Dr. Bugay, a Managing Director at Aptuit Consulting, was previously Senior VP of Analytical Chemistry at SSCI, Inc. where he led unprecedented growth in its analytical business line, including analytical research, analytical services, and expert witnessing services in pharmaceutical patent litigation. In his current role at Aptuit Consulting, Dr. Bugay is focusing on continued growth of expert witnessing services as well as counterfeit and tamper analysis services.

Dr. Bugay received his B.S. in Chemistry from Le Moyne College (Syracuse, NY) and holds a Ph.D. in Physical Chemistry from the University of Vermont and is an expert in analytical and physical chemistry. His expertise includes techniques such as vibrational spectroscopy (IR, Raman, NIR), NMR spectroscopy (liquid and solid), thermal analysis (DSC, TG), x-ray diffraction (powder and single crystal), microscopy (optical, fluorescence, scanning electron, and vibrational), chemometrics, compendial testing, and moisture analysis among others. Dr. Bugay has been an invited speaker at dozens of conferences and has taught numerous courses at pharmaceutical companies as well as the United States and European Patent Offices. In addition he has numerous publications in peer-reviewed scientific journals, ten book chapters, and a book on pharmaceutical excipient characterization. He currently serves as a manuscript reviewer for six scientific journals including Pharmaceutical Research and the Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences. Dr. Bugay was appointed to the USP General Chapters Expert Committee for the 2005 to 2010 term and he was awarded a fellowship by the American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists in 2003. Prior to joining SSCI, Dr. Bugay was a Principal Scientist in Analytical Research and Development at the Bristol-Myers Squibb Pharmaceutical Research Institute. Dr. Bugay is a member of the American Chemical Society, the American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists, the Society of Applied Spectroscopy, and the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain.

David J Earp, J.D., Ph.D.
Senior Vice President, Business Development & Chief Patent Counsel
Geron Corporation

David Earp is senior vice president of business development and chief patent counsel at Geron Corporation in Menlo Park, California. In this role he manages Geron’s intellectual property assets and oversees the company’s in-licensing, out-licensing and partnering activities

Geron is developing products in regenerative medicine (based on human embryonic stem cells) and oncology (based on the enzyme telomerase), and holds rights to nuclear transfer (cloning) technology used to produce Dolly the sheep. Two of Geron’s oncology product candidates – a telomerase inhibitor drug and a telomerase vaccine -- are in clinical trials, and Geron expects to initiate the first human clinical trial of a human embryonic stem cell product in 2008. Geron has a strategic alliance with Merck & Co. for cancer vaccines targeting telomerase.

Dr. Earp is a board director of two joint venture companies established with Geron’s IP assets: TA Therapeutics, a Hong Kong corporation focused on telomerase activation, and stART Licensing, a Delaware corporation located in Texas that manages IP assets for animal cloning applications.

Dr Earp holds a Ph.D. in molecular biology and biochemistry from the University of Cambridge, and a J.D. from Northwestern School of Law of Lewis and Clark College. Before joining Geron in 1999, he was a partner in the intellectual property law firm of Klarquist Sparkman.

Dianne Elderkin is the Chair of Woodcock Washburn's Litigation Practice Services Group. Her practice focuses on patent litigation and counseling. She has represented clients in patent litigation and arbitrations in a wide variety of technical disciplines, including pharmaceuticals, biologics, medical devices and instruments, and consumer products.

In addition to representing clients in litigation, Dianne counsels clients on patentability and freedom to operate matters. She oversees patent prosecution in a wide variety of technologies and has handled complicated prosecution proceedings, such as reissues, reexaminations and interferences. She has served as an expert patent law witness in several lawsuits.

Dianne brings extensive experience in patent prosecution and as an in-house patent counsel to bear in counseling her clients and representing them in litigation. Prior to joining Woodcock Washburn in 1987, she served as in-house patent counsel at the DuPont Company for nine years.

Dianne has been named to the American Arbitration Association's panel of neutrals for patent disputes. She has been recognized by Chambers USA as a leading patent lawyer in Pennsylvania and in the Best Lawyers in America guide, is one of only two Pennsylvania patent lawyers listed in the International Who's Who of Patent Lawyers, and was named a Top 50 Pennsylvania Female Superlawyer.

Ms. DeCarlo focuses her