William K. Merkel, Ph.D. works with an array of biotechnology clients extending from industry leaders to start-up enterprises. His practice includes foreign and domestic patent prosecution, litigation, and oppositions, as well as validity, infringement and patentability opinions. Dr. Merkel’s areas of technical focus include medical diagnostics and therapeutics, agricultural and pharmaceutical products and methods, genomics, and medical and agricultural biotechnology.
Dr. Merkel has secured intellectual property rights in subject matters such as:
- Nucleic acid hybridization and amplification methodologies
- Recombinant expression systems for a variety of biologically active compounds such as growth factors, transcription factors, and signal proteins
- Molecular immunological methodologies including immunocontraceptive proteins
- Anti-HIV therapeutics
- Plant-based systems for environmental remediation
- Cell growth technologies
Representative litigation includes Abbott Laboratories v. Biosite Diagnostics, Inc., Civil Action No. 94-C-2808 (N.D. Ill.) and Hyseq, Inc. v. Affymetrix, Inc., Civil Action No. C-97-20188 (N.D. Cal).
Dr. Merkel’s contributions to the field of biotechnology include graduate-level research that has contributed to our understanding of the molecular genetics of vitamin biosynthesis in prokaryotes. As a Research Fellow, Dr. Merkel discovered the Pan Operon, revealing the organization of genes involved in pantothenate biosynthesis, as reported in the professional literature. This research experience and advanced training and education provide him a deep level of understanding of complex scientific systems and methodologies. Dr. Merkel has also been recognized by his peers as a Leading Lawyer.
Dr. Merkel is admitted to practice in the state courts of Illinois and the U.S. District Court for Northern Illinois; he is also registered to practice before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
Dr. Merkel received his J.D. from New York University and his Ph.D. in Biological Sciences from the University of Illinois at Chicago. He earned a B.A. in Economics and Psychology from Knox College.
