McKenna Long & Aldridge LLP Expands Intellectual Property and Technology Practice in San Diego

March 22, 2011 - PRLog -- SAN DIEGO — McKenna Long & Aldridge LLP (MLA) is pleased to announce that patent prosecutor Stephanie L. Seidman, Ph.D. has joined the firm’s San Diego office.  Dr. Seidman joins the firm as a partner, along with associates Frank J. Miskiel, Ph.D. and Karen G. Potter, Ph.D. to lead the firm’s intellectual property and technology efforts in San Diego.  In addition, Dr. Seidman’s team of 17 professionals includes six patent agents or patent specialists, all of whom have a doctoral degree in a biological or chemical discipline. The group compliments the San Diego office’s existing practices of litigation, construction, government contracts and government affairs.

“Stephanie, Frank, Karen and their team bring sophisticated intellectual property counseling and prosecution capabilities to our San Diego office and to the firm’s national IP practice,” said Song Jung, chair of MLA’s intellectual property and technology practice. “Given the needs of the biotech industry world wide, our office is well positioned to provide technical intellectual property service to both well-established and emerging companies in the ever growing biotechnology, chemistry, enzymology, pharmaceutical and other industry sectors. ”

With more than 25 years of experience, Dr. Seidman is noted for her representation of early stage, emerging and developing companies, as well as public companies in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries.  Dr. Seidman has prosecuted hundreds of biotechnical, pharmaceutical and other chemical patents earning an international reputation for her management of patent portfolios involving complex technologies.  She received her J.D. from Catholic University of America, Columbus School of Law and holds a Ph.D. and M.S. from Indiana University.  She earned her B.S. from William Smith College.

Dr. Miskiel concentrates his practice on patent prosecution in the areas of biotechnology, chemistry, enzymology, pharmaceuticals, food, cosmetics and personal care applications.  He is an inventor on four patents.  Dr. Miskiel received his J.D., cum laude, from California Western School of Law, Ph.D. from Pennsylvania State University and B.S. from Pennsylvania State University.

Dr. Potter focuses her practice on patent prosecution and counseling, primarily in the areas of life sciences and biotechnology with an emphasis in cellular and molecular biology and immunology.  She earned a J.D., magna cum laude, from California Western School of Law, Ph.D. from Duke University and B.S. from the University of California, San Diego.

The patent agents and patent specialists in Dr. Seidman’s group have doctoral degrees in life sciences disciplines, including organic chemistry, biology, microbiology and molecular genetics.  Prior to joining Dr. Seidman’s group, they worked as postdoctoral scientists in areas including immunopharmacotherapy, molecular biology, structural biology and bioorganic chemistry, synthetic organic chemistry, radiochemistry, radiobiology and small animal imaging.  Among them, one patent agent and one patent specialist will be sitting for the California bar in July.


“I am very pleased to welcome Stephanie, Frank, Karen and their team to our firm,” said Chris Humphreys, San Diego office managing partner.  “The addition of this top quality group brings a wealth of technical experience and depth to our clients in the intellectual property, life sciences and biotechnology fields.  It is an important step in expanding our client service abilities, as was the addition last month of litigation partner, John Vaughn.

MLA’s IP and technology practice obtained 657  U.S. patents in 2010, according to the March issue of IP Today magazine.

The addition of 17 IP and technology professionals in California enhances the suite of commercial legal services already provided by MLA’s West Coast presence.  This month the firm also added three skilled partners to its busy Corporate and Litigation practices in Southern California.  MLA’s West Coast offices in San Diego, Los Angeles and San Francisco provide full-service corporate, real estate, finance, construction, complex litigation, government contracts and environment representation to a range of business organizations.

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About McKenna Long & Aldridge LLP: McKenna Long & Aldridge LLP is an international law firm with 475 attorneys and public policy advisors. The firm provides business solutions in the areas of complex litigation, corporate, environmental, energy, and climate change, finance, government contracts, health care, intellectual property and technology, international law, public policy and regulatory affairs and real estate. To learn more about the firm and its services, log on to http://www.mckennalong.com.