MCNEILL BAUR - Key Persons
Adam M. Breier, PhD, focuses on patent prosecution, client counseling, and PTAB proceedings in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical areas. He coordinates global prosecution strategies, prepares domestic and foreign patent applications, performs freedom-to-operate, patentability, invalidity, and noninfringement analyses, and participates in post-grant administrative trials such as inter partes reviews. Adam has a special interest in subject matter including biochemical and biophysical analytical compositions, methods, and apparatuses; polymer chemistry; engineered or recombinant DNA, RNA, and proteins; and genetically modified cells. He also has prosecution experience with new chemical entities and with compositions and formulations in which hydrophobic or amphipathic materials such as lipids, polymers, or surfactants provide new and useful features. Adam has worked with domestic and foreign clients, including research institutions, startups, and established biotechnology, pharmaceutical, and chemical companies.
Adam joined McNeill Baur with 12 years of research experience in molecular biology, genomics, and chemistry and 7 years of patent experience at Finnegan, Henderson, Farabow, Garrett & Dunner, LLP. Recognizing his legal skills and client management expertise, Adam was promoted to partner at McNeill Baur in 2019. His biological experience includes studying DNA replication and the cell cycle in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Escherichia coli, and Bacillus subtilis. The work examined how cells choose where to begin the process of copying their chromosomes; how they coordinate the process; the mechanisms they use to respond to problems with replication; and how they make sure each daughter cell receives its copy of the genome. Adam's chemical and physical experience includes studying the effects of antioxidants on synaptic membranes in a model of neuronal oxidative stress, and data analysis for genomic, single molecule fluorescence, and optical tweezers experiments on replicating chromosomes and protein-DNA complexes.
Job Titles:
- OPERATIONS and ACCOUNTING
Alex Shank focuses his practice on complex due-diligence investigations, freedom-to-operate analyses, pre-litigation strategy, and prosecution. He leverages his background as a patent litigator and Federal Circuit clerk to identify opportunities and issues in securing and challenging patents, and to manage patent portfolios and IP life cycles more broadly. To date, Alex's life-sciences patent experience spans treatments for pain, diabetes, high cholesterol, Parkinson's Disease, multiple sclerosis, ocular hypertension, mesothelioma, and HIV, as well as heart-implant devices, medical-imaging techniques, drug-delivery vehicles, and antibody drugs, among other technologies. For Alex's strategic, sophisticated, and efficient patent advocacy, Super Lawyers named him a Rising Star, and Best Lawyers named him One to Watch.
Alex previously honed his legal and technical advocacy as a patent litigator at Kirkland & Ellis LLP and as a clerk for the Honorable Richard Taranto at the Federal Circuit. He has represented patent owners and challengers before the Federal Circuit, district courts, the International Trade Commission, and the Patent Trial and Appeal Board. His extensive appellate experience includes authoring more than 40 briefs in Federal Circuit and Supreme Court matters, including appeals from Hatch-Waxman and BPCIA trials. Alex has argued at Markman and discovery hearings, deposed and defended corporate and expert witnesses, and drafted motions to dismiss, transfer, stay, and compel; motions for a preliminary injunction and summary judgment; Markman and post-trial briefs; and inter partes and post-grant review petitions, responses, expert reports, and other pleadings.
Catherine A. Van Houten supports the attorneys and clients of McNeill Baur PLLC as Practice Manager. She brings over 30 years of IP support experience, including 18 years in management roles with increasing levels of responsibility. Well-recognized for her knowledge and leadership ability, Cathy speaks and teaches frequently on patent firm administration. She creates course content and teaches for the Patent Resources Group seminar Patent Administration: A Foundation for Success. The course provides training in patent prosecution processes and procedures for administrative staff. Since 2009, Cathy has been a speaker at the Annual Conference for Senior Patent Administrators, sponsored each fall in London by the Management Forum. In 2016, Cathy became the Chairperson of the conference.
