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Former Patents and Innovations Department Leader
With over 20 years of experience, Samir advised biotechnology, pharmaceutical, and nanotechnology clients on all aspects of patent law and related business matters.
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Strategic IP Counseling Expertise
Samir provided outside patent counsel to a variety of clients, including start-up and established Life Science corporations.
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Informed Technical Expertise
Samir earned a Ph.D. in chemistry and conducted research at top American and European academic institutions prior to starting his patent law career.
Dr. Samir Elamrani retired as a partner in the patents and innovations department at Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati in 2025. He was a partner in the firm's San Diego office, where he advised biotechnology, pharmaceutical, and nanotechnology clients on all aspects of patent law and related business matters.
With his substantial expertise in strategic IP counseling and global patent portfolio development and management, he provided outside patent counsel to a variety of clients, including start-up and established biotechnology corporations, multinational pharmaceutical corporations, and premier research universities. He has prepared numerous due diligence reports and counseled clients in matters relating to the transfer of intellectual property, including acquisition and licensing of patent rights.
Prior to joining the firm, Samir was counsel at Crowell & Moring and a senior associate at Pillsbury Winthrop LLP, where he counseled clients in the biotechnology, pharmaceutical, and chemical industries. While attending law school, Samir was a full-time patent law clerk and patent agent at Burns Doane Swecker & Mathis, a large intellectual property firm, where he counseled clients in matters before the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Samir has prepared and prosecuted over 250 U.S., Patent Cooperation Treaty, and foreign applications, covering inventions relating to small molecule pharmaceuticals, molecular design, structural biology, therapeutic peptides, proteins, vaccines, genes, gene therapy, anti-sense technology, recombinant antibodies, fuel-cell technology, zeolites, and noble metal catalysts.
Before starting a career in patent law, Samir conducted extensive research in premier American and European academic institutions. His experience relates to the areas of computational structural biology, protein dynamics, drug design, host-guest modeling, heterogeneous catalysis, and zeolite chemistry. During his academic tenure, Samir published a Ph.D. dissertation on global motions in proteins and a French doctorate dissertation on molecular diffusion inside zeolite pores.
Samir is fluent in English, French, and Arabic.
Dr. Samir Elamrani retired as a partner in the patents and innovations department at Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati in 2025. He was a partner in the firm's San Diego office, where he advised biotechnology, pharmaceutical, and nanotechnology clients on all aspects of patent law and related business matters.
With his substantial expertise in strategic IP counseling and global patent portfolio development and management, he provided outside patent counsel to a variety of clients, including start-up and established biotechnology corporations, multinational pharmaceutical corporations, and premier research universities. He has prepared numerous due diligence reports and counseled clients in matters relating to the transfer of intellectual property, including acquisition and licensing of patent rights.
Prior to joining the firm, Samir was counsel at Crowell & Moring and a senior associate at Pillsbury Winthrop LLP, where he counseled clients in the biotechnology, pharmaceutical, and chemical industries. While attending law school, Samir was a full-time patent law clerk and patent agent at Burns Doane Swecker & Mathis, a large intellectual property firm, where he counseled clients in matters before the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Samir has prepared and prosecuted over 250 U.S., Patent Cooperation Treaty, and foreign applications, covering inventions relating to small molecule pharmaceuticals, molecular design, structural biology, therapeutic peptides, proteins, vaccines, genes, gene therapy, anti-sense technology, recombinant antibodies, fuel-cell technology, zeolites, and noble metal catalysts.
Before starting a career in patent law, Samir conducted extensive research in premier American and European academic institutions. His experience relates to the areas of computational structural biology, protein dynamics, drug design, host-guest modeling, heterogeneous catalysis, and zeolite chemistry. During his academic tenure, Samir published a Ph.D. dissertation on global motions in proteins and a French doctorate dissertation on molecular diffusion inside zeolite pores.
Samir is fluent in English, French, and Arabic.
- J.D., University of Houston Law Center, 1999
- Ph.D., Chemistry (Computational Molecular Structural Biology), Institute of Molecular Design, University of Houston, 1996
- Ph.D., Chemistry (Catalysis), Université Claude Bernard, 1990
- M.S., Theoretical and Computational Chemistry, Université Paris XI, 1987
- B.S., Chemistry, Université Mohammed V Rabat, 1986
- J.D., University of Houston Law Center, 1999
- Ph.D., Chemistry (Computational Molecular Structural Biology), Institute of Molecular Design, University of Houston, 1996
- Ph.D., Chemistry (Catalysis), Université Claude Bernard, 1990
- M.S., Theoretical and Computational Chemistry, Université Paris XI, 1987
- B.S., Chemistry, Université Mohammed V Rabat, 1986
Select Publications
- Co-author with M. B. Berry, G. N. Phillips, Jr., and J. A McCammon, "Study of global motions in proteins by weighted masses molecular dynamics: adenylate kinase as a test case," Proteins 25, 79-88, 1996
- Co-author with B. A. Luty and J. A. McCammon, "Simulation of the bimolecular reaction between superoxide and superoxide dismutase: synthesis of the encounter and reaction steps," Journal of the American Chemical Society, 1993
- Co-author with M. Kolb, "Molecular dynamics simulations in zeolites: from deterministic to random motion," Journal of Chemical Physics 98(2), 1993
- Co-author with F. Vigne-Maeder and B. Bigot, "Self-diffusion of rare gases in silicalites studied by molecular dynamics," Journal of Physical Chemistry 96 (9417-21), 1992
- Co-authors with F. Vigne-Maeder and P. Gelin, "An approach to the surface barrier problem in diffusion in zeolites by computer simulation," Journal of Catalysis 134 (536-41), 1992
Select Publications
- Co-author with M. B. Berry, G. N. Phillips, Jr., and J. A McCammon, "Study of global motions in proteins by weighted masses molecular dynamics: adenylate kinase as a test case," Proteins 25, 79-88, 1996
- Co-author with B. A. Luty and J. A. McCammon, "Simulation of the bimolecular reaction between superoxide and superoxide dismutase: synthesis of the encounter and reaction steps," Journal of the American Chemical Society, 1993
- Co-author with M. Kolb, "Molecular dynamics simulations in zeolites: from deterministic to random motion," Journal of Chemical Physics 98(2), 1993
- Co-author with F. Vigne-Maeder and B. Bigot, "Self-diffusion of rare gases in silicalites studied by molecular dynamics," Journal of Physical Chemistry 96 (9417-21), 1992
- Co-authors with F. Vigne-Maeder and P. Gelin, "An approach to the surface barrier problem in diffusion in zeolites by computer simulation," Journal of Catalysis 134 (536-41), 1992
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