Overview
Salima Merani, Ph.D. is the Co-Chair of the firm’s Medical Device Group. Salima has over 25 years of experience leading high-stakes transactions and building patent portfolios for global life sciences companies, including medtech, biopharma, and biotech companies. She also has extensive experience in conducting complex patent due diligence for investors. Recognized in prestigious publications as “a great strategic advisor with a proven track record” and deemed “a favorite of venture capitalists,” Salima has been lead IP counsel in numerous successful funding rounds, mergers, and acquisitions. Internationally recognized as a visionary and highly strategic counselor, Salima is on the Advisory Board of Vesana Capital, and serves as an advisor and mentor to several tech CEOs and other executives, in-house counsel and venture capitalists.
As an influential trailblazer in the industry, Salima’s unique business-focused approach to IP law provides an invaluable perspective to both investors and emerging growth companies with her wide-ranging experience in US and international patent and trademark portfolio management, licensing, strategic offensive positioning, enforcement, IPOs, acquisitions, and global IP risk mitigation.
With her impressive technical background and doctorate degree, Salima has successfully guided companies in the fields of dermatology, orthopedics, cardiovascular, gynecology, urology, oncology, and neurology. She has extensive experience with surgical implants, drug-device combinations, neurostimulation, medical imaging, nerve denervation, tissue ablation, regenerative technology, hypertension, stroke, diabetes, ultrasound, nutraceuticals, cosmetic formulations, and aesthetics. Clients consistently praise Salima for her extraordinary negotiation skills and fearless support of their companies.
Salima has received multiple awards and has been honored in both national and international forums for her significant legal accomplishments. Her stellar reputation has been repeatedly recognized in Chambers, where she is doubly ranked in both the Patent Prosecution and Life Sciences: IP/Patent Litigation categories and where clients have noted that “Salima has been phenomenal, she is the best I’ve worked with. She’s very strategic, has unique capability, looks at the big picture and can be extremely detail-oriented.” Salima was named “Life Sciences Lawyer of the Year” by LMG Life Sciences and was recently inducted to the Legal 500’s “Hall of Fame”. She has been lauded as an IP Star by Managing Intellectual Property, which also honored her in their global “Top 250 Women in IP” list. She was the recipient of the coveted “Client Choice Award” for Intellectual Property (Patents, California) by International Law Office (ILO). Legal Media Group named her “Patent Prosecution Attorney of the Year” in the “LMG Life Sciences Annual Awards”. She was featured in The National Law Journal’s “IP Hot List” and named a “Life Sciences Trailblazer”. In Intellectual Asset Management‘s “IAM Patent 1000” lists, Salima was praised for her skills in brokering blockbuster life sciences deals and described as “a true global leader in medical device patenting.” Salima was also honored in the “Life Sciences” survey for Intellectual Property, The Recorder‘s list of Women Leaders in Tech Law, and the Daily Journal‘s list of the Top IP Lawyers in California and Top Women Lawyers. Salima has been recognized in the Daily Journal‘s list of the Top Intellectual Property Attorneys, where she was identified among the Top 25 Portfolio Managers & Patent Prosecutors of Intellectual Property. Salima’s numerous accomplishments are detailed in the Recognition section.
Salima is past Vice Chair of the AIPLA (American Intellectual Property Law Association) USPTO Inter Partes Patent Proceedings Committee. She also served on the AIPLA’s Special Task Force on AIA (America Invents Act) Rulemaking. Salima is also a founding member of the Firm’s USPTO Trials and Post Grant Proceedings Practice Group, and has represented clients in multiple patent disputes before the USPTO and international patent and trademark offices.
Education
- McGill University (Ph.D. Biology - Neuroscience, 2001)
- University of California - Berkeley - School of Law (J.D., 2000)
- McGill University (B.Sc. Genetics, 1992)
Recognition
Awards & Honors
Salima has received multiple awards and has been honored in both national and international forums for her legal accomplishments:
- Received “Star” distinction in the LMG “Life Sciences” survey for Intellectual Property from 2014 – 2020 and 2022 – 2025. She was recognized in the areas of patent prosecution, advisory, strategy and management, and was specifically credited in the guide as “a vital part of our global strategy” by a key client. In 2017 and 2018, Salima was once again named a “Life Science Star”.
- Named to The Recorder‘s “Women Leaders in Tech Law” list in 2014, 2015, 2016, and 2025. In these lists, she was recognized for demonstrating that she can lead major cases and deals within the tech industry.
- Named to Legal 500’s “Hall of Fame” in patent prosecution and recognized as a “Leading Partner” in patent licensing (2025)
- Recognized in Lawdragon’s “500 Leading Global IP Lawyers” guide (2025)
- Named a “Patent Prosecutor of the Year” by World Intellectual Property Review’s Life Science Network (LSPN) (2025)
- Recognized as a “’Highly Recommended Individuals” by World Intellectual Property Review – USA Patents Ranking (WIPR) (2024)
- Recognized for outstanding work in patent law in the Intellectual Asset Management (IAM) “Patent 1000 Guide” for Prosecution and Transactions (2024-2025)
- Recognized in the 2024 & 2025 Edition of Chambers USA
- Recognized as a Trademark Star & Transactions Star in Managing IP‘s “IP STARS” (2020-2025)
- Recognized by The Legal 500 “United States” for “Hall of Fame” in Patent Prosecution and “Leading Lawyers” in Patents: Licensing (2024)
- Recognized as a “World IP Leader” by World Intellectual Property Review (WIPR) (2023 – 2025)
- Named a “Life Sciences Trailblazer” by The National Law Journal (2023).
