Rona Lamiquiz, Ph.D.

Of Counsel
Palo Alto (Silicon Valley)
About

Dr. Rona Lamiquiz is a patent counsel passionate about protecting science and innovation with over 10 years of experience formulating integrated intellectual property (IP) strategies and building global patent portfolios for life science companies. Rona aims to serve as "in-house counsel" for company clients by proactively anticipating their needs and challenges, aligning with their business objectives, and effectively managing IP budgets. Her experience includes aggressive patent strategy, patent prosecution, and IP diligence on company-side and investor-side financings.

Rona has been counseling and building IP strategies for pre-financing biotech start-ups to public companies in a wide range of technical fields, including RNA editing therapy, cell therapeutics, immunotherapeutics, antibodies, nucleic acid vaccines, multi-omics data analytics, gene therapy, diagnostics, genomics, protein sequencing, CRISPR, RNAi, drug delivery, bioinformatics, and machine learning technologies. 

She enjoys developing cost-effective and value-creating global patent portfolio approaches that align with business goals. Rona is also very experienced in conducting non-infringement, patentability, and freedom-to-operate (FTO) analyses for clients.

Areas of FocusPatent Development and StrategyLife SciencesIntellectual PropertyEmerging Growth and Venture CapitalHealthcareLife Sciences Intellectual PropertyTechnology and Commercial Transactions
Bar admissionsArizonaCaliforniaUnited States Patent and Trademark Office

EXPERIENCE

  • Led IP strategy and diligence for a stealth company's over-subscribed $45 million Series A financing
  • Guided IP diligence for a multi-omics diagnostics company's $34 million Series D financing
  • Led IP diligence for an RNA technology company's over-subscribed $13.4 million Seed financing
  • Led freedom to operate (FTO) effort in acquiring a Chinese biotech company's T cell-engager program by GSK for a $300 million upfront payment
  • Advised on licensing strategies and led FTO and diligence for acquiring a company's IL-2 cytokine-based therapy targeting PD-1 protein by Roche for a $250 million upfront payment plus potential milestone payments
  • Led FTO and IP diligence for a T cell therapeutics company's $175 million Series A financing
  • Led IP diligence for a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company's $34 million merger with a public company
  • Led IP diligence for a protein sequencing company's $345 million initial public offering (IPO)
Languages
  • Chinese (Mandarin)

Pro Bono

Rona has supervised and mentored many law students in offering pro bono legal services to emerging life sciences companies through the Startup Legal Garage program at the University of San Francisco School of Law.

Education
  • J.D., Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law, Arizona State University
  • Ph.D., Molecular and Cellular Pathology School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham
  • M.S., Auburn University

Seminars

  • Panelist, SPARK Stanford Business Panel Discussion, SPARK Stanford, October 30, 2024

Prior Experience

Prior to joining DLA Piper, Rona practiced for about 7 years in IP strategies at another Silicon Valley international firm.

Teaching Experience

  • Industrial Advisor, SPARK Stanford
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Connect

Phone

+1 650 269 0220
(Mobile, Palo Alto)
+1 650 833 2113
(Work, Palo Alto)