Amelia Feulner Baur's practice covers a broad spectrum of intellectual property issues, including patent preparation and prosecution, coordination of worldwide patent strategies, appeals to the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) of the US Patent and Trademark Office and the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (CAFC). Amelia has been recognized as an IP Star by both Managing Intellectual Property and LMG Life Sciences.
She has extensive experience working with clients to develop effective patent strategies to meet business goals. This includes landscape analyses, due diligence investigations, and providing patentability, freedom-to-operate, infringement, and validity opinions. In addition, Amelia has led clients through inter partes review (IPR), reexaminations, interferences, and the settlement of patent disputes. She has worked with biotech startups, research foundations, and larger, established pharmaceutical companies.
Amelia earned her PhD degree in molecular microbiology, where she gained extensive hands-on experience in the fields of microbiology, immunology, biochemistry, molecular biology, and infectious disease. She has substantial legal experience in many biotechnology and pharmaceutical practice areas including antibodies and antibody variants, diagnostic and detection methods, protein purification, vaccine technology, fusion proteins, gene cloning and expression, and gene and protein mutations.
Prior to founding McNeill Baur PLLC, Amelia spent more than a decade at two large IP firms: Finnegan, Henderson, Farabow, Garrett & Dunner, LLP and Nixon Peabody, LLP.
She is married to Dr. Joseph Baur, Associate Professor in the Department of Physiology and Institute for Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism, at Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.
Liz brings substantial experience in both European and US patent law
Liz Doherty has spent the past 20 years assisting clients in the life sciences with a wide range of US patent law issues. Since a patent strategy is part of an overall business strategy, Liz works closely with clients to align intellectual property and business goals. Liz has worked with many types of clients, from recent start-ups to large multinationals to research foundations to venture funds. The technologies on which she has focused include antibodies and other protein biologic drugs, methods of medical treatment, diagnostic methods and biomarkers, omega-3 fatty acid pharmaceuticals, non-natural nucleic acids, genomic sequencing methods, immunology methods, novel plant lines, and related agricultural methods, medical devices, and bioinformatics.
Before becoming a patent lawyer, Liz obtained a PhD in Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry from Yale University, where she worked in the laboratory of Dr. Jennifer Doudna, focusing on the structure of large RNA molecules. And before joining McNeill Baur, Liz spent 14 years at Finnegan, Henderson, Farabow, Garrett & Dunner, LLP, in Finnegan's Washington, DC, California, and European offices.
Liz's current work focuses on helping clients to develop patent strategies for their research projects, conducting due diligence and freedom to operate analyses, and preparing legal opinions, as well as drafting new patent applications and prosecuting US patent application portfolios. She has also prepared inter partes review (IPR) petitions and assisted a patent owner successfully defend all of its patent claims in an inter partes reexamination before the US Patent and Trademark Office. Liz spent a decade working in Europe and has interfaced extensively with European patent attorneys, both as clients and as colleagues. As a benefit of her tenure in Europe, she has worked frequently with European patent attorneys to improve the drafting of new patent applications in order to avoid common pitfalls that arise due to the differences in law and procedure between the US Patent and Trademark Office and the European Patent Office.
Coordinating patent and regulatory strategies for new drugs and biologics is also an important aspect of Liz's work. For example, she has counseled clients on non-patent exclusivities and US patent term extensions, and has helped clients to list patents in the US Food and Drug Administration Orange Book. During her legal career, Liz has also worked on several United States patent litigations, including three Abbreviated New Drug Application (ANDA) litigations.
Erin M. Hodge joins McNeill Baur as a Human Resource Manager. With 15 years of experience, Erin brings proven knowledge of human resources, employee benefits, and talent management. Erin began her career at a regional law firm located in Boston, where she provided Human Resources support and worked to streamline administrative processes.
In her current role, Erin supports the firm by:
developing workplace policies and ensuring compliance with federal and state employment laws;
overseeing the development and execution of the firm's benefits programs and processes;
assisting with recruiting and onboarding of new employees;
working with management team on employee relations and retention.
