Steven P. O'Connor Ph.D.
Partner
Steve O'Connor provides intellectual property counseling for domestic and foreign clients, from startups to Fortune 100 companies, primarily in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical areas. His practice currently focuses on due diligence investigations, and the preparation of infringement, validity, and freedom-to-operate opinions. He also assists clients with the preparation and prosecution of U.S. and foreign patent applications, ex parte appeals, and provides advice on global portfolio management. In addition, Dr. O'Connor represents clients in interferences before the Board of Patent Appeals and Interferences of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
At an early stage in his career, Dr. O'Connor was involved in a patent litigation involving patents covering nucleic acid amplification methods. He has experience in a wide range of technologies, including gene therapy, nucleic acid sequencing and detection, transgenic plants, stem cells, and molecular diagnostics.
Highlights
- Successfully represented a client in an interference involving automated nucleic acid sequencing technology.
- Assisted an Israeli pharmaceutical company with a successful out-license of a drug for treating schizophrenia.
- Represented biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies, and investment group in due diligence analyses relating to technology in-licensing and investment opportunities.
- Managed patent portfolios for clients in various technologies, including mesenchymal stem cells, antibodies, antibiotics, recombinant vaccines, and molecular diagnostics.
- Serves as the firm's partner-in-charge of professional recruiting for the Reston office.
- Post-doctoral fellow and research microbiologist at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the areas of medical bacteriology and pahogenesis, diagnostics, and molecular biology, 1989-1993.
Professional Recognition
- CDC Director's Innovation Award, 2008