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Melissa M. Harwood Ph.D.

Partner
Seattle
About

Dr. Melissa Harwood focuses her practice on strategic intellectual property counseling, IP portfolio development, and IP due diligence for a variety of transactions, including venture financings, public offerings and M&A deals. Melissa helps her clients navigate through all stages of R&D and company evolution by developing IP strategies that provide market advantages and align with current business objectives.

Melissa provides tactical IP advice and representation to both public and private companies and represents clients in the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, chemical, and medical device industries. She advises her clients on both offensive and defensive patent strategies. Melissa also specializes in preparation of IP opinions, including invalidity and non-infringement opinions. Melissa counsels her clients in connection with IP transactions and agreements, including license agreements, collaboration agreements, and M&A agreements. She also works closely with litigation, licensing, corporate, and regulatory counsel to provide her clients with comprehensive and holistic IP representation.

Melissa has significant experience litigating patent matters in federal court and before the US Patent and Trademark Office, including inter partes review and reexamination proceedings.

Areas of FocusLife SciencesIntellectual PropertyLife Sciences Intellectual PropertyPatent Development and StrategyHealthcareIndustrials
Bar admissionsUnited States Patent and Trademark OfficeWashington

EXPERIENCE

  • Represented underwriters in IP due diligence for a biotechnology company's US$80 million IPO.
  • Represented underwriters in IP due diligence for a biotechnology company's US$200 million, US$144 million, US$160 million and US$250 million offerings.
  • Represented underwriters in IP due diligence for a biotechnology company's US$73 million IPO.
  • Represented investors in IP due diligence for a biotechnology company's US$270 million Series A round of financing.
  • Represented investors in IP due diligence for a biotechnology company's US$55 million Series B round of financing.
  • Represented biotechnology company in a US$33 million Series A round of financing.
  • Represented biotechnology company in a US$55 million financing.
  • Represented biotechnology company in a US$177 million IPO.
Education

  • J.D., University of Washington School of Law

  • Ph.D., Chemistry, University of Washington

  • B.S., Chemistry, University of Utah

Awards

  • The Legal 500 United States
    • Recommended, Patents: Prosecution (including re-examination and post-grant proceedings) (2023)
  • Best Lawyers, Biotechnology and Life Sciences Practice, 2022
  • Best Lawyers, Patent Law, 2022

Publications

  • Author, "Federal Circuit Raises the Enablement Bar for Antibody Patents," IAM, 2021
  • Co-author, "Technology Transfer Considerations for Stem Cell Technologies," Society for Technology Management, 2009, 4(2), 8-10
  • Author, "Article III Controversy May Exist Under the Declaratory Judgment Act for Licensees Not Violating a License Agreement: MedImmune v. Genentech,"  CASRIP Newsletter, Autumn/Winter 2007, 14(1)

Seminars

  • Panel member, Building a Robust Invention Harvesting Program (2023)
  • Panel creator and moderator, Life Science Washington: Strategies for Startups (2021)
  • Presenter, Practising Law Institute (PLI): Advanced Patent Prosecution Strategies (2017-2021)
  • Series co-creator, program developer, and presenter, Innovator's Edge seminars focusing on various strategic IP topics for entrepreneurs (2019-2020)
  • Presenter, Create33 Entrepreneur Center: Patent Strategies for Startups (2019)
  • Lecturer, University of Washington's Foster School of Business: Patent Strategies for Startups (2017-2019)
  • Lecturer, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center: Patent Strategies for Startups (2017-2018)
  • Presenter, Licensing Executive Society (LES): Trends in Life Science Business Transactions (2016)

Prior Experience

Prior to her legal career, Melissa worked as a synthetic bench chemist for a life sciences company and as a postdoctoral research scientist in the University of Washington's Department of Chemistry.

My latest insights

Publication

USPTO’s proposed new rule for terminal disclaimer practice

25 June 2024 .5 minute read

News

DLA Piper expands its Intellectual Property & Technology practice with the addition of...

3 May 2022 .2 minute read

Connect

Phone

+1 206 839 4815
(Work, Seattle)
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