San Francisco, California, United States
I am the General Counsel at Exelexis (NASDAQ: EXEL), a commercial-stage biotechnology company with US commercial operations and global R&D/clinical operations. In my role, I manage team of 100 professionals in Legal, Compliance, Government Affairs, and Quality Assurance. As a licensed patent attorney, I bring deep expertise in IP, transactions, and ANDA litigation, as well as significant experience in corporate and commercial legal issues for large biotechnology and life sciences companies as it pertains to the drug development lifecycle. I am skilled at driving C-suite and Board interactions, growing and scaling legal functions to support current and future business goals, identifying and mitigating risks, and managing legal processes to support research-stage, clinical-stage, and commercial therapeutic products. Prior to joining Exelexis, I supported clinical, research, and patent transactions for researchers in oncology and neuroscience at the University of California, San Francisco. Additionally, I also served as a corporate associate at Wilson Sonsini, an Am Law 100 firm, where I counseled public and private medical device, biotechnology, and high-technology companies on general corporate activities. Prior to practicing law, I served as senior licensing and patenting manager for the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Office of Technology Transfer, and as a science policy fellow for the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). I hold a JD, cum laude, from the University of California, College of the Law, San Francisco (formerly UC Hastings), a PhD in Neuroscience and Biophysics from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and a double BA in Molecular and Cell Biology and English Literature from the University of California at Berkeley. Bar Admissions: California Bar; US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO)
Advanced from senior counsel to General Counsel during 12-plus-year tenure. Currently manage team of over 100 Legal, Compliance, Government Affairs and Quality Assurance professionals. Built legal team, including personnel and infrastructure, from ground up. Currently manage team of 25 (IP and transactional), including overseeing IP budget for US and international patent prosecution, trademark, patent litigation, contracting, licensing, and strategic transactions. Report directly to General Counsel and regularly present to Board of Directors on key IP matters. Support corporate governance and SEC filings, government affairs, HR, and compliance. Earlier Roles: Senior Vice President, Intellectual Property and Licensing (2019-2025) Vice President (2017 – 2019); Senior Director (2015 – 2017); Senior Counsel (2013 – 2015)
Supported clinical, research, and patent transactions for UCSF researchers in oncology/neuroscience. Ran internship program.Served as lead negotiator on several university-industry research partnerships (Roche, Sanofi, Pfizer). Negotiated clinical and research agreements with industry and non-profit partners. Managed IP portfolio, including evaluating invention disclosures, conducting patentability and freedom to operate analyses, and negotiating patent and technology licenses.
Counseled public and private medical device, biotechnology, and high technology companies on general corporate activities. Drafted and negotiated term sheets, debt/equity financing documents, consents, certificates, and employment agreements. Prepared SEC filings with state and federal authorities. Coordinated corporate, licensing, and patent due diligence. Negotiated IP and sponsored research agreements ancillary to financings.
Assisted with corporate, securities, tax, transactional, and patent matters.
Served as summer associate after 1L year and continued as technical specialist for patent prosecution and licensing projects during 2L year. Drafted material transfer agreements, NDAs and non-exclusive/exclusive licenses. Prepared office action responses. Drafted patent applications and claim sets. Researched freedom to operate. Prepared patent portfolio reviews.