Diagnostics, Life Science Tools, and Deep Tech

Wilson Sonsini provides strategic counseling and legal services to hundreds of growth companies in the highly specialized diagnostics, life science tools, and deep tech industries through all stages of the company life cycle.

Our team is well-equipped to understand the science behind technological breakthroughs in diagnostics, life science tools, and deep tech, and to assist companies in protecting their innovations. Our Patents and Innovations Department features at least 130 scientists and engineers who possess a Ph.D. and have technical fluency in areas across the scientific and engineering spectrum. Further, more than 160 of our professionals are admitted to practice before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

Wilson Sonsini’s services tailored to diagnostics, life science tools, and deep tech companies include intellectual property (IP)/patent strategy counseling and patent portfolio development; commercial and technology transactions (including collaborations, partnering agreements, strategic alliances, and co-development arrangements); navigation of complex regulatory laws in the U.S. and international markets; financing transactions that range from short-term venture funding to longer-term corporate investments and government funding; and litigation, including bringing an IP/patent lawsuit or defending in such a lawsuit. We take a strategic, business-focused approach to everything that we do.

Diagnostics and Life Science Tools

Our accomplished team has extensive experience creating and executing IP strategies that enable commercially successful diagnostics and life science tools innovations. We regularly provide strategic IP counseling to numerous diagnostics and life science tools companies in connection with patent strategy counseling, public and private equity and debt financings, mergers and acquisitions, research and development financings, and technology licensing and contracts. We also provide IP counseling beyond patents, as well as advise on litigation, securities, and corporate governance matters. In addition, the firm’s healthcare regulatory practice assists diagnostics and life science tools clients with successfully navigating complex regulatory laws in both the U.S. and international markets.

In particular, our attorneys manage the patent portfolios of diagnostics and life science tools companies to protect innovations that cover the life cycle of products and services, including preparing, filing, and prosecuting patent applications worldwide to grant. We mine the content of our clients’ existing portfolios to extract offensive and defensive value, and strategize throughout the patenting process to secure strong, aggressive patents, often in a relatively short timeframe. Our team also assists with licensing patents identified in freedom-to-operate analyses to strengthen our clients’ IP positions. Further, we conduct analysis of the patent landscape, including de-risking competitor patent portfolios, to avoid third-party patent infringement, and we work with our litigation team and technical experts to develop inter partes review (IPR) and litigation strategy with respect to third-party patents of interest.

Select Diagnostics and Life Science Tools Clients:

• 10x Genomics
• Alamar Biosciences
• Apton (acquired by Pacific Biosciences)
• Aqtual
• biomodal
• CareDx
• Cellanome
• ChromaCode
• Cirina (acquired by Grail)
• Combinati (acquired by Thermo Fisher)
• Element Biosciences
• Esperto Medical
• Foresight Diagnostics
• Freenome
• GeneDx
• Genia (acquired by Roche)
• Guardant Health
• Ion Torrent (acquired by Life Technologies, now Thermo Fisher)
• Juno Diagnostics
• Matterworks
• NeoGenomics
• Orbit Genomics
• Pacific Biosciences
• Pleno
• PrognomiQ
• Quantalife (acquired by BioRad)
• ReadCoor (acquired by 10x Genomics)
• Seer
• Ultima Genomics
• Veracyte

Deep Tech

Wilson Sonsini also advises companies in the deep tech sector, focusing specifically on technologies stemming from novel scientific breakthroughs and advanced engineering concepts. These include companies working in areas such as:

• Advanced manufacturing (including semiconductors and biomanufacturing)
• Artificial intelligence/machine learning
• Computing (including quantum/non-classical computing)
• Defense tech
• Energy and clean tech (including energy storage/batteries)
• Food and agri tech
• Materials and smart tech
• NewSpace
• Robotics (including autonomous vehicles and surgical robots)

As we partner with clients pioneering advancements in deep tech, we understand that potential avenues for funding their ideas may extend beyond private and venture capital. Today, government agencies are increasingly likely to recognize the value of deep tech, leading to more public funding opportunities for companies in this sector. Our attorneys are well versed in guiding companies through the process of working with government agencies and the requirements and strategies necessary to garner interest, enabling our clients to actively prepare for public funding opportunities and properly secure government contracts and grants.

In addition to advising clients on securing funding, we understand the necessity of protecting novel deep tech innovations not only through patents, but also through robust trade secret protection. Wilson Sonsini has one of the most extensive technology-focused trade secret practices in the world. In addition, we draw in colleagues from across our patents, copyright, and privacy and data protection teams to offer deep tech clients strategically tailored advice.

Select Deep Tech Clients:

• Akash Systems
• Anduril Industries
• Atom Computing
• Aurora Innovation
• Eight Sleep
• EVE Energy Ventures
• Gauss Labs
• Helm.ai
• IonQ
• Kinematics
• Pure Lithium
• Slingshot Aerospace
• TAU Systems
• Tensor Auto
• Type One Energy
• Universal Quantum