Tamera M. Weisser

Weisser, with a Ph.D. in immunology and nearly 20 years’ experience in patent portfolio development and enforcement, is co-leader of Jones Day’s global patent prosecution group. Much of her working life is spent on inter partes review proceedings before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office’s Patent Trial and Appeal Board, increasingly the forum of choice for generic companies to challenge innovator patents. Clients include AbbVie Inc., whose antibody therapeutic adalimunab, marketed as the arthritis medication Humira, is the world’s top-selling drug.

In September, with Weisser as lead counsel, the PTAB denied institution of Coherus Biosciences Inc.’s four inter partes review challenges to Humira’s formulation patent.

Other clients include NGM Biopharmaceuticals Inc., BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc. and Celgene Corp. On behalf of BioMarin, Weisser established a worldwide patent portfolio for Pegvaliase, an enzyme replacement therapy in clinical trials for the treatment of phenylketonuria, a genetic condition.

“I worked in vaccine development for many years, and I have now parlayed that experience into a successful legal career,” Weisser reflected. “When I relocated to San Diego in 2004, it was to help Jones Day establish its new office here, to help grow its patent prosecution group. Now, here I am co-leader of the firm’s patent prosecution group.” Along with that success has come challenges beyond courtroom lawyering. “I do business development and recruiting and I am developing a strong pipeline of IP associates across the firm.”

That leads to formal and informal training sessions for mentees. “A lot of them are patent associates here by day and law students by night,” she said. In San Diego alone, three Jones Day patent associates will graduate in June from the University of San Diego School of Law. “They have Ph.D.s, just like I did,” Weisser said. “It’s challenging for them in terms of time management, but they come out of law school with four years of real-world experience. It’s great for them and great for us — they are Jones Day’s future.” She has also established a biweekly formal training program in patent prosecution for all Jones Day patent associates.

“A big part of my career has been devoted to helping equip women with tools for professional advancement in the life sciences and legal fields,” Weisser said.

She’s on the board of directors of the Association for Women in Science in San Diego. “I’ve been lucky to have had really great mentors throughout my career,” she added. “It’s important to me to pay it forward.”

— John Roemer