Erin received her Bachelor of Science in Economics-Finance from Bentley University. She is also a Human Resources Certified Professional by the Society of Human Resources Management (SHRM).
Education
Bentley University
Job Titles:
- Senior Accounting Specialist
Jeanne A Laszewski supports the attorneys and clients of McNeill Baur PLLC as a Senior Accounting Specialist. Jeanne brings 20 years of accounting experience to McNeill Baur. Prior to joining McNeill Baur, she was a senior accountant at LCC International Inc. (LCCI) where she managed accounts receivable and Security and Exchange filings for LCCI. In her current role, Jeanne assists the attorneys of McNeill Baur by:
managing and organizing the foreign counsel invoicing process;
responding to all vendor inquiries;
preparing monthly invoices and managing accounts receivable; and
preparing and submitting electronic invoices to clients.
Jeanne received her Bachelor of Business Administration with a concentration in Accounting and International Business from St. Mary's College (1995).
Education
St. Mary's College
Bachelor of Business Administration with a concentration in Accounting and International Business, 1995
Job Titles:
- Patent Prosecution Coordinator
Juliana H. Merlino supports the attorneys and clients of McNeill Baur PLLC as a Patent Prosecution Coordinator. With a background of over 20 years in intellectual property law, Juliana has extensive experience managing complex US and foreign patent filings and prosecution.Prior to joining McNeill Baur, Juliana was an International Patent Coordinator with Finnegan, Henderson, Farabow, Garrett and Dunner, LLP. In this leadership role, Juliana was responsible for training and managing the Boston office's International Filing Department, where her duties included:
managing the international docket;
preparing and filing foreign applications in regional patent offices, including ARIPO, Eurasia, EP, OAPI, and GCC; all PCT member countries; and nonconvention countries, such as Argentina, Hong Kong, Pakistan, Paraguay, Taiwan, Uruguay, and Venezuela;
preparing formal documents and coordinating proper legalization of documents for international filings;
preparing and filing PCT international applications;
preparing client reports;
maintaining complete and accurate application electronic and paper files;
researching international patent laws and educating attorneys and staff regarding changes in the laws.
Juliana has also served as a Senior Patent Paralegal at Quine Intellectual Law Group, P.C., and as a Foreign Filing Specialist with Townsend, Townsend and Crew LLP (now Kirkpatrick Townsend and Stockton LLP). Juliana received her Bachelor of Arts in History, from the University of California, Santa Cruz, with honors.
Education
University of California, Santa Cruz
Julie L. Heinrich, PhD, brings a wealth of patent prosecution and counseling experience to the firm's clients. Her career has focused primarily in the chemical area, but she has also handled matters involving a wide range of technologies, including medical devices, drug delivery systems, polymers, and electronically conductive polymers for use in advanced organic based electronic devices, such as OLEDs.
Julie began her legal career as a full time patent agent and part time law student, working at various firms including Foley and Lardner and Finnegan. Julie left private practice to work for Plextronics, Inc., a start-up company that is now part of Solvay, SA. Most recently, Julie has served as Senior Intellectual Property Counsel for NOVA Chemicals, Inc. where she participated in strategic development for the company's intellectual property to deliver business value and stay aligned with the company's overall goals.
Over her career, Julie has amassed experience in client counseling, patent estate management, contract drafting and negotiation, and process development (that met certification standards). These skills have enabled her to assist clients and organizations to protect their intellectual property assets and implement continuous improvement processes.
Julie earned a BS in Chemistry from Miami University in Oxford, OH, and her PhD in Chemistry from the University of California at San Diego. She earned her JD from Santa Clara School of Law, where she graduated cum laude, in the top 10% of her class and was inducted as a member of the Order of the Coif.
