IP due diligence is necessary to avoid costly mistakes that one can
make during any series of investments, mergers or acquisitions. When
VCs talk about IP due diligence of a biotech company, what do they
mean? What do they expect from an IP due diligence study? How can a
company meet the VC's expectations and use its IP to drive the success
of a deal?
At this BioE2E event, we will aim to provide bio entrepreneurs with an
insider view of what goes on in a VC's mind when assessing IP risks and
strengths. Our experienced in-house counsel and VCs will demystify
the process, and make your next business transaction involving IP
progress more smoothly.
Networking and light dinner from 6:30pm, plus networking session will follow.
Panelists:
Mr. David J. Weitz is the General Counsel and Vice President of
Intellectual Property at Takeda San Diego, Inc. (formerly Syrrx,
Inc.). He was involved in IP due diligence studies of Syrrx at all
stages of its financing and in the recent acquisition by Takeda for
270 million dollars.
Prior to joining Syrrx, Mr. Weitz was a Partner at Wilson Sonsini
Goodrich & Rosati of Palo Alto, CA, where he co-headed the firm's
patent prosecution department. At Wilson Sonsini, his practice covered
all aspects of intellectual property and focused on companies in the
areas of biotechnology, chemistry, material science, medical devices,
lasers and optics.
Mr. Weitz received a Juris Doctor from the University of California,
Berkeley (Boalt Hall School of Law), a Masters of Science degree in
Organic Chemistry from the University of California, Berkeley, and a
B.S. in Chemistry from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Mr. Weitz has authored several publications, most recently, "Creating
and Maintaining A Business Focused Patent Portfolio." He co-founded
BioE2E. He has also held positions as Director, President and Vice
President of Entrepreneurship and BioEntrepreneurship for the
M.I.T. Club of Northern California, Advisor to the M.I.T.-Stanford
Venture Lab, and Advisor to the Sunnyvale Center for Innovation,
Invention and Ideas.
Bill Ericson's investment focus is life sciences and software. He
works closely with a cross-discipline team of leading scientists,
researchers and entrepreneurs applying technology solutions to life
sciences and health care in non-traditional ways.
Bill came to MDV after 10 years of working with and investing in
entrepreneurs and early stage companies. During that time, he served
as a board member of a number of life science and software companies,
both public and private. Bill was a member of the founding team of
Rosetta Inpharmatics and served on the Board of Directors until its
acquisition by Merck in 2001.
Moderator:
Dr. Karen Wong is a life science IP attorney at Wilson Sonsini
Goodrich & Rosati. Dr. Wong assists private and public companies in
creating and implementing strategies to capitalize on their new
technologies. Her practice areas include patent prosecution, portfolio
planning, technology transfer or licensing.
Prior to joining Wilson Sonsini, Dr. Wong was an associate at
Howrey Simon Arnold & White, LLP, where she engaged in both patent
prosecution and litigation. Her experience in both practice areas has
allowed her to effectively assist clients in establishing and
enforcing valuable intellectual property rights. Dr. Wong has worked
with a broad range of technologies, including therapeutic delivery,
clinical diagnostics, immunotherapies, bioinformatics, gene therapy,
and cancer biology. She has special technical expertise in antibody
engineering and production, drug screening and delivery, cell
signaling and differentiation.
Prior to practicing law, Dr. Wong conducted doctoral and
post-doctoral research at Harvard and Tufts Medical School in a
multidisciplinary area combining molecular biology, cell biology, and
physiology. She received her B.A. in Molecular, Cellular and
Developmental Biology from the University of
Colorado-Boulder. Dr. Wong also holds a J.D. from Santa Clara
University School of Law.
David J. Weitz, General Counsel and Vice President of
Intellectual Property, Takeda San Diego, Inc. (formerly Syrrx, Inc.)
Bill Ericson, General Partner, Mohr Davidow Ventures
Karen Wong
