Crystal has more than twenty years’ experience as a patent attorney advising life sciences companies on a broad range of intellectual property matters. Her practice focuses on developing and implementing global patent strategies for pharmaceutical, biopharmaceutical, biotechnology, and medical device companies. She develops and manages U.S. and global patent portfolios and counsels clients on patent landscapes, freedom-to-operate, non-infringement and invalidity matters. She works closely with executives, scientists, and in-house legal teams to provide patent strategies that support clients’ business objectives.
Crystal counsels clients on patent matters throughout the product lifecycle from early-stage research and clinical development through regulatory approval and commercialization. She develops strategies to maximize exclusivity for pharmaceutical and biologic products, including for several that have achieved U.S. FDA-approval, and advises on patent term extensions and Orange Book listings.
In addition, Crystal advises life sciences companies, investors, and financial institutions on intellectual property issues arising in financings and commercial transactions. Her experience includes conducting patent due diligence and providing strategic IP counseling for public offerings, mergers and acquisitions, and licensing transactions.
Crystal has developed and prosecuted patent portfolios covering a variety of technologies including antibody-based therapeutics, recombinant proteins and peptides, pharmaceutical formulations, immunotherapies, small-molecule therapeutics, biologics, biosimilars, vaccines, biomarkers, diagnostic assays, blood filtration and coagulation, wound care, regenerative medicine, extracellular matrix biomaterials, and medical devices.
Representative Matters
- Developed and implemented global patent and exclusivity strategy for multiple clinical-stage biologic assets of a rare disease-focused biopharma company and advised on IP matters related to the company’s initial public offering, subsequent follow-on offerings, strategic acquisition of a pre-clinical stage pharmaceutical company, and eventual acquisition by a publicly traded pharmaceutical company.*
- Advised publicly traded pharmaceutical company on patent matters for multiple product candidates, including an FDA-approved oncology drug and its Orange Book and patent term extension submissions, and advised on IP matters related to the company’s various public financings and ultimate acquisition by a global pharmaceutical company.*
- Advised multinational pharmaceutical company on U.S. patent strategy for its FDA‑approved antibody-based cancer therapeutic.*
- Advised medical device company on global patent strategy and on IP matters related to the company’s acquisition by a SPAC and subsequent follow-on offerings.*
- Advised privately held pharmaceutical company on patent strategy related to its FDA-approved nasally administered small-molecule therapeutic and Orange Book submissions.*
* Represents transactions completed prior to joining Morse.