Job Titles:
- Senior Billing Specialist
Leah Landry supports the attorneys and clients of McNeill Baur PLLC as an Senior Billing Specialist. She brings over five years of accounting experience in the legal industry. Prior to joining McNeill Baur, she was an Accounts Receivable Assistant Manager with a multi-state law firm serving the Default Industry. In this leadership role, Leah was responsible for invoice auditing, payment processing and reporting, as well as training and educating colleagues. She spearheaded the development of a comprehensive training guide encompassing all regulatory and client specific invoicing guidelines. In her current role, Leah assists the attorneys of McNeill Baur by:
managing and organizing the accounts receivable workflow;
reviewing and responding to vendor and client invoice inquiries;
preparing, submitting, and tracking electronic invoices to clients; and
assisting partners with billing activities.
Leah received her Bachelor of Science in Accounting and Finance from Southern New Hampshire University (2015).
Education
Southern New Hampshire University
Bachelor of Science in Accounting and Finance, 2015
Mary E. Chlebowski, PhD, focuses her practice on worldwide patent prosecution and portfolio management in the chemical and pharmaceutical sciences. Mary has a wide range of prosecution experience including application drafting, prosecuting world-wide applications, and interference work. In addition, Mary has worked on opposition to applicants and patents including third-party submissions in the US and oppositions before the European Patent Office.
Mary's litigation experience included conducting fact and expert discovery, preparing and defending witnesses, drafting pleadings, motions, and briefs including for claim construction, and preparing for district court trials and Federal Circuit appeals. This experience, coupled with her extensive prosecution practice, allows her to provide strategic client counseling including writing opinions and conducting detailed due diligence projects. Mary has researched and prepared opinions relating to patentability, validity, freedom-to-operate, infringement, and Orange book FDA listing.
Prior to joining McNeill Baur PLLC, Mary spent more than 10 years as a patent attorney at Finnegan, Henderson, Farabow, Garrett & Dunner, LLP, most recently as an expert prosecution trainer. Prior to Finnegan, Mary earned her PhD in Chemistry from Emory University and conducted research at the University of Avignon in France, the University of Florida, and Niagara University.
Mary counsels clients on strategies for increasing commercial value of their intellectual property portfolios, prepares and prosecutes patent applications, manages international patent portfolios, performs diligence investigations, prepares opinions, and advises clients on IP transaction provisions in the areas of biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, and medical devices. Mary has been recognized as an IP Star by Managing Intellectual Property and as a US Life Sciences Star for Intellectual Property by LMG Life Sciences. Her value-adding approach to building her clients' IP portfolios is backed by more than 15 years prosecuting and defending life science patents before the USPTO and several US district courts. Using her unique combination of experience, Mary identifies and seeks protection for aspects of technologies that otherwise may have gone overlooked and works closely with clients to align their IP portfolios with their company's business goals.
Mary uses her value-adding approach to life science technology at any stage of development-from early discovery to block-buster product-and for any-sized life science business. She works with emerging startups, publicly-traded US companies, research foundations, and multi-national companies.
Mary leverages her litigation experience to reinforce her client's IP portfolios. Her experience includes preparing and defending fact and expert witnesses at deposition; preparing expert discovery; drafting pleadings, motions, and briefs; participating in Markman proceedings and trials. Mary was also an attorney of record for amicus briefing before the district and Federal Circuit courts in the Myriad case.
Mary's expertise in counseling gene therapy clients is backed by hands-on experience in the field. Her doctoral and post-doctoral gene therapy research involved investigated AAV therapies for the prevention and treatment of Pompe disease and other inherited metabolic and muscular disorders, and immunological considerations related to gene therapy. During the course of her research, she was involved in the clinical trial testing of the Myozyme® drug product. Mary also investigated murine embryonic stem cell transduction and differentiation; production, purification, and quantification of recombinant viral vectors (adeno-associated virus (AAV) and adenovirus); in utero gene therapy methods in mice and nonhuman primates; catalytic RNAs; and recombinant protein production, purification, and characterization. She was awarded post-doctoral funding from the National Institutes of Health and several pre-doctoral fellowships from the American Heart Association for her research.
