Valentin (Val) Zunic is senior counsel in the San Diego office of Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, where he is a member of the patent and innovation strategies practice. Val assists clients in the pharmaceutical, chemical, and biotechnology industries on a wide range of intellectual property issues, including strategic patent portfolio development and management, patentability, non-infringement, and freedom to operate.
Val has decades of experience representing clients in the life sciences industry, particularly clients pursuing small molecule therapeutics. He has developed and managed patent portfolios for the following representative companies: Amira Pharmaceuticals (acquired by Bristol-Myers Squibb), Aragon Pharmaceuticals (acquired by Janssen for its key asset apalutamide (Erleada™)), Pharmacyclics (partnered with Janssen for its key asset ibrutinib (Imbruvica®)), and Seragon Pharmaceuticals (acquired by Roche/Genentech).
Prior to joining the firm, Val was a technology specialist in the San Diego office of Fish & Richardson P.C.
His broad technological background in chemistry includes research experiences as: a medicinal chemist with Vertex Pharmaceuticals and the Genomics Institute of the Novartis Research Foundation; a synthetic organic chemistry graduate student at the University of Toronto examining the synthesis of small organic molecules through the use of (asymmetric) transition metal catalysis; and an undergraduate student studying physical organic chemistry and biomolecular chemistry.
Valentin (Val) Zunic is senior counsel in the San Diego office of Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, where he is a member of the patent and innovation strategies practice. Val assists clients in the pharmaceutical, chemical, and biotechnology industries on a wide range of intellectual property issues, including strategic patent portfolio development and management, patentability, non-infringement, and freedom to operate.
Val has decades of experience representing clients in the life sciences industry, particularly clients pursuing small molecule therapeutics. He has developed and managed patent portfolios for the following representative companies: Amira Pharmaceuticals (acquired by Bristol-Myers Squibb), Aragon Pharmaceuticals (acquired by Janssen for its key asset apalutamide (Erleada™)), Pharmacyclics (partnered with Janssen for its key asset ibrutinib (Imbruvica®)), and Seragon Pharmaceuticals (acquired by Roche/Genentech).
Prior to joining the firm, Val was a technology specialist in the San Diego office of Fish & Richardson P.C.
His broad technological background in chemistry includes research experiences as: a medicinal chemist with Vertex Pharmaceuticals and the Genomics Institute of the Novartis Research Foundation; a synthetic organic chemistry graduate student at the University of Toronto examining the synthesis of small organic molecules through the use of (asymmetric) transition metal catalysis; and an undergraduate student studying physical organic chemistry and biomolecular chemistry.
- J.D., University of San Diego School of Law
- Ph.D., Synthetic Organic Chemistry, University of Toronto
- M.S., Synthetic Organic Chemistry, University of Toronto
- B.S., Chemistry, University of Toronto
- State Bar of California
- U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
- J.D., University of San Diego School of Law
- Ph.D., Synthetic Organic Chemistry, University of Toronto
- M.S., Synthetic Organic Chemistry, University of Toronto
- B.S., Chemistry, University of Toronto
- State Bar of California
- U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
Select Publications
- Co-author with Y. Cho, H. Senboku, M. Olsen, and M. Lautens, "Rhodium-Catalyzed Ring-Opening Reactions of N-Boc-Azabenzonorbornadienes with Amine Nucleophiles," Journal of the American Chemical Society, 128(21); 6837-6846, 2006
- Co-author with M. Lautens, "Sequential Olefin Metathesis - Intramolecular Asymmetric Heck Reactions in the Synthesis of Polycycles," Canadian Journal of Chemistry, 82, 399, 2004
- Co-author with M. Lautens and K. Fagnou, "An Expedient Enantioselective Route to Diaminotetralins: Application in the Preparation of Analgesic Compounds," Organic Letters, 4, 3465, 2002
- Co-author with M. Lautens and G. Hughes, "Diastereoselective Double Ring-Closing Metathesis as an Approach to Symmetrical Bicyclodienes," Canadian Journal of Chemistry, 78, 868, 2000
- Co-author with L.T. Okano, R. Ovans, J.N. Moorthy, and C. Bohne, "Effect of Complexation on the Photochemistry of the Lignin Model a-Guaiacoxyacetoveratrone," Canadian Journal of Chemistry, 77, 1356, 1999
- Co-author with G.A. Woolley, J. Karanicolas, A.S.I. Jaikaran, and A. Starastin, "Voltage-Dependent Behaviour of a 'Ball-and-Chain' Gramicidin," Biophysical Journal, 73, 2465, 1997
- Co-author with L.Y. Foong, Y. Shaochun, D.C.J. Jaikaran, Z. Zhang, and G.A. Woolley, "Development of a Novel Thiol Reagent for Probing Ion Channel Structure: Studies in a Model System," Biochemistry, 36, 1343, 1997
Select Publications
- Co-author with Y. Cho, H. Senboku, M. Olsen, and M. Lautens, "Rhodium-Catalyzed Ring-Opening Reactions of N-Boc-Azabenzonorbornadienes with Amine Nucleophiles," Journal of the American Chemical Society, 128(21); 6837-6846, 2006
- Co-author with M. Lautens, "Sequential Olefin Metathesis - Intramolecular Asymmetric Heck Reactions in the Synthesis of Polycycles," Canadian Journal of Chemistry, 82, 399, 2004
- Co-author with M. Lautens and K. Fagnou, "An Expedient Enantioselective Route to Diaminotetralins: Application in the Preparation of Analgesic Compounds," Organic Letters, 4, 3465, 2002
- Co-author with M. Lautens and G. Hughes, "Diastereoselective Double Ring-Closing Metathesis as an Approach to Symmetrical Bicyclodienes," Canadian Journal of Chemistry, 78, 868, 2000
- Co-author with L.T. Okano, R. Ovans, J.N. Moorthy, and C. Bohne, "Effect of Complexation on the Photochemistry of the Lignin Model a-Guaiacoxyacetoveratrone," Canadian Journal of Chemistry, 77, 1356, 1999
- Co-author with G.A. Woolley, J. Karanicolas, A.S.I. Jaikaran, and A. Starastin, "Voltage-Dependent Behaviour of a 'Ball-and-Chain' Gramicidin," Biophysical Journal, 73, 2465, 1997
- Co-author with L.Y. Foong, Y. Shaochun, D.C.J. Jaikaran, Z. Zhang, and G.A. Woolley, "Development of a Novel Thiol Reagent for Probing Ion Channel Structure: Studies in a Model System," Biochemistry, 36, 1343, 1997
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- Chemistry
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- Green chemistry
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