Heather R. Kissling, William K. Merkel, Ph.D., and Michael J. Allikian, Ph.D. to Present on the Patent Process During Innovation and New Ventures (INVO) at Northwestern University Luncheon Program
Three Marshall, Gerstein & Borun LLP members of the Biotechnology & Life Sciences practice group will share their insights on the patent process as part of Innovation and New Ventures (INVO) at Northwestern University’s informative luncheon program.
Heather R. Kissling, partner and chair of Marshall Gerstein’s Biotechnology & Life Sciences practice group, William K. Merkel, Ph.D., partner, and Michael J. Allikian, Ph.D., associate, will discuss common issues faced by academic inventors and entrepreneurs, such as:
- Patent strategies and when to file a patent application
- The process of obtaining a patent from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
- The requirements for patentability
- The role of inventors in the patent process
“Understanding Patents – Answering Common Questions From Academic Inventors”
Tuesday, October 9, 2018
11:30am – 12:30pm CT
Robert H. Lurie Medical Research Center
303 East Superior Street
Searle Seminar Room
Chicago, IL 60611
INVO at Northwestern University is a crucial part of Northwestern’s innovation ecosystem. INVO catalyzes the translation of Northwestern’s innovation to benefit the public and promote economic growth. Marshall Gerstein is pleased to be involved with this local entity, relating to biotechnology and life sciences. To learn more about the mission and initiatives of INVO, click here.
Heather R. Kissling draws from 20 years of experience securing biotechnology patents to develop worldwide filing and prosecution strategies that further her clients’ business objectives. Ms. Kissling actively collaborates with in-house counsel, bench scientists, and business development personnel to maximize protection of biotechnology innovations in a broad range of technologies, including biopharmaceuticals, personalized medicine, and industrial biotechnology.
William K. Merkel, Ph.D. has provided a range of intellectual property legal services to a diverse portfolio of clients for more than 25 years. With a current focus on patent prosecution in the biotechnological arts, Dr. Merkel has prosecuted numerous domestic, foreign, and international patent applications drawn to such diverse technologies as modulators of metabolic pathways involved in disease states, viral oncotherapies, CAR-T cell therapies, agricultural technologies, and pharmaceutical products and methodologies.
Michael J. Allikian, Ph.D. brings extensive technological expertise to secure his clients valuable products, primarily in the field of molecular biology. Dr. Allikian’s significant graduate study, including extensive doctoral research on aging and postdoctoral research on musculoskeletal disease, gives him an extraordinary grasp of the issues as well as application of the science. Clients find Dr. Allikian careful and precise in working with them, as well as a strong communicator on behalf of their rights from his experience as a teacher and writer.