Prior to joining McNeill Baur PLLC, Mary practiced as an attorney for over 9 years in the Atlanta office of Finnegan, Henderson, Farabow, Garrett & Dunner, LLP. Prior to that, Mary also gained life science patent preparation, prosecution, and interference experience working as a summer associate and law clerk at several intellectual property boutique firms throughout the Southeast.
Mary has been involved with several Life Science organizations including SEBIO, Georgia BIO, North Carolina Biotechnology Center, North Carolina Council for Entrepreneurial Development, and BioFlorida. She has also served as Chair of the SEBIO Networking Committee and as an SEBIO Early Stage Company Mentor. Mary is also a past vice-chair of the PTAB Bar Association PTAB Appeals Committee.
Michael P. Ellenberger focuses his practice on patent prosecution and due diligence investigations. With his background in patent litigation and experience as a researcher with the National Institutes of Health, Michael advises clients with an intricate understanding of the legal and scientific questions that arise during the life cycle of a patent.
Michael has experience in a wide range of technical areas in the life sciences space, including medical devices and biopharmaceuticals, small molecule therapeutics for type-2 diabetes, medical neurochemistry, and more. Moreover, Michael has represented clients in high-stakes litigations. His experience includes developing pre-litigation strategy, drafting contentions, conducting fact and expert discovery, preparing dispositive motions, and more. Michael's litigation expertise informs his current work in prosecution and counseling through a deep understanding of how challengers attack patents. Additionally, Michael has authored publications for medical chemistry and molecular pharmacology journals, as well as the Northwestern Journal of Technology & Intellectual Property. He is qualified to practice before the USPTO as a patent attorney.
Michael joins McNeill Baur PLLC after having practiced in the IP Litigation group at Kirkland & Ellis LLP in Chicago. While at the Northwestern Pritzker School of Law, Michael worked as a law clerk for Richards Patent Law P.C., Waller Lansden Dortch & Davis, and Rakoczy Molino Mazzochi Siwik LLP. Before starting his legal practice, Michael conducted medicinal chemistry research at the National Institute on Drug Abuse within the National Institutes of Health, in the lab of Dr. Amy H. Newman.
Job Titles:
- Patent Prosecution Coordinator
Molly Morris supports the attorneys and clients of McNeill Baur PLLC as a Patent Prosecution Coordinator. With a background of more than 11 years in intellectual property law, Molly has extensive experience managing large US and foreign patent portfolios for a diverse client base. Prior to joining McNeill Baur, Molly was employed as a Senior Patent Paralegal with ALG Intellectual Property, LLC. In her current role, Molly assists the attorneys of McNeill Baur by:
docketing and reporting incoming USPTO and international correspondence;
preparing and filing PCT international applications;
preparing and filing documents at the USPTO;
maintaining complete and accurate electronic files;
corresponding with clients and foreign counsel regarding deadlines and status of applications.
Molly received her Bachelor of Arts in Communications from the University of Montana.
Education
University of Montana
Job Titles:
- PARTNER
- Founding and Managing Partner
With more than 22 years of experience in biotechnology patent prosecution and counseling, Rebecca offers intellectual property strategy, new application preparation, patent prosecution (US and foreign), preparation and negotiation of IP transactions, USPTO contentious practice, and the full scope of counseling services to clients of various sizes. Rebecca has earned a reputation for excellence in her field, having been recognized as an IP Star by both Managing Intellectual Property and LMG Life Sciences and ranked with an AV Preeminent® Peer Review Rating from Martindale-Hubble.® Rebecca has been described as protecting inventions in a "commercially viable and strategic way" and having "excellent attention to detail and quality of work." Rebecca "quickly wins-and maintains-the trust of those she works with." She has a special interest in counseling clients on patent application filing and developing worldwide prosecution strategies in concert with clients' business goals. She has worked with biotech start-ups, research foundations, universities, and pharmaceutical companies, ranging from early-stage to publicly-traded companies. She has managed and directed the US and international patent portfolios for US clients and has overseen the US patent portfolio for international clients in Europe and Asia. Rebecca has also expertly resolved material errors made by others in transactions with the US Patent and Trademark Office, in applications under the PCT, or in foreign patent prosecution, including filing errors and errors in the payment of maintenance or annuity fees. Rebecca also has experience in litigation and USPTO contentious proceedings. Rebecca also enjoys her role as McNeill Baur's managing partner, where she focuses on making the firm a positive place for our employees to come to work each day.
