Melissa M. Harwood Ph.D.

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.