Ilja V. Khavrutskii, Ph.D.

Ilja bridges the gap between cutting‑edge science and the strategic requirements of patent drafting and prosecution, with a deep understanding of intricate ways of protecting intellectual property under existing laws. Ilja’s background spans advanced academic research, Federal Research and Development (R&D), and military service, giving him a practical perspective on how innovations are developed, evaluated, and protected. He holds a Ph.D. in chemistry and earned his J.D. with a Law and Technology Institute certificate, experience that enables him to align scientific discovery with effective patent strategy.

Ilja advises on patent matters in the chemical, pharmaceutical, and biotech sectors. He has hands‑on experience in small‑molecule synthesis; transition‑metal catalysis; enzymology; protein folding and structure prediction; ligand–protein binding; high‑throughput screening; structure‑based drug design; lead optimization; and computational modeling across molecular mechanics (MM), quantum mechanics (QM), and hybrid QM/MM approaches. He has also worked extensively in immunology, bioinformatics, large‑scale immunosequencing analyses, and vaccine design. This breadth of scientific expertise allows him to quickly identify an invention’s scientific core and collaborate effectively with inventors across disciplines.

Beyond his technical and professional background, Ilja is committed to working collaboratively with inventors and R&D teams and taking time to understand their goals. Outside the office, he is a hands‑on problem solver—whether tinkering with cars or sailing—which reflects the curiosity and persistence he brings to supporting clients throughout the patenting process.