Sheppard Mullin Adds Life Sciences IP Duo in Del Mar

Firm Continues Expansion of IP Practice with Two Patent Prosecutors

DEL MAR, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Sheppard Mullin is pleased to announce that partner Jing Liu, Ph.D., and
associate Paul Chang, Ph.D., have joined the firm’s Intellectual
Property practice group in its San Diego (Del Mar) office. Liu and Chang
were most recently with Knobbe Martens and bring to Sheppard Mullin
experience in a wide array of disciplines in the life sciences,
including diagnostics, genomics, bioinformatics, industrial
biotechnology, and oncology. These two new IP attorneys follow on a
three-attorney IP team, headed by Harper Batts, who joined Sheppard
Mullin in Palo Alto from Baker Botts last September.

“Our nationally recognized IP practice continues chalking up client
successes across the country,” said Guy Halgren, Sheppard Mullin’s
Chairman. “We are focused on ensuring that we have the very best
practitioners to handle our clients’ most sophisticated and valuable IP.
Jing and Paul are outstanding additions and their work for U.S. and
international clients broadens our ability to protect and defend myriad
inventions and technological advancements.”

Commenting on Liu and Chang’s arrival, IP practice group leader Dan
Yannuzzi said, “We continue to add amazing talent and we’re thrilled to
have Jing and Paul join our team. We have a strong life sciences
contingent in our group, led by partners Lorna Tanner and Alex Nie, and
Jing and Paul are an excellent complement. They bring amazing
interdisciplinary technical capabilities, including diagnostics and
bioinformatics, to the firm and their deep experience in life sciences
and other complex technologies further strengthens our ability to work
with some of the most innovative companies in the world.”

Liu represents both U.S. and foreign clients on patent procurement and
beyond. She has extensive experience in management of patents and other
intellectual property assets, patent validity and noninfringement
opinions, IP due diligence, competitive IP landscape analyses, licensing
and other transactions. She practices in a wide range of complex
technological areas, from biotechnology (including oncology, gene
therapy, industrial biotechnology, diagnostics, genomics,
bioinformatics, microbiome-related technologies) and pharmaceuticals to
chemicals and nanotechnology. Liu received her B.S. in Biology from
Wuhan University in China; her Ph.D. in Biology from the University of
Kansas Medical Center; and her J.D. from the University of Utah – S.J.
Quinney College of Law.

With advanced training in life sciences and computer science, Chang is a
go-to person for complex and inter-disciplinary technologies. Clients
entrust him with securing protections in the areas of genomics,
bioinformatics, and personalized medicine, ranging from multiomics data
collection, processing, and analysis to disease diagnosis and treatment.
Chang also has extensive experience in big data mining and analytics
(including artificial intelligence, computer vision, and augmented
reality) and blockchain technologies. Beyond IP procurement, Chang works
with clients on validity analyses, infringement studies, IP due
diligence investigations, clearance investigations, and licensing
agreements and strategies. Chang received his B.S. with majors in
Biochemistry, Chemistry, and Mathematics from the University of Cape
Town; his M.S. in Computer Science and his Ph.D. in Genetic, Molecular
and Cellular Biology from University of Southern California; and his
J.D. from University of Michigan Law School.

Sheppard Mullin (with nearly 130 attorneys in offices in downtown San
Diego and Del Mar) is the largest full-service law firm in San Diego
County and serves a wide array of clients, from local start-ups to large
multi-national corporations. The firm’s Intellectual Property practice
group has more than 100 attorneys and is ranked as a top firm in
multiple categories in Patexia’s 2018 IPR Intelligence Report. The
group was also recently listed on the National Law Journal’s IP
Hot List and recognized by Law360 as “Intellectual Property
Practice Group of The Year.”

About Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP

Sheppard Mullin is a full-service Global 100 firm with more than 850
attorneys in 15 offices located in the United States, Europe and Asia.
Since 1927, industry-leading companies have turned to Sheppard Mullin to
handle corporate and technology matters, high-stakes litigation and
complex financial transactions. In the U.S., the firm’s clients include
more than half of the Fortune 100. For more information, please visit www.sheppardmullin.com.

Contacts

JOHN J. BUCHANAN
(415) 774-3181
[email protected]