Our life sciences practice features professionals experienced in counseling clients in the life sciences industry with regard to:
- Intellectual property
- Licensing and strategic alliances
- Corporate finance, governance, and mergers and acquisitions
- Employment and executive compensation
Intellectual Property
We help our clients in the life sciences industry safeguard their intellectual property by exploiting the full range of available protections. Our patent prosecution team designs and implements value-oriented patent portfolios, and performs freedom-to-operate and related clearance studies on behalf of our clients. Our trademark team advises clients on the selection, registration and enforcement of marks in the United States and abroad. We provide copyright registration services to protect works of authorship such as software code, and our attorneys also assist clients with developing and implementing effective trade secret protection programs.
Licensing and Strategic Alliances
We counsel clients on structuring, negotiating and drafting many types of third party agreements, including in-bound and out-bound license agreements involving patented and other technologies, joint research and development agreements, clinical trial agreements, sponsored research agreements, invention assignments, consulting agreements, and non-competition agreements. We also provide guidance regarding distribution agreements, sales agency agreements, manufacturing and joint venture agreements.
Corporate Governance; Venture Capital Financing; Mergers and Acquisitions
We have represented technology companies or investors in public and private financing transactions totaling many hundreds of millions of dollars. Our attorneys have significant experience in representing issuers of securities in initial public offerings, follow-on public equity and debt offerings and PIPE transactions, as well as in advising clients on compliance with the public securities laws. We frequently structure and negotiate initial and follow-on rounds of venture capital from domestic and foreign venture capital firms and other institutional investors. We have extensive experience in complex M&A transactions in which we have represented both publicly traded and privately held buyers and sellers.
Employment and Executive Compensation
We help clients protect their human capital by counseling them in the tax, accounting, and securities laws and other legal implications of structuring and negotiating employment, compensation and termination arrangements.
Experience
REPRESENTATIVE MATTERS:
- Conducting intellectual property due diligence, including a freedom to operate study, on behalf of a global pharmaceutical company in connection with that company’s proposed acquisition of worldwide rights to an anti-infective product.
- Leveraging a provisional application on a medical aesthetics technology into a worldwide patent portfolio protecting valuable market share, and later purchased for a multi-million dollar valuation by a competitor.
- Conducting freedom to operate studies on behalf of a biotech company in support of that company’s RNAi development programs.
- Building an international patent portfolio for a platform technology of a medical device company leading up to its acquisition for almost $700 million.
- Managing trademark matters for Kyruus, CRF Health, Physicians Interactive, Owen Mumford, Signet Armorlite Europe, Pharmalucence, and others.
- Representing ETEX Corporation in its sale to Zimmer Holdings, Inc. and the divestiture of the CarriCell and CarriJect product lines to a third party purchaser.
- Representing Agrivida, Inc. in its research alliance with Syngenta Ventures to develop advanced crop technology and provide Agrivida access to Syngenta crop technology and intellectual property.
- Representing an academic institution and working with its exclusive licensee in patent prosecution matters before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to obtain issued patents related to induced pluripotent stem cell technology enabling the reprogramming of human somatic cells.
- Representing a biopharmaceutical Company in its evaluation and in-licensure of patent rights and related technology from Massachusetts General Hospital for the treatment of cystic fibrosis.
- Counseling multiple medical device companies on a broad array of employment law issues, including employment agreements and policies, preventative practices, discipline and discharge issues, wage and hour issues, and non-compete matters.
- Represented a diagnostic instruments company in response to a complaint alleging disability discrimination and retaliation. Our attorneys were in successful in obtaining the dismissal of the complaint.
- Recently defended a medical delivery company in a class action alleging independent contractor misclassification. Our attorneys were successful in obtaining a favorable class action settlement.
- Represented bluebird bio, Inc., a clinical-stage company committed to developing potentially transformative gene therapies for severe genetic diseases and T cell-based immunotherapies, in connection with securing L-1A and O-1 visa approvals, and eventual Green Cards for key hires when H-1B visas were unavailable.
- Represented Imbed Biosciences, Inc., a privately-held medical device company developing novel and patent-pending technologies for imbedding bioactive molecules in wound dressings and surgical implants, in securing immigrant visa petition approval under the Extraordinary Ability category for its co-founder, paving the way for company to successfully launch.