- Honored in Managing IP’s prestigious “Top 250 Women in IP” international list (2018 – 2023).
- In 2023, Dr. Merani was once again ranked in the “Chambers USA Guide” in the Life Sciences: Intellectual Property/Patent Litigation categories. In 2021-2022, Dr. Merani was ranked in both the Patent Prosecution and Life Sciences: Intellectual Property/Patent Litigation categories. In 2022, she was lauded by the annual guide as “phenomenal” and “simply out of this world”. In its profile, Chambers noted that Dr. Merani has “great instincts, is a great thinker, and has a wonderful manner.” In 2021, Chambers praised her “sophisticated representation of life sciences companies in patent prosecution and portfolio management” and peers described her as “incredibly knowledgeable” and “a fierce advocate” who “consistently does excellent work” for her clients. Dr. Merani was individually ranked in 2020 for patent prosecution and described as delivering “a highly focused and commercial approach”. She was named in the 2016 and 2017 “Chambers USA Guide” Life Sciences: Intellectual Property category by Chambers & Partners, where she was recognized as an exceptional strategic advisor, with interviewees praising her top-quality work, responsiveness, and ability to “get things done”.
- Named one of “The World’s Leading Patent Professionals” in the Patent 1000 guide by Intellectual Asset Management (IAM) magazine (2012 – 2023). In the 2021 guide, Merani was noted as a “seasoned portfolio builder who can pinpoint IP value” who is “the go-to diligence and deal lawyer for medical technology and biotechnology investors”. The 2023 guide praised her as “an outstanding practitioner who is appreciated for her technical excellence, thoroughness and responsiveness.”
- Recognized as a Patent Star in Managing IP’s “IP STARS” guide for her outstanding intellectual property legal work in 2018 – 2019
- Recognized in the Legal 500 “United States” (2014 – 2015 and 2019 – 2023) as being an outstanding practitioner. She was identified as a Leading Lawyer for both Patent Prosecution (2020 – 2022) and Patent Licensing (2022 – 2023) and lauded by clients as “a doyen of med tech IP,” “SoCal’s go-to patent partner for medical devices,” and “one of the top 3 outside counsels I’ve ever worked with”. In 2023, she was named to Legal 500’s Hall of Fame, which “highlights individuals who have received constant praise from their clients for continued excellence” and are “the law firm partners who are at the pinnacle of the profession.”
- Included in the 2018 – 2020 and 2023 Daily Journal’s list of “Top IP Lawyers in California”.
- Named “Patent Strategy & Management Attorney of the Year” at the 2018 and 2016 “LMG Life Sciences” Awards by Legal Media Group (LMG).
- Named to the Daily Journal‘s list of the Top Intellectual Property Attorneys from 2012 to 2017. In this list, she was recognized among the Top 25 Portfolio Managers & Patent Prosecutors.
- Recognized in 2016 as the exclusive winner of the “Client Choice Award” in the Intellectual Property: Patents, California category by International Law Office (ILO). “Client Choice Awards” are based solely on nominations and feedback from corporate in-house counsel.
- Named “Life Sciences Lawyer of the Year” in Lawyer Monthly magazine’s “2016 Women in Law Awards”
- Named “Patent Prosecution Attorney of the Year” in 2015 “LMG Life Sciences Annual Awards” by Legal Media Group (LMG). This awards ceremony recognized the industry’s leading professionals, across North America and Europe, for their accomplishments over the past 12 months.
- Featured in the National Law Journal’s 2015 “IP Hot List.”
- Named to Diversity & the Bar’s 2014 “Rainmakers” List. In this list, she was highlighted among successful minority attorneys who continue to lead the industry.
- Named to the Daily Journal‘s list of the Top Women Lawyers in 2014. In this list, she was recognized amongst the Top 75 Litigators & the Top 25 Corporate Transactions and Regulatory Specialists.
- In a survey of her peers published in Los Angeles magazine and Super Lawyers magazine, Salima was named as one of Southern California’s “Rising Stars” in intellectual property law and was named one of Orange County’s top lawyers, published in OC Metro magazine.
Affiliations
- Past Vice Chair of the AIPLA (American Intellectual Property Law Association) USPTO Inter Partes Patent Proceedings Committee, which oversees the Interference, Reexamination, and Derivation subcommittees
- Served on the AIPLA’s Special Task Force on AIA (America Invents Act) Rulemaking
News & Insights
Articles
Contributor, 7 Intellectual Property Issues Startup Entrepreneurs Should Not Overlook, JD Supra Legal Perspectives (September 2015).
Quoted in 7 Intellectual Property Mistakes Startup Entrepreneurs Often Make, JD Supra Legal Perspectives (February 2014).
Co-author, “Understanding Legal Trends in the Private Equity and Venture Capital Market, 2013 ed.: Leading Lawyers on Navigating the Current Economy, Managing Risks, and Understanding Changing SEC Regulations (Inside the Minds),” Aspatore Law Books from Thomson Reuters (2013).
Speeches & Seminars
Salima has been an invited speaker on various IP topics, including due diligence and the America Invents Act, at the IP Impact Silicon Valley Conference, the OCTANe Medical Device & Investor Forum, the University of Southern California, and the University of California, Berkeley.
