Sonja R. Gerrard

Sonja R. Gerrard

Associate

Dr. Sonja Gerrard is an associate in the Seattle office of Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, where her practice involves representing clients in proceedings before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board including Inter Partes Review. She has experience representing clients in the life sciences and medical device industries with a particular focus on second- and third-generation sequencing technologies.

Sonja has more than 20 years of scientific experience that includes positions in academia and the life sciences industry, as well as at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Her areas of expertise include chemistry, biochemistry, molecular biology, diagnostics, and infectious diseases. Prior to joining the firm, she was an assistant professor at the University of Michigan. Her laboratory studied hemorrhagic fever viruses and created genetic systems for studying viral replication and development of recombinant vaccines. She also taught courses in general virology and diagnostic methods for detection of viruses.

Experience

Education

J.D., University of Washington School of Law
Ph.D., Chemistry, University of Oregon
B.S., Chemistry, University of California, Davis

Admissions

State Bar of California
State Bar of Washington
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
U.S. Patent and Trademark Office

Credentials

Education

J.D., University of Washington School of Law
Ph.D., Chemistry, University of Oregon
B.S., Chemistry, University of California, Davis

Admissions

State Bar of California
State Bar of Washington
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
U.S. Patent and Trademark Office

Select Matters

Forte Biosciences, Inc.* v. University of Massachusetts (Post-Grant Review)
TwinStrand Biosciences, Inc. v. Guardant Health, Inc.* (Inter Partes Reviews)
Guardant Health, Inc.* v. University of Washington Through its Center for Commercialization (Inter Partes Reviews)
Foundation Medicine, Inc. v. Guardant Health, Inc.* (Inter Partes Reviews and CAFC)
Alphatec Holdings, Inc. v. NuVasive, Inc.* (Inter Partes Reviews, District Court, and CAFC)
Moderna TX, Inc. v. Arbutus Biopharma Corporation* (Inter Partes Reviews and CAFC)
Personal Genome Diagnostics, Inc. v. Guardant Health, Inc.* (Inter Partes Reviews)
Forty Seven, Inc.* v. Stichting Sanquin Bloedvoorziening et al. (Inter Partes Reviews)

*Denotes client represented

Matters

Select Matters

Forte Biosciences, Inc.* v. University of Massachusetts (Post-Grant Review)
TwinStrand Biosciences, Inc. v. Guardant Health, Inc.* (Inter Partes Reviews)
Guardant Health, Inc.* v. University of Washington Through its Center for Commercialization (Inter Partes Reviews)
Foundation Medicine, Inc. v. Guardant Health, Inc.* (Inter Partes Reviews and CAFC)
Alphatec Holdings, Inc. v. NuVasive, Inc.* (Inter Partes Reviews, District Court, and CAFC)
Moderna TX, Inc. v. Arbutus Biopharma Corporation* (Inter Partes Reviews and CAFC)
Personal Genome Diagnostics, Inc. v. Guardant Health, Inc.* (Inter Partes Reviews)
Forty Seven, Inc.* v. Stichting Sanquin Bloedvoorziening et al. (Inter Partes Reviews)

*Denotes client represented

Select Publications

Co-author, “PTAB Year in Review,” Wilson Sonsini, 2017-Present
Co-author, "USPTO Issues Second Round of AIA Rule Changes," Wilson Sonsini Alert, April 1, 2016
Co-author, "Federal Circuit Ruling in Dell v. Acceleron Limits New Late-Stage Grounds of Challenge in America Invents Act Trials," Wilson Sonsini Alert, March 21, 2016
Co-author with D.D. Raymond, M.E. Piper, G. Skiniotis, and J.L. Smith, "Phleboviruses encapsidate their genomes by sequestering RNA bases," 109(47) Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 19208-13, 2012
Co-author with M.E. Piper and D.R. Sorenson, "Efficient cellular release of Rift Valley fever virus requires genomic RNA," 6(3) PLoS One e18070, 2011
Co-author with D.D. Raymond, M.E. Piper, and J.L. Smith, "Structure of the Rift Valley fever virus nucleocapsid protein reveals a new architecture for RNA encapsidation," 107(26) Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 11769-74, 2010
Co-author with V.M. Vaughn, C.C. Streeter, and D.J. Miller, "Restriction of Rift Valley fever virus virulence in mosquito cells," 2(2) Viruses 655-75, 2010

Insights

Select Publications

Co-author, “PTAB Year in Review,” Wilson Sonsini, 2017-Present
Co-author, "USPTO Issues Second Round of AIA Rule Changes," Wilson Sonsini Alert, April 1, 2016
Co-author, "Federal Circuit Ruling in Dell v. Acceleron Limits New Late-Stage Grounds of Challenge in America Invents Act Trials," Wilson Sonsini Alert, March 21, 2016
Co-author with D.D. Raymond, M.E. Piper, G. Skiniotis, and J.L. Smith, "Phleboviruses encapsidate their genomes by sequestering RNA bases," 109(47) Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 19208-13, 2012
Co-author with M.E. Piper and D.R. Sorenson, "Efficient cellular release of Rift Valley fever virus requires genomic RNA," 6(3) PLoS One e18070, 2011
Co-author with D.D. Raymond, M.E. Piper, and J.L. Smith, "Structure of the Rift Valley fever virus nucleocapsid protein reveals a new architecture for RNA encapsidation," 107(26) Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 11769-74, 2010
Co-author with V.M. Vaughn, C.C. Streeter, and D.J. Miller, "Restriction of Rift Valley fever virus virulence in mosquito cells," 2(2) Viruses 655-75, 2010

Recent Insights

Client Highlights

Wilson Sonsini served as lead counsel for Impossible Foods in a patent infringement litigation alleging infringement of seven Impossible Foods patents covering manufacturing processes, ingredients, and finished products relating to plant-based food containing heme and Impossible’s innovative transgenic yeast used to manufacture that heme. Our team successfully represented Impossible Foods in defense of six inter partes review petitions before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board in 2022 and 2023. Wilson Sonsini defeated the defendant’s motion to dismiss and motion to stay the District Court litigation. The matter was closely watched as the first patent infringement case in the burgeoning foodtech industry. With trial approaching, the parties resolved the matter and released a joint statement that said: “This resolution affirms Impossible Foods’ category leadership and the strength of its product portfolio related to heme.”

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Client Highlights

On December 1, 2021, the Federal Circuit affirmed the Patent Trial and Appeal Board’s (PTAB’s) earlier rulings that ModernaTX, Inc. (formerly Moderna Therapeutics Inc.) failed to invalidate claims in two Arbutus Biopharma Corp. patents, known as the '069 and ’435 patents, and left the ‘069 patent fully intact. The trading price of Arbutus shares jumped as much as 95 percent after the court posted its opinions on its electronic docket. Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati represented Arbutus in the matter.

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