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Melissa S. Rones
Associate
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Melissa counsels clients in the biotechnology, biopharmaceutical, medical device and instrumentation industries on a wide range of intellectual property issues, including patent portfolio development and life cycle management, patent prosecution, and freedom-to-operate. She works with clients to develop and execute effective patent strategies focused on obtaining robust and enforceable patent protection in the United States and around the world. She also helps clients evaluate and navigate the existing patent landscape.
Melissa partners with the Life Sciences group and the Intellectual Property Transactions group to advise clients on intellectual property issues in connection with transactions, including mergers and acquisitions, strategic partnerships, in- and out-licensing relationships, and venture financings. She evaluates the intellectual property portfolios of target companies, as well as potentially blocking third-party intellectual property, to identify strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities to create value by mitigating or remedying identified issues.
Prior to joining the firm, Melissa completed a Ph.D. in cell and developmental biology from Harvard University. Her graduate work focused on examining signaling events involved during the patterning of tissues to generate complex organs and helped define specific roles for Notch signaling in both cardiogenesis and nephrogenesis.
- Represents a publicly traded biotechnology company in connection with their acquisition activities. Helped our client evaluate the patent portfolios for two target companies, identify potential issues, and develop appropriate remediation strategies.
- Represents a biopharmaceutical company developing numerous antibody products and product candidates. In addition to drafting and prosecuting patent applications and developing life-cycle management strategies, assists the client in diligence efforts to evaluate in-licensing and partnering opportunities.
- Represents a public biotechnology company for over 10 years on a variety of intellectual property matters. During that period, drafted and prosecuted a broad patent portfolio in the U.S. and around the world and coordinated activities with collaboration partners.
- Represented a venture capital firm in connection with an investment in a nucleic acid instrumentation company.
- Represented a medical device client in an ex parte reexamination and obtained claims that preserved coverage for their primary product.
©1996-2012 Ropes & Gray LLP. All rights reserved.
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Education
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JD, magna cum laude, Boston University School of Law, 2006
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PhD (Cell and Developmental Biology), Harvard Medical School, 2001
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BS, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1995
Bar Admissions
- Massachusetts, 2006
- U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, 2003
Memberships & Affiliations
- American Bar Association
- Boston Bar Association
- Boston Patent Bar Association
- Massachusetts Bar Association
- Society for Developmental Biology
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