Knobbe Martens Olson & Bear LLP, is pleased to announce that The Recorder has recognized partners Salima Merani, Ph.D. and Kimberly Miller, Ph.D. as 2015 “Women Leaders in Tech Law”. Dr. Merani and Dr. Miller were among 60 California lawyers selected. Honorees were selected by editors of The Recorder based on their recent accomplishments and their demonstrated ability to lead. The honorees will be recognized on September 29, 2015 at a dinner reception hosted at the City Club in San Francisco.
Dr. Merani has over fifteen years of experience in building patent portfolios and developing strategy for life sciences and early-stage tech companies. She also has extensive experience in conducting patent due diligence for investors, such as venture capital and investment firms. With a doctorate in neuroscience, Dr. Merani has strong technical experience in the medical device and biotechnology field. This is the second year in a row Dr. Merani has received this honor. She has also recently received a number of other national and international honors including being named one of the “Top 25 Intellectual Property Portfolio Managers & Patent Prosecutors” in the Daily Journal’s “Top Intellectual Property Lawyers in California”, being recognized as a “World’s Leading Patent Professional” by Intellectual Asset Management (IAM) in the “IAM Patent 1000”, being recognized in The Recorder‘s “Women Leaders in Tech Law”, and being named to Diversity & the Bar’s “Rainmakers” list. She was also featured in The National Law Journal’s “Intellectual Property Hot List for 2015”.
Dr. Miller’s practice includes portfolio management, strategic IP portfolio development, due diligence and market clearance, and licensing matters. Additionally, Dr. Miller’s practice includes obtaining and advising clients with respect to design patents. Her clients include individual inventors, venture-funded start-ups, university spin-offs and publicly traded companies, and her practice spans a variety of technical disciplines, including chemistry, pharmaceuticals, polymers and biotechnology. Dr. Miller’s notable successes include her representation of Alios BioPharma, Inc., which led to a $1.75 billion deal with Johnson & Johnson. Additionally, she played a key role in the development and implementation of a licensing deal with Vertex Pharmaceuticals, Inc., that resulted in Vertex obtaining rights to two hepatitis C drug candidates from Alios in a transaction worth up to $1.5 billion, said to be the largest preclinical licensing deal in history. Dr. Miller recently received a number of other accolades, including being recognized by The Legal 500 as being an outstanding practitioner in the U.S., being named as one of the “World’s Leading Patent Professionals” by Intellectual Asset Management (IAM) in the “IAM Patent 1000”, and being listed by the San Diego Business Journal to their “Best of the Bar” list.
About Knobbe Martens
With more than 275 lawyers and scientists nationwide, Knobbe Martens Olson & Bear LLP dedicates its practice to all aspects of intellectual property law, including litigation. Consistently ranked among the top intellectual property law firms worldwide, Knobbe Martens serves a diverse group of clients from multinational corporations to emerging businesses of all stages. Headquartered in Orange County, California, Knobbe Martens also has offices in San Diego, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Silicon Valley, Seattle and Washington, D.C.
