Navigating the Cannabis and Psychedelic Patent Landscape: Trends, Challenges and Future Directions

Mr. Holman, Ph.D., is a director in Sterne Kessler’s Biotechnology & Chemical and Trial & Appellate Practice Groups, with a practice focused on proceedings before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB). With a technical background and training in immunology, microbiology, and molecular biology, he regularly represents leading companies in biotech, pharmaceutical, and chemical industries. Mr. Holman's PTAB practice includes inter partes reviews, post-grant reviews, and interferences, where he counsels clients on initial pre-trial PTAB strategy, briefing and discovery during the PTAB proceeding, appeal and/or settlement. David also regularly counsel's clients on global patent preparation and prosecution strategies.

Ms. Sterling focuses her practice in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries, where she is involved in all areas of patent procurement, exploitation and enforcement. Her experience includes representing clients in over 70 inter partes review and covered business method proceedings, and in multiple patent interferences and reexaminations. Ms. Sterling's practice also includes counseling clients on intellectual property strategy, including evaluating patent portfolios, e.g., for invalidity, non-infringement, freedom-to-operate and due diligence analyses, and she has assisted clients in devising design-around strategies for issued patents.