Michael R. Ward

Ward's practice has been going to seed - literally and in a good way.

"My background is in plants," he said. "What I'm seeing is a change in the world, and enormous growth in India and China. The population is getting wealthier and consuming more food."

As the worldwide demand for food continues to increase, Ward said, "Lots of companies are producing seed, and racing to develop better plant varieties. As a result of all that intellectual property, I'm getting swept into it, and it's a lot of fun."

Ward recently returned from the Netherlands, where he is working with a new client, Enza Zaden.

Billed as the fifth largest seed company in the world, Enza Zaden hired Ward to help develop its intellectual property strategy, he said, based on his expertise in plant IP.

With a PhD. in plant physiology and a master's degree in agronomy, Ward is the founder of his firm's plant IP practice.

Ward also is involved in biofuel development. Among his clients is the Energy Biosciences Institute, whose mission is to harness the potential of bioenergy.

The company employs researchers on the campuses of UC Berkeley, the University of Illinois and Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory, and is funded by BP.

Ward is helping EBI to develop overall utility and plant patent strategy.

"There is a whole race to identify different fuel sources," he said. "Everyone is concerned about oil and gas prices. There are lots of new companies and clients developing plant varieties that could be used as sources of fuels."

The intellectual property associated with that, Ward said, "continues to flow."

- PAT BRODERICK

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