Professionals

Joseph A. Williams, Jr. has significant experience in the field of biotechnology, having worked as a technical specialist and  patent agent before becoming an attorney. He works with clients in a wide variety of biotechnology matters involving domestic and foreign patent prosecution, U.S. interference and foreign opposition proceedings, non-infringement/validity opinions and portfolio management.

Subject matters of Dr. Williams’ patent prosecutions include:

• Genomics -- cellular adhesion molecules, phosphodiesterases, protein kinases, protein phosphatases, compartmentalization proteins, growth factors, signal transduction proteins, DNA binding proteins, glycosylation proteins, restriction endonucleases, exonucleases, immunocontraceptive proteins, protein expression systems including expression constructs/vectors, transcriptional promoter sequences and secretory signals, modified fungal cell expression systems, antisense regulation of gene expression, nucleic acid amplification and sequencing methods
• Proteomics -- protein binding assays, automated binding protein identification systems, nanoparticle-based binding protein systems, peptide mimetics, high throughput screening assays
• Nanobiotechnology -- nanoparticle-based diagnostic and therapeutic applications, sequencing by hybridization, gene chip analysis of expression, high throughput screening
• Antibody technology -- antibody production and diagnostic, therapeutic, and prophylactic applications, including single chain, human, humanized, and chimeric  antibodies, antibody fusion proteins
• Vaccine technology
• Liposome and micelle technologies

Dr. Williams graduated from North Carolina  State  University in 1980 with a B.S. in Chemistry and the University of Tennessee at Knoxville in 1988 with a Ph.D. in Biochemistry. His graduate research involved study of heterologous regulation of gene expression and isolation of nuclear factors that mediate specific gene expression. Dr. Williams’ post-doctoral research at the Louisiana State University in New Orleans focused on cell cycle-dependent regulation of gene expression (1988-1990, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology) and bacterial assays to screen for inhibitors of viral proteases (1990-1992, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology).

Dr. Williams graduated from the DePaul University College of Law in 1999.

REPRESENTATIVE MATTERS

Boyle* v. Gorman
U.S. Patent Office Board of Patent Appeals and Interferences
Case Type(s): Patent Interference
Area(s) of practice: Biotechnology

Chee v. Drmanac*
U.S. Patent and Trademark Office Board of Patent Appeals and Interferences
Case Type(s): Patent Interference
Area(s) of practice: Biotechnology

McDonald v. Miyazaki*
U.S. Patent Office Board of Patent Appeals and Interferences
Case Type(s): Patent Interference
Area(s) of practice: Biotechnology

Eaton v. Miyazaki*
U.S. Patent Office Board of Patent Appeals and Interferences
Case Type(s): Patent Interference
Area(s) of practice: Biotechnology

Chandrasekher* v. Liang
U.S. Patent Office Board of Patent Appeals and Interferences
Case Type(s): Patent Interference
Area(s) of practice: Biotechnology

Opposition re: Amgen Inc.*
Boards of Appeal of the European Patent Office
Case Type(s): Opposition
Area(s) of practice: Pharmaceuticals

Opposition re: ICOS Corporation.*
Boards of Appeal of the European Patent Office
Case Type(s): Opposition
Area(s) of practice: Biotechnology

*Party Represented