News

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13 Oct 2008

Leading Life Sciences lawyer Karen Dow joins DLA Piper’s San Diego office

Brings more than 20 Years of Patent Experience; Strengthens Firm’s National Life Sciences and Patent Prosecution Capabilities

Press Release

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(San Diego) – DLA Piper today announced that Karen B. Dow has joined the firm’s Intellectual Property practice as a partner in the San Diego office. Dow focuses her practice on life sciences patent prosecution and opinion matters as well as licensing matters. With more than 20 years of patent experience in corporations and law firms, she has served as principal outside patent counsel to numerous biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies.

“Karen has tremendous experience in biotechnology and chemical patent work, but DLA Piper’s global platform will provide her with the opportunity to significantly expand her representation of life sciences companies throughout the country and around the world,” said John Allcock, global co-chair of DLA Piper’s Technology, Media and Commercial group and chair of the firm’s US Intellectual Property group. “We also anticipate that Karen’s practice will fit perfectly within the broader group, and give us additional new business opportunities for patent, trademark registration and enforcement, and licensing and corporate work throughout the US and internationally.”

Dow has extensive experience with intellectual property transactions, patent interferences, and due diligence investigations in conjunction with mergers and acquisitions and venture financing, and she regularly obtains patents for clients in the United States and abroad. In addition, Dow has also been deeply involved in business management for the corporations and law firms where she practiced.

In 2007, Dow was elected to the board of directors for CONNECT, one of the nation's most successful regional economic development programs for high-technology and life science inventors and entrepreneurs.

A Global Life Sciences Practice

“I have known Karen for nearly 15 years, and her experience and client service skills are impeccable,” said Lisa Haile, co-chair of the firm’s Global Life Sciences Sector. “She is going to provide significant value to our existing clients, and she will undoubtedly play a key role in supporting our efforts to expand the capabilities of our life sciences IP work, as well as our Life Sciences practice firmwide.”

Building one of the truly global life sciences practices, DLA Piper’s life sciences attorneys have significant experience representing leading life sciences investors, including venture capital firms, entrepreneurs and financial institutions, as well as some of the leading nonprofit institutions in the US and worldwide. The firm advises clients in all stages of growth, from start-ups to Fortune 500 companies that offer diverse life sciences products and services, including biotechnology, therapeutics, diagnostics, bioinformatics, medical devices, pharmaceuticals, bioengineering, nanotechnology, telemedicine and bioagriculture.

About Karen Dow

Dow comes to DLA Piper from Townsend and Townsend and Crew LLP where she opened that firm’s San Diego office as partner in charge. Prior to joining Townsend and Townsend and Crew LLP, Dow was co-chair of Morrison & Foerster LLP’s life sciences group. She began her career as a patent lawyer at Eli Lilly and then joined Triton Biosciences as a senior patent and licensing lawyer.

“Karen has the experience and technical knowledge we need to develop a national life sciences patent litigation practice, which is a key priority of ours moving forward,” said Dan Christenbury, chair of DLA Piper’s Patent Prosecution practice group.

She has lectured extensively in the areas of patent law and intellectual property transaction law, and has been a guest lecturer for the University of California intellectual property extension classes. Dow has been named three times by the San Diego Daily Transcript as one of the “Top Intellectual Property Attorneys” in San Diego.

Dow is a member of the American Bar Association, the American Intellectual Property Law Association, the Licensing Executive Society and the San Diego Intellectual Property Law Association.

Dow received a B.S., cum laude, from Bowling Green State University and a J.D., cum laude, from Indiana University.