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Karen K. Wong
Senior Of Counsel
Patents and Innovations
Palo Alto
kwong@wsgr.com

D650-849-3383

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  • Informed Technical Expertise

    Karen has a Ph.D. in cellular and molecular physiology and conducted doctoral and postdoctoral research at Harvard and Tufts Medical School before practicing law.

  • A Focus on Cutting-Edge Biotechnology

    Karen's multidisciplinary practice is focused on molecular biology, optical physics, chemical engineering, pharmacology, molecular diagnostics, and cellular physiology.

  • Varied Intellectual Property Practice

    Karen's practice includes freedom-to-operate and due-diligence studies, patent preparation and prosecution, opinion work, litigation strategy, and technology licensing.

Dr. Karen Wong is Senior Of Counsel at Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati. Her practice includes freedom-to-operate and due-diligence studies, patent preparation and prosecution, opinion work, litigation strategy, and technology licensing. Karen serves as IP counsel to many venture-backed companies, and has worked on numerous major strategic alliance transactions, acquisitions, spin-outs, and IPOs.

Concentrating on cutting-edge biotechnology, Karen focuses her multidisciplinary practice on a combination of molecular biology, optical physics, chemical engineering, pharmacology, molecular diagnostics, and cellular physiology. She has developed technical expertise in DNA-sequencing techniques and instruments, antibody engineering and design, biofuels, drug delivery systems, gene therapies, cancer treatments, and point-of-care diagnostic tools.

Prior to practicing law, Karen conducted doctoral and postdoctoral research at Harvard and Tufts Medical School in molecular biology, cell biology, and physiology.

Karen is a co-founder and board member of BioE2E, which has built one of the largest communities of life sciences entrepreneurs in the Bay Area. A native of Sichuan, China, she is fluent in English, Mandarin, and Cantonese.

Experience

Dr. Karen Wong is Senior Of Counsel at Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati. Her practice includes freedom-to-operate and due-diligence studies, patent preparation and prosecution, opinion work, litigation strategy, and technology licensing. Karen serves as IP counsel to many venture-backed companies, and has worked on numerous major strategic alliance transactions, acquisitions, spin-outs, and IPOs.

Concentrating on cutting-edge biotechnology, Karen focuses her multidisciplinary practice on a combination of molecular biology, optical physics, chemical engineering, pharmacology, molecular diagnostics, and cellular physiology. She has developed technical expertise in DNA-sequencing techniques and instruments, antibody engineering and design, biofuels, drug delivery systems, gene therapies, cancer treatments, and point-of-care diagnostic tools.

Prior to practicing law, Karen conducted doctoral and postdoctoral research at Harvard and Tufts Medical School in molecular biology, cell biology, and physiology.

Karen is a co-founder and board member of BioE2E, which has built one of the largest communities of life sciences entrepreneurs in the Bay Area. A native of Sichuan, China, she is fluent in English, Mandarin, and Cantonese.

Education
  • J.D., Santa Clara University School of Law
  • Ph.D., Cellular and Molecular Physiology, Tufts UniversityPostdoctoral fellow at Harvard Medical School
  • B.A., Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder
  • Major in Biology, Chinese University of Hong KongMinor in Business Administration
Associations and Memberships
  • Co-founder and Board Member, BioE2E
Honors
  • Named to the 2009-2013 editions of the "Rising Stars" list published by Northern California Super Lawyers
Admissions
  • State Bar of California
  • U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California
  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
  • U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
Credentials
Education
  • J.D., Santa Clara University School of Law
  • Ph.D., Cellular and Molecular Physiology, Tufts UniversityPostdoctoral fellow at Harvard Medical School
  • B.A., Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder
  • Major in Biology, Chinese University of Hong KongMinor in Business Administration
Associations and Memberships
  • Co-founder and Board Member, BioE2E
Honors
  • Named to the 2009-2013 editions of the "Rising Stars" list published by Northern California Super Lawyers
Admissions
  • State Bar of California
  • U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California
  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
  • U.S. Patent and Trademark Office

