BLN Open Meeting (Wellesley) - Nov 8, 2006

Event: "IP Issues for Due Diligence"
Speakers: John Rissman, Esq. and Inna Landsman, Esq.
Date: November 8, 2006 (Wednesday)
Time: 7:30am
Place: Rissman Jobse Hendricks & Oliverio
1 State Street, Boston, MA - 15th Floor Conference Room

In preparation for a business financing, merger or sale, due diligence requires review of companies' intellectual property rights and prior transactions with other entities, such as research collaborators and competitors. A company's prior activities can significantly affect its ability to procure and enforce patent rights in the United States and abroad. Our speakers will focus on often-overlooked patent legal issues that business attorneys must consider in due diligence investigations.

John Rissman has broad legal experience in industry and private practice, concentrating in patent law, where he provides clients with strategic, business-focused counseling in the development, management and exploitation of their intellectual property. His practice supports a number of corporate IP functions, including patent procurement, technology transfer and licensing, due diligence support, and related IP litigation. Previously, Mr. Rissman served as Chief Intellectual Property Counsel for Boston Scientific Corporation; Chief Patent Counsel for SciMed Life Systems, Inc.; and Patent Counsel for Medtronic, Inc. He holds a B.S., Applied Mathematics & Computer Engineering, 1976 from Northern Illinois University, a B.S.E.E. 1989 from the University of Minnesota, and a J.D. 1978 from Drake Law School. He is registered to practice before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and is admitted to practice in Massachusetts, Minnesota, Illinois and Iowa.

Inna Landsman provides strategic business-focused intellectual property services primarily in the areas of medical devices and biotechnology. She helps clients build and maintain patent portfolios based on their business goals and competitive landscape. Previously, Ms. Landsman worked as a patent attorney for Genaissance Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and Chemgenes Corporation. She holds a J.D., with concentration in litigation and dispute resolution, from Boston University, an M.S. in Molecular and Cell Biology from Brandeis University, and a B.S. in Psychobiology, with honors, from Binghamton University. Ms. Landsman is registered to practice before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, and is admitted to practice law in Massachusetts, New York, and before the U.S. District Court, District of Massachusetts.