David E. Nelson Memorial Lecture

The Role of Patent and Trade Secret Licensing in Supporting Early-Stage Innovation

Professor Rob Merges, Berkeley Law | BCLT

Professor Rob Merges will be presenting his new paper, Patents, Validity Challenges, and Private Ordering: A New Dispensation for the Easy-Challenge Era, which focuses on IP’s impact on R&D and the economics of licensing transactions.

Professor Merges is Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati Professor of Law and Associate Dean of Advanced Degree Programs and Global Engagement. Professor Merges is co-founder and co-Faculty Director of the Berkeley Center for Law and Technology, cornerstone of Berkeley Law’s intellectual property program. Professor Merges has authored or co-authored five books: Patent Law and Policy: Cases and Materials; Intellectual Property in the New Technological Age; Legal Protection for Computer Technology; Trademarks, Unfair Competition and Business Torts; and Justifying Intellectual Property. He has also edited six other books.

Wednesday, March 30
5:30 P.M.
University Club
California Memorial Stadium
2227 Piedmont Ave, Berkeley, CA
Directions and parking

CLE will be offered.

Resources:

Rob Merges, Patents, Validity Challenges, and Private Ordering: A New Dispensation for the Easy-Challenge Era

Fireside Chat

The Nelson Lecture will be followed by a fireside chat with Barbara Kosacz, Chief Operating Officer and General Counsel at Kronos Bio, Inc., responding to Professor Merges’ paper, and moderated by BCLT’s Life Sciences Project Director, Allison Schmitt. The chat will explore the impacts of patent and trade secret licensing on the growth cycle of small life sciences companies, and how we can support those companies more efficiently.

Barbara Kosacz joined Kronos Bio in 2020 with over 25 years of experience in the biopharma industry, most recently as the head of Cooley LLP’s international Life Sciences, where she helped scores of biopharma companies structure and negotiate their most transformative transactions. Barbara has received numerous awards and accomplishments, most recently as Biotechnology Lawyer of the Year for 2018.

Reception will follow.

BCLT Spring Career Fair
This program will be followed by an invitation-only Career Fair for UC Berkeley Law students and sponsoring law firms.

If you require an accommodation for effective communication (ASL interpreting/CART captioning, alternative media formats, etc.) or information about campus mobility access features in order to fully participate in this event, please contact Nathalie Coletta, at natcoletta@berkeley.edu or 805-975-3299, with as much advance notice as possible and at least 7-10 days in advance of the event.