Practice Areas
Life Sciences, PatentsIndustry & Technical Focus
Biotechnology, Immunology, Cellular and Molecular Biology, Genomics, Gene Therapy, Biochemistry, Protein Chemistry, Microbiology, Oncology, Pharmaceuticals
Practice Description
Dr. Kara has more than 15 years of experience in biotechnology related intellectual property law. Her experience includes the strategic development, protection and management of patent portfolios for biotechnology and pharmaceutical clients including large pharmaceutical companies, mid-size biotechnology companies, start-ups, universities and research institutions. She assists clients with all aspects of patent preparation and prosecution, as well as patent portfolio management and due diligence evaluations. Catherine is an active member of the Massachusetts Bar, although she is currently geographically based in California and thus works remotely for the firm as a patent agent.
Notable Experience
- Drafting of the patent application on the first FDA-approved fully human monoclonal antibody.
- Developing IP strategies for leading biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies to protect monoclonal antibody products in the fields of autoimmune disease and cancer.
- Strategic portfolio design and management for a patent portfolio that formed the basis for a $500 million dollar licensing deal.
Prior Experience
Catherine has substantial experience in both industry and academia.
- Extensive research experience in the field of immunology, in particular the transcriptional regulation of immune system genes, conducting doctoral research at the Harvard School of Public Health and post-doctoral research at Massachusetts General Hospital
- In-house corporate experience, serving as Chief Patent Counsel at Medarex, Inc.
Publications & Speaking Engagements
- Author/co-author of 13 articles and reviews in internationally recognized, peer-reviewed journals including: Science, EMBO Journal, Journal of Immunology, Immunogenetics, Molecular and Cellular Biology, Proceedings of the National Academy of Science USA, Annual Reviews of Immunology and Current Opinion in Immunology.
