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Lucian Orbai
Senior Counsel
Patents and Innovations
San Francisco
lorbai@wsgr.com

D650-849-3337

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Lucian Orbai is senior counsel in the San Francisco office of Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, where he focuses on intellectual property matters and global patent strategy for life sciences clients in multiple fields, including tools, diagnostics and pharmaceuticals. His work includes prosecution of U.S. and foreign patent portfolios as well as patent strategy and patent diligence, including freedom-to-operate and patentability studies. Lucian has managed IP aspects of various corporate transactions including financings and M&A. He has also worked with foreign counsel to draft and file multiple European Patent opposition briefs.

Lucian's technical expertise includes organic chemistry (especially nucleic acid and fluorescent dye chemistry), molecular diagnostics, sequencing, and proteomics. Prior to rejoining the firm, Lucian was the Director of Chemistry in the Biochip unit at Cepheid (Danaher), where he led a team of research scientists developing next-generation semiconductor-based molecular diagnostic products. His experience spanned organic, analytical, surface, and assay chemistries, with a focus on integration with biosensors and microarrays, and he successfully transferred to manufacturing complex automated reagent preparation processes in preparation for clinical trials. Lucian also co-founded two companies in the life science tools and molecular diagnostics space and is a co-inventor on multiple patent applications.

Experience

Lucian Orbai is senior counsel in the San Francisco office of Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, where he focuses on intellectual property matters and global patent strategy for life sciences clients in multiple fields, including tools, diagnostics and pharmaceuticals. His work includes prosecution of U.S. and foreign patent portfolios as well as patent strategy and patent diligence, including freedom-to-operate and patentability studies. Lucian has managed IP aspects of various corporate transactions including financings and M&A. He has also worked with foreign counsel to draft and file multiple European Patent opposition briefs.

Lucian's technical expertise includes organic chemistry (especially nucleic acid and fluorescent dye chemistry), molecular diagnostics, sequencing, and proteomics. Prior to rejoining the firm, Lucian was the Director of Chemistry in the Biochip unit at Cepheid (Danaher), where he led a team of research scientists developing next-generation semiconductor-based molecular diagnostic products. His experience spanned organic, analytical, surface, and assay chemistries, with a focus on integration with biosensors and microarrays, and he successfully transferred to manufacturing complex automated reagent preparation processes in preparation for clinical trials. Lucian also co-founded two companies in the life science tools and molecular diagnostics space and is a co-inventor on multiple patent applications.

Education
  • J.D., UC Berkeley School of Law

    Depper Scholarship

  • Ph.D., Organic Chemistry, Stanford University
  • B.A., Chemistry and German Studies, Middlebury College

    American Institute of Chemists Prize, Howard Hughes Medical Institute Summer Research Grant

Admissions
  • State Bar of California
  • U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
Credentials
Education
  • J.D., UC Berkeley School of Law

    Depper Scholarship

  • Ph.D., Organic Chemistry, Stanford University
  • B.A., Chemistry and German Studies, Middlebury College

    American Institute of Chemists Prize, Howard Hughes Medical Institute Summer Research Grant

Admissions
  • State Bar of California
  • U.S. Patent and Trademark Office

Select Publications

  • Co-author, "Trapping transient RNA complexes by chemically reversible acylation," 59(49) Angewandte Chemie International Edition 22017-22022, 2020
  • Co-author, "Artificial human telomeres from DNA nanocircle templates," 99(25) Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 15953-15958, 2002
  • Co-author, "A platinum (IV) complex oxidizes guanine to 8-oxo-guanine in DNA and RNA," 40(22) Inorganic Chemistry 5481-5482, 2001
Insights

Select Publications

  • Co-author, "Trapping transient RNA complexes by chemically reversible acylation," 59(49) Angewandte Chemie International Edition 22017-22022, 2020
  • Co-author, "Artificial human telomeres from DNA nanocircle templates," 99(25) Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 15953-15958, 2002
  • Co-author, "A platinum (IV) complex oxidizes guanine to 8-oxo-guanine in DNA and RNA," 40(22) Inorganic Chemistry 5481-5482, 2001

Biological Sciences and Biotechnology

  • Biochemical assays
  • Biochemistry
  • Bioconjugation
  • Biophysics
  • Genomics
  • Molecular biology
  • PCR
  • Proteomics

Therapeutics and Drug Discovery

  • Peptide therapeutics
  • Small molecules

Diagnostics and Medical Devices

  • Bioinformatic
  • Biosensors
  • Diagnostics
  • Digital pathology
  • Medical devices
  • miRNA detection
  • Point-of-care testing (POCT)

Chemistry and Material Science

  • Chemical synthesis
  • Chemistry
  • Nanochemistry
  • Organic chemistry
  • Peptidomimetics
  • Polymers
  • Protein engineering

Engineering and Technology

  • 3D bioprinting
  • Microfluidics
  • Robotics

Genomics and Data Analysis

  • Next-generation sequencing
  • Sequencing
  • Single-cell sequencing

Miscellaneous

  • Cancer
  • Fluorescence microscopy
  • Infectious diseases
Technical Fluency

Biological Sciences and Biotechnology

  • Biochemical assays
  • Biochemistry
  • Bioconjugation
  • Biophysics
  • Genomics
  • Molecular biology
  • PCR
  • Proteomics

Therapeutics and Drug Discovery

  • Peptide therapeutics
  • Small molecules

Diagnostics and Medical Devices

  • Bioinformatic
  • Biosensors
  • Diagnostics
  • Digital pathology
  • Medical devices
  • miRNA detection
  • Point-of-care testing (POCT)

Chemistry and Material Science

  • Chemical synthesis
  • Chemistry
  • Nanochemistry
  • Organic chemistry
  • Peptidomimetics
  • Polymers
  • Protein engineering

Engineering and Technology

  • 3D bioprinting
  • Microfluidics
  • Robotics

Genomics and Data Analysis

  • Next-generation sequencing
  • Sequencing
  • Single-cell sequencing

Miscellaneous

  • Cancer
  • Fluorescence microscopy
  • Infectious diseases
Focus Areas
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  • Diagnostics, Life Science Tools, and Deep Tech
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