FICPI // Focus 45 Webinar Series // From Lab to Law: Women Scientists Shaping IP

Dr. Claire Gregg, DCC.

Claire's practice involves assisting clients to obtain patent protection for innovations in the chemical and pharmaceutical fields, including securing extensions of patent term for pharmaceutical patents. She also conducts patent oppositions and procedural hearings before the Australian and New Zealand Offices, provides advice in relation to patent strategy, validity and infringement, and assists in patent litigation.

Claire began her scientific career at Flinders University studying a Bachelor of Technology (Forensic & Analytical Chemistry) followed by a Bachelor of Science with first class honours, for which she was awarded the University Medal. She then completed a PhD in organic chemistry, focusing on the total synthesis and structural elucidation of complex biologically active natural products. Claire’s research in synthetic organic chemistry continued at the Bio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute of the University of Melbourne, before she took up a postdoctoral fellowship at Vanderbilt University in the United States. Her postdoctoral research focused primarily on hit-to-lead optimisation of small molecule inhibitors of protein-protein interactions in highly validated cancer targets, as part of a multidisciplinary team in collaboration with the National Cancer Institute.

Claire commenced training as a patent attorney in 2013 at a large patent attorney firm in Sydney, and gained further experience in contentious patent matters at a top-tier commercial law firm before joining Davies Collison Cave in 2020. Claire is a Fellow, Council Member and Director of the Institute of Patent & Trade Mark Attorneys (IPTA), the peak professional body for patent and trade mark attorneys in Australia. She currently co-convenes the Membership and Member Services Committee, and is an active member of the Patents Committee and Media and Communications Committee. She also previously co-convened the Future Directors and Public Relations Committees, and was a founding co-convenor of the “young” IPTA (YIPTA) committee dedicated to engaging and supporting junior members of the patent and trade mark attorney profession.

Dr. Neeti Wilson, Anand and Anand.

Dr. Neeti Wilson specializes in intellectual property management and protection with customized planning as per client’s business needs and IP monetization-related strategic advice besides other IP areas including licensing, management, opposition, revocation and infringement.

Neeti is a lawyer with a Ph.D in applied sciences making her an expert in handling technical as well legal issues effectively. She appears before various legal authorities including Indian Patents, Designs and Trademark Office, Plant Variety Authority, National Biodiversity Authority, Intellectual Property Appellate Board (IPAB) and Judicial Courts in India.

Neeti is an active member of various international organizations and is Executive Committee Member of the India chapter of APAA and also India representative of its Emerging IP Rights Committee.

Neeti has been selected as UN Consultant for developing training Manual for Intellectual Property Management and Technology Transfer Licensing with ESCAP-APCTT. She was a member of Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) Committee for Developing Guidelines for IP Management and Commercialization of Technologies.

Neeti regularly attends national and international conferences and is keen on spreading awareness related to IPM, Licensing and Biological Resources.

Dr. Renate Weiss, Weisse Patentanwältin.

Dr. Renate Weisse is a German and European Patent Attorney at the firm Weisse Patentanwältin. She has graduated in Physics from the Technical University of Berlin and holds a PhD in Engineering.

During her scientific research in the field of Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy she created two patented inventions for her employer Perkin Elmer Corp.

After her legal training at Weisse & Wolgast (Berlin/Germany) and McLachlan & Donaldson (Dublin/Ireland) she took over the firm of Weisse & Wolgast from her father Jürgen Weisse which was established in 1951 by her grandfather Ernst Weisse.

In addition to her daily patent and trade mark attorney work, Renate is a lecturer at the Berliner Hochschule für Technik, and is an active participant in “Girls-Day” where young girls are informed about professions typically occupied by men.

Alicia Alvarez Berkenwald, Berken IP.

Alicia is partner of BERKEN IP and a patent attorney with over two decades of experience drafting and prosecuting patents in the fields of chemistry, oil gas, steel and material sciences. She also renders opinions regarding patentability, validity, infringement and freedom-to-operate in Argentina. Alicia advices on patent rights and acts as an expert in patent litigation cases. Prior to joining the Firm, she served as researcher at Conarco, a local wire and welding company.

Alicia has published several articles related to her practice and co-authored a book entitled “Patent Law. The new legal regime of inventions and utility models”, which reviews the new argentine Patent Law issued in 1996.

As postgraduate professor, she used to lead a Workshop on Patents of Invention (1998-2009) at the Intellectual Property Posgraduate Course from the Universidad de Buenos Aires.

Alicia has been guest lecturer at universities (DePaul University College of Law in the US and Universidad de Buenos Aires, Universidad Austral and Universidad Nacional de Quilmes in Argentina), congresses and international meetings (AIPLA, ASIPI and AAAPI) and local government entities (SECYT – Secretariat of Science and Technique). Her usual topics refer to pharmaceutical, chemical and biotech patents.

Mariana Bullrich, Noetinger & Armando.

Mariana leads the Patent Department, advising both domestic and international clients and inventors on patent application drafting and filing strategies, as well as managing the process before the Patent Office. Since 2001, she has also coordinated the filing and prosecution of patent and design applications in Latin American and Central American countries.

Additionally, she conducts patentability analysis, prior art searches, third-party observations in patent proceedings, and provides guidance on all general aspects related to the protection of inventions, developments, and designs through patents, utility models, and industrial designs.

With her background and experience, Mariana specializes in chemistry, molecular biology, immunology, biotechnology, medical devices, diagnostic kits, and pharmaceutical products. However, her extensive work in the patent field has given her significant expertise in various technical areas, making her highly versatile in handling patent matters across different technologies.

Mariana also heads the Models and Industrial Designs department and coordinates the filing and prosecution of Plant Varieties at INASE.

Before joining Noetinger & Armando, she was a researcher and lecturer in the Oncology Immunology section of the Hematological Research Institute (Mariano Castex, National Academy of Medicine), where she conducted teaching, research, and assistance activities (1984-1989). As a staff biochemist, she led the Molecular Biology and Cellular and Humoral Immunology teams at Buenos Aires LAB (1984-1998).

Louis-Pierre Gravelle, FICPI webinar host, Dipchand LLP.

Louis-Pierre Gravelle is Partner at Dipchand LLP in Canada and Vice President of FICPI's Practice Management Committee.

He specialises in the drafting and prosecution of patent applications and providing patentability, validity, infringement and right to manufacture opinions in the fields of electricity, telecommunications, mechanical and information technology. He is a registered patent agent in Canada and in the United States (1998).

Louis-Pierre is involved in due diligence matters and managing patent portfolios. He is also involved in strategic counselling for start-ups, small, medium and large-sized businesses.

A member of the Intellectual Property Institute of Canada (IPIC) and the Canadian Bar Association (CBA), Louis-Pierre was called to the Québec Bar in 1995. He is also a member of the Ordre des ingénieurs du Québec (OIQ). Louis-Pierre Gravelle is past-chair of the Intellectual Property Section of the Canadian Bar Association (CBA) and past co-president of the Joint Liaison Committee – Patents between the Patent office and IPIC. He is a Councillor for FICPI Canada.

He is listed in the IAM Patents 1000, and has been since 2012. Louis-Pierre is often called upon to speak on a variety of IP-related topics, at local and international conferences and events.