," 128(26) Journal of the American Chemical Society 8671-8677, 2006
- Co-author with K.A. Woerpel, "Using Stereoelectronic Effects to Explain Selective Reactions of 4-Substituted Five-Membered Ring Oxocarbenium Ions," 6(12) Organic Letters 2063-2066, 2004
- Co-author with M.B. Tran and K.A. Woerpel, "Nucleophilic Additions to Fused Bicyclic Five-Membered Ring Oxocarbenium Ions: Evidence for Preferential Attack on the Inside Face," 125(46) Journal of the American Chemical Society 14149-14152, 2003
Select Publications and Presentations
- Co-presenter with D.K. Wiener and J.P. Edwards, "Tricyclic Histamine H4 Receptor Antagonists," presented at the General Poster Session at the 239th ACS National Meeting, poster MEDI-521, San Francisco, California, March 2010
- Co-author with M.E. Pulling and J.R. Norton, "Tin-Free and Catalytic Radical Cyclizations," 129(4) Journal of the American Chemical Society 770-771, 2007
- Co-author with S.R. Shenoy and K.A. Woerpel, "Nucleophilic Additions of Trimethylsilyl Cyanide to Cyclic Oxocarbenium Ions: Evidence for the Loss of Stereoselectivity at the Limits of Diffusion Control," 128(26) Journal of the American Chemical Society 8671-8677, 2006
- Co-author with K.A. Woerpel, "Using Stereoelectronic Effects to Explain Selective Reactions of 4-Substituted Five-Membered Ring Oxocarbenium Ions," 6(12) Organic Letters 2063-2066, 2004
- Co-author with M.B. Tran and K.A. Woerpel, "Nucleophilic Additions to Fused Bicyclic Five-Membered Ring Oxocarbenium Ions: Evidence for Preferential Attack on the Inside Face," 125(46) Journal of the American Chemical Society 14149-14152, 2003
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