Ao Li, Ph.D.

Associate

+1 617 646 1684 +1 617 646 1684
ao.li@finnegan.com ao.li@finnegan.com

Two Seaport Lane
Boston, MA 02210-2001

vCard

Show Ao's work in

Ao Li, Ph.D., focuses on patent drafting and prosecution, portfolio management, and strategic counseling in the chemical and pharmaceutical areas. His experience includes providing patentability and validity opinions, managing landscape and freedom-to-operate analyses, and handling due diligence matters.

Ao develops global prosecution strategies and prosecutes patent applications for clients in various industries. His work has been primarily directed toward innovations related to small molecules, pharmaceutical formulations, synthetic processes, catalysts, polymer materials, antibodies, and medical devices.

Ao’s technical expertise encompasses organic and inorganic chemistry, photochemistry, and polymer science. His doctoral research included synthesizing small molecule drugs, enzyme inhibitors, and photoactivated metal complexes for biological research applications.

Et Cetera

Coauthor. “Photosensitive Ru(II) Complexes as Inhibitors of the Major Human Drug Metabolizing Enzyme CYP3A4,” Journal of the American Chemical Society, 2021.
Coauthor. “Ru(II) Polypyridyl Complexes Derived from Tetradentate Ancillary Ligands for Effective Photocaging,” Accounts of Chemical Research, 2018.
Coauthor. “Ru(II) Polypyridyl Complexes as Photocages for Bioactive Compounds Containing Nitriles and Aromatic Heterocycles,” Chemical Communications, 2018.
Coauthor. “Unusual Role of Excited State Mixing in the Enhancement of Photoinduced Ligand Exchange in Ru(II) Complexes,” Journal of the American Chemical Society, 2017.
Coauthor. “Illuminating Cytochrome P450 Binding: Ru(II)-Caged Inhibitors of CYP17A1,” Chemical Communications, 2017.
Coauthor. “Selective Release of Aromatic Heterocycles from Ruthenium Tris(2-pyridylmethyl)amine with Visible Light,” Inorganic Chemistry, 2015.

Experience

Arvinas Operations, Inc. et al. v. Qian et al.

Defending Accutar Biotechnology, Inc. in a trade secret lawsuit brought by Arvinas regarding alleged trade secrets concerning breast cancer therapies.

3:22-cv-00717, D. Conn., Judges Chatigny, Richardson

Insights

At the PTAB Blog

Intel from Intel: Acting Director Gives Guidance on How to Defeat Settled Expectations Intel from Intel: Acting Director Gives Guidance on How to Defeat Settled Expectations

July 7, 2025

Admissions and Education

Admissions

U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
Massachusetts
Illinois

Education

Wayne State University: J.D., 2022

Wayne State University: Ph.D., Organic Chemistry, 2018

Xiangtan University: B. Eng., Polymer Materials and Engineering, 2013

Languages

Chinese (Mandarin)
English

Ao's Practices

Diligence, Licensing, and Opinions: Due Diligence; Freedom to Operate Opinions; Licensing, Pooling, and Other Transactions; Opinions and Counseling
Prosecution and Portfolio Management: IP Portfolio Management; Patent Drafting and Prosecution

Ao's Industries

AI, Electronics, and Information Technology: Nanotechnology
Chemicals, Industrials, and Materials: Chemical; Manufacturing
Energy: Clean Energy and Renewables; Oil and Gas
Life Sciences: Biotechnology; Medical Device and Diagnostics; Pharmaceutical