Select Publications

  • Co-author with A.J. Diamonti, P.M. Guy, C. Ivanof, C. Sweeney, and K.L. Carray, "An RBCC Protein Implicated in Maintenance of Steady-state Neuregulinn Receptor Levels," 99(5) Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 2866-71, 2002
  • Co-author with T.E. Ciotti, "Genomics-Based Intellectual Property Portfolios," Commemorative Issue of I.P. Japan 217-229, 1999
  • Co-author with N. Kiyotaka and A. Toker, "Association of Protein Kinase C with Type II PI4-kinase and PI-4,5-kinase," 273 Journal of Biological Chemistry 23126-33, 1998
  • Co-author with F. Berditchevski, K.F. Tolias, C.L. Carpenter, and M.E. Hemler, "Novel Link Between Integrin, TM4SF Proteins (CD63, CD81) and PI4-kinase," 272(5) Journal of Biological Chemistry 2595-8, 1997
  • Co-author with R. Meyers and L.C. Cantley, "Subcellular Locations of PI 4-kinase Isoforms," 272 Journal of Biological Chemistry 13236-41, 1997
  • Co-author with L.C. Cantley, "Cloning and Characterization of a Human Phosphatidylinositol 4-kinase," 269 Journal of Biological Chemistry 28878-84, 1994


Select Speaking Engagements

  • Panelist, American Conference Institute's Life Sciences IP Due Diligence Conference, January 2006
  • Chairperson, "Accelerate Preclinical Development: Outsourcing to China" Panel Discussion, BioE2E Forum, May 2005
  • Chairperson, "IP Due Diligence - Inside the Mind of a VC" Panel Discussion, BioE2E Forum April 2005
  • Chairperson, "The Art of Building High-Value Biotech Patent Portfolios" Panel Discussion, BioE2E Forum, June 2004
Insights

Select Publications

  • Co-author with A.J. Diamonti, P.M. Guy, C. Ivanof, C. Sweeney, and K.L. Carray, "An RBCC Protein Implicated in Maintenance of Steady-state Neuregulinn Receptor Levels," 99(5) Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 2866-71, 2002
  • Co-author with T.E. Ciotti, "Genomics-Based Intellectual Property Portfolios," Commemorative Issue of I.P. Japan 217-229, 1999
  • Co-author with N. Kiyotaka and A. Toker, "Association of Protein Kinase C with Type II PI4-kinase and PI-4,5-kinase," 273 Journal of Biological Chemistry 23126-33, 1998
  • Co-author with F. Berditchevski, K.F. Tolias, C.L. Carpenter, and M.E. Hemler, "Novel Link Between Integrin, TM4SF Proteins (CD63, CD81) and PI4-kinase," 272(5) Journal of Biological Chemistry 2595-8, 1997
  • Co-author with R. Meyers and L.C. Cantley, "Subcellular Locations of PI 4-kinase Isoforms," 272 Journal of Biological Chemistry 13236-41, 1997
  • Co-author with L.C. Cantley, "Cloning and Characterization of a Human Phosphatidylinositol 4-kinase," 269 Journal of Biological Chemistry 28878-84, 1994


Select Speaking Engagements

  • Panelist, American Conference Institute's Life Sciences IP Due Diligence Conference, January 2006
  • Chairperson, "Accelerate Preclinical Development: Outsourcing to China" Panel Discussion, BioE2E Forum, May 2005
  • Chairperson, "IP Due Diligence - Inside the Mind of a VC" Panel Discussion, BioE2E Forum April 2005
  • Chairperson, "The Art of Building High-Value Biotech Patent Portfolios" Panel Discussion, BioE2E Forum, June 2004
Focus Areas
  • Biotech
  • Clean Energy
  • Global Generics
  • Intellectual Property
  • Life Sciences
  • Medical Devices
  • Patents and Innovations
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