Means-Plus-Function and Antibody Patent Claims: Preparing, Defending, and Enforcing MPF Claims

Dr. Murphy focuses her practice on client counseling and patent prosecution for a range of clients. She prepares new patent applications, prosecutes U.S. and foreign applications, and represents applicants at appeals and oral hearings before the PTAB. She has experience in prosecuting inter partes and ex partes reexamination applications, reissue applications, and patent term extension applications for approved pharmaceuticals, including obtaining supplemental protection certificates in Europe.

Mr. Irving has 47 years of experience in the field of IP law. His practice includes due diligence, patent prosecution, reissue and reexamination, patent interferences, and counseling, including prelitigation, Orange Book listings of patents covering FDA-approved drugs, and infringement and validity analysis in the chemical fields, as well as litigation. He has served as lead counsel in many patent interferences.

Ms. Brougher is a patent attorney who focuses on all aspects of services related to patents in the areas of biotechnology, pharmaceuticals and medical devices, including patentability opinions, due diligence, patent drafting, domestic and foreign patent prosecution, development and management of patent portfolios, and general client counseling during all phases of a product’s lifecycle, from concept to commercialization.


 


Her patent experience covers a variety of complex and innovative inventions involving small molecule drugs, biologics, cell-based technologies, compositions, drug formulations and drug delivery systems, immunotherapeutics, medical devices, diagnostic tests, nanotechnology, and immunology, particularly vaccines and antibodies. Ms. Brougher also has experience counseling clients on the Hatch-Waxman Act and is monitoring developments involving biosimilars under the Biologics Price Competition and Innovation Act.

Dr. Carter specializes in worldwide patent prosecution, focusing on complex patentability cases, as well as assisting with contractual issues and providing technical support for intellectual property litigation. She has in depth expertise in a broad spectrum of chemical and biological science areas, including small molecule pharmaceuticals, particularly in the area of infectious disease and is an expert in nucleic acid chemistry. Dr. Carter’s practice includes multiple years negotiating license deals between academic institutions and big pharma, both in U.S. and abroad, as well as negotiating license deals between small biotech companies and big pharma. She also managed large in-licensed portfolios and provided IP support for research and license collaborations. Dr. Carter also has years of expertise in providing FTO analysis and due diligence investigations. Prior to joining the firm, Dr. Carter served for over 10 years as Assistant General Counsel in Global Patents at GlaxoSmithKline.

Ms. O’Brien has more than 20 years of experience representing domestic and foreign clients of all sizes in patent procurement, litigation, and client counseling, with a particular emphasis on chemical, biochemical, and pharmaceutical technologies. Exemplary areas of her technical expertise include polymer chemistry; ceramics; glass; food chemistry; cosmetics; paper products; adhesives; and pharmaceutical products, including new chemical entities and formulations and novel solid forms, including polymorphs, cocrystals, and amorphous forms of compounds.