Rebecca has substantial experience in many technical areas, but has focused primarily in the life sciences, with specific areas including: antibodies and variants; bacteriotherapy and probiotics; cell signaling and signal transduction; coagulation proteins; cosmetics and consumer health products; diagnostics and detection methods; electrochemiluminescence assays; fusion proteins; gene mutations; gene cloning and expression; genetic engineering; immunooncology; infectious diseases; liposomes; markers and the molecular bases of diseases; microbiology; neuroscience; new methods of treating diseases and new uses for known compounds; protein purification; salt forms of pharmaceutical compositions; single molecule sequencing; small molecule therapeutics; and vaccine technology.
Prior to founding McNeill Baur PLLC, Rebecca practiced law at another small firm. She also served as the Head of Intellectual Property and Legal Affairs at Seres Health, Inc., a microbiome company. Rebecca defined and executed the IP objectives, strategy, and plan for Seres Health, including filing new applications, providing freedom-to-operate assessments, and drafting and negotiating a wide variety of agreements. Rebecca also spent 17 years at Finnegan, Henderson, Farabow, Garrett & Dunner, LLP.
Rebecca, leading our Massachusetts office, has made significant corporate sponsorships to the Museum of Science, Boston and the BioBuilder Educational Foundation Apprenticeship Challenge to invest in the next generation of inventors. Rebecca also has a strong dedication to pro bono legal services and sponsors the Massachusetts office commitment to Greater Boston Legal Services at the Leadership League level. Rebecca has also represented individuals needing pro bono legal services, including first-chairing a felony criminal trial and obtaining increased benefits for disabled veterans.
Rebecca has held prominent leadership positions in a variety of organizations, including as President of the Boston Intellectual Property Law Association (BIPLA) (formerly known as the Boston Patent Law Association (BPLA)), President-Elect, Vice President, Treasurer, Secretary, and Member of the Board of Governors of the BPLA (2018-2022), co-chair of the Boston Patent Law Association Biotechnology Committee (2017), co-chair of the Boston Patent Law Association Chemical Patent Practice Committee (2013-2016), co-chair of the MassBio IP Committee (2011-2012), DC Bar Board of Governors (2007-2011), DC Women's Bar Association Foundation Board Member (2007-2008), and Women's Bar Association of the District of Columbia (Board member, IP Forum co-chair (2001-2007)).
Rebecca also serves as a US Ski and Snowboard L200 certified cross-country ski coach and member of the Board of Directors of Eastern Mass Cross Country (EMXC), an organization dedicated to promoting ski education, competition, and cross-country skiing as a healthy lifelong family sport.
Susan L. Statz supports the attorneys and clients of McNeill Baur PLLC as Operations Manager. She brings over 15 years of IP law firm management experience, including serving as the National Director of Records Management and IP Administration for a large international firm and running her own legal support service company providing docketing, paralegal, bookkeeping, and consulting services to small IP law firms. Susan has a Bachelor degree with a double major in Accounting and Business Administration. In her current role, Susan assists the attorneys of McNeill Baur with:
planning, forecasting, budgeting, payroll, and financial reporting;
managing and organizing administrative functions;
recruiting, training, and attending to HR management;
strategic planning and other general management functions.
Susan received her Bachelor of Accounting and Business Administration with an emphasis in Management from Regis University (1996).
Education
Regis University
Bachelor of Accounting and Business Administration with an emphasis in Management, 1996