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Daniel J. Blanchard
Member - 781-697-2216
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Daniel J. Blanchard
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Scott R. Bleier
Member - 781-697-2297
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Scott R. Bleier
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Erin E. Bryan
Member - 781-697-2284
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Erin E. Bryan
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Michael J. Cavaretta
Member - 781-697-2263
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Michael J. Cavaretta
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Stanley F. Chalvire
Member - 781-697-2268
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Stanley F. Chalvire
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Richard D. Cocci
Member - 781-697-2261
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Richard D. Cocci
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David M. Czarnecki
Member - 781-697-2285
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David M. Czarnecki
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Justin B. Emery
Associate - 781-697-2270
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Justin B. Emery
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Sebastian Estrada
Associate - 727-504-0424
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Sebastian Estrada
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Jonathan D. Gworek
Member - 781-697-2229
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Jonathan D. Gworek
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Joseph E. Hunt IV
Member - 781-697-2272
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Joseph E. Hunt IV
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Faith D. Kasparian
Member - 781-697-2231
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Faith D. Kasparian
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Scott R. Magee
Member - 781-697-2233
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Scott R. Magee
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Joseph C. Marrow
Member - 781-697-2246
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Joseph C. Marrow
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Joseph R. Martinez
Counsel - 781-697-2244
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Joseph R. Martinez
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James M. McKenzie
Counsel - 781-697-2217
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James M. McKenzie
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Matthew L. Mitchell
Member - 617-227-1080
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Matthew L. Mitchell
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Elizabeth A. Resteghini
Senior Attorney - 781-697-2279
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Elizabeth A. Resteghini
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Amanda E. Thibodeau
Senior Attorney - 781-697-2206
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Amanda E. Thibodeau
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John J. Tumilty
Member - 781-697-2214
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John J. Tumilty
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Lisa M. Warren
Managing Member - 781-622-5930
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Lisa M. Warren
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Russell L. Widom, Ph.D
Senior Patent Agent - 781-697-2215
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Russell L. Widom, Ph.D
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Daniel E. Wilcox
Counsel - 781-697-2275
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Daniel E. Wilcox
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Jeannie Wu, Ph.D.
Counsel - 781-697-2232
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Jeannie Wu, Ph.D.
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Paige K. Zacharakis
Senior Attorney - 781-697-2256
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Paige K. Zacharakis
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Howard G. Zaharoff
Of Counsel - 781-697-2237
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Howard G. Zaharoff
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Martin Z. Zhang
Member - 781-697-2221
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Martin Z. Zhang
News
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Morse Ranked in 18 Categories in 2023 PitchBook League Tables
March 05, 2024 -
2023 VC Deals
A Snapshot of Venture Capital Transactions
February 21, 2024 -
2019-2023 M&A Deals
Mergers & Acquisitions: A Transaction Recap
February 21, 2024 -
Morse Welcomes Corporate Counsel Daniel E. Wilcox
February 13, 2024 -
Celebrating the Career of Carl Barnes: A Retirement Announcement
January 01, 2024 -
Client Alert: Product Pricing May Be Relevant When Federal Agencies Consider Exercising March-in Rights
December 19, 2023 -
Morse Women Attorneys Webinar Series
November 08, 2023 -
Employment Law Alert: MA Announces Major Changes to the Paid Family and Medical Leave Act
October 24, 2023 -
Patents and Pumpkins: Hidden Soft Spots Can Ruin Them Both
October 12, 2023 -
Morse Expands Patent Practice; Welcomes Martin Zhang, Jeannie Wu, Russell Widom
August 29, 2023
Events
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Building Resilient Biotechnology Research in the Shadow of The Biosecure Act
Event Date: March 28, 2024 7:00 pm -
WEBINAR: The Basics of Arbitration
Event Date: November 30, 2023 9:00 am -
WEBINAR: Intellectual Property (IP) Basics: A Primer on Patent, Trademark, and Copyright
Event Date: May 11, 2023 12:00 pm -
WEBINAR: Corporate and Employment Considerations for Entrepreneurs Starting a Business
Event Date: September 22, 2022 12:00 pm -
2018 Tax Reform: Life Sciences Update
Event Date: April 24, 2018 7:30 am -
Cocktails & Conversation with Life Sciences Industry Leaders
Event Date: October 11, 2017 5:00 pm -
Encore Event! Strategic Alliances: Pot of Gold or Pretty Poison?
Event Date: June 28, 2017 4:30 pm
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Particles Plus Exemplifies What Employers Can Do to Help Protect Employees During COVID-19
April 15, 2020
Particles Plus manufactures products that are at the forefront of the COVID-19 pandemic, including the company's particle counter found in isolation rooms. Morse worked with leadership, helping to put plans in place to protect employees while continuing to produce these essential devices.
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Technology for the Greater Good from The Additive Advantage
November 14, 2017
While The Additive Advantage team is developing novel technologies for industries such as pharmaceuticals, packaging, and humanitarian efforts, Morse manages the company's patent, licensing, and other legal needs.