Leading Matters

Select Company-Side Representation:

• Primary patent counsel to Candid Therapeutics since founding of company. Represented company in various matters, including:
  • Three-way merger and $370 million capital raise
  • Agreement with WuXi Biologics for rights to CND319, a trispecific T-cell engager
  • $2 billion acquisition by UCB
• Primary patent counsel to Janux Therapeutics (JANX) since founding of company. Designed and implemented a global patent strategy in connection with Janux’s TRACTr and TRACIr pipeline and in support of clinical programs. Shepherded company through major IP diligence milestones, including:
  • Collaboration and exclusive license agreement with Bristol Myers Squibb
  • $1 billion deal with Merck
  • $56 million Series A
  • $125 million Series B  
  • $194 million initial public offering
  • $296.5 million underwritten public offering
• Primary patent counsel to Link Cell Therapies since founding of company. Represented company in various matters, including:
  • $60 million Series A 
  • Strategic collaboration with Johnson & Johnson
• Oak Hill Bio in support of its rugonersen programs and the following matters:
  • Exclusive license agreement with Roche
  • $32.5 million Series A
• Predicta Biosciences in connection with its IP strategy, partnering, and venture capital financing.
• Minerva Biotechnologies in connection with its IP strategy in support of its clinical CAR T program and antibody-based therapeutics.
• Empirico in connection with its IP strategy and venture capital financings in support of its siRNA therapeutics.
• Virtuoso Therapeutics in connection with its IP strategy and venture financings in support of its clinical bispecific antibody programs.
• Allievex Corporation in connection with its IP strategy in support of its clinical enzyme replacement therapy program for treatment of Sanfilippo syndrome type B.
• Unity Biotechnology in connection with its IP strategy in support of its clinical programs and venture captial financings and initial public offering.

Select Investor-Side Representation:

• Frazier Life Sciences on IP matters related to Immutrin’s $87 million Series A.
• Vida Ventures on IP matters related to Third Arc Bio’s $165 million Series A.
• Foresite Capital on IP matters related to CG Oncology’s $105 million financing.
• Venrock on IP matters related to Upstream Bio's $200 million Series B.
• Samsara BioCapital on IP matters related to Link Cell Therapies financing.
• Two Bear Capital on IP matters related to Novoron Bioscience financing.
• Novo Holdings on IP matters related to investments in Allievex and Nuvig Therapeutics.

Select Publications

• "Structure and Activity Studies of Human Death Associated Protein Kinase (DAPK): Nucleotide Interactions," Doctoral Dissertation, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, 2009
• Co-author with J.S. Brunzelle, D.M. Watterson, J.P. Schavocky, and V. Grum-Tokars, "Site-Directed Mutagenesis of the Glycine-Rich Loop of Death Associated Protein Kinase (DAPK) Identifies It as a Key Structure for Catalytic Activity," 1813(5) Biochimica et Biophysica Acta - Molecular Cell Research 1065-1073, 2010
• Co-author with D.M. Watterson and J.S. Brunzelle, "Structural Insight into Nucleotide Recognition of Human Death Associated Protein Kinase," Acta Crystallographica Section D Biological Crystallography D65:241-248, 2009
• Co-author with M. Zimmerman, C. Antmanene, Q. Xu, L. Fouillen, A. Van Dorsselaer, D. Bonnet, C. Marsol, M. Hibert, S. Sanglier-Cianferani, C. Pigault, D.M. Watterson, J. Haiech, and M.C. Kilhoffer, "Homodimerization of the Death Associated Protein Kinase Catalytic Doman: Development of a New Small Molecule Fluorescent Reporter," 5(11) PLos One e14120, 2010
• Co-author with L. Munoz, H.R. Ranaivo, S.M. Roy, W. Hu, J.M. Craft, L.W. Chico, L.J. Van Eldik, and D.M. Watterson, "A Novel p38? MAPK Inhibitor Suppresses Brain Proinflammatory Cytokine Up-Regulation and Attenuates Synaptic Dysfunction and Behavioral Deficits in an Alzheimer's Disease Mouse Model," Journal of Neuroinflammation 4:21, 2007

Select Speaking Engagements

• Invited Speaker, “Patent Strategy and Preparing for IP Diligence,” TMC Innovation Factory, Houston, Texas, May 19, 2025

• Co-presenter, “From U.S. to China: The Legal Playbook for Biotech Spinouts,” LaunchBio’s NextGen VC Forum, Palo Alto, California, May 6, 2025

• Invited Speaker, “Mastering IP Diligence for Investments and BioPharma Partnering,” American Cancer Society BrightEdge Entrepreneurs Program, March 6, 2025

• Moderator, “Moving from Lab to Marketplace: Successes and Challenges of  Rare Disease Biotech Startup,” Invest in Cures Disease Foundation Forum, UCSD, San Diego, February 20, 2025

• Speaker, "Patent Strategy for the New Enterprise,"  Essentials of Start-Up Law, Northwestern University Entrepreneurship Bootcamp, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, April 22, 2017
• Invited Speaker, "Intellectual Property Considerations for Early-Stage Life Sciences Companies," 10th Annual Drug Discovery for Neurodegeneration Conference, Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation, Miami, Florida, March 8, 2016
• Guest Lecturer, "Patent Law Basics and Tips for Establishing a Competitive Position in the Marketplace," Current Business Law Issues, Rady School of Management, University of California, San Diego, October 28, 2015

Biological Sciences and Biotechnology

• Antibody
• Antigen presentation
• Biochemical assays
• Biochemistry
• Bioconjugation
• Biologics
• Biophysics
• Cancer biology
• Cancer therapeutics
• CAR-T cells
• Cell biology
• Cell culture products
• Cell therapy
• Cellular biology
• Cellular immunology
• Immuno-oncology
• Immunobiology
• Proteomics
• T cell immunology

Therapeutics and Drug Discovery

• Biosimilars
• CRISPR
• Drug conjugates
• Drug conjugates based drug discovery
• Drug delivery
• Gene editing
• Gene therapy
• Immunotherapy targets
• Neuropharmacology
• Peptide therapeutics
• Pharmacodynamics
• Pharmacogenomics
• Pharmacokinetics
• Pharmacology
• RNA interference (RNAi)
• Small molecule synthesis
• Small molecules
• Vaccines

Chemistry and Material Science

• Organic chemistry
• Peptidomimetics
• Polymorph
• Protein engineering
• Protein folding

Genomics and Data Analysis

• Single-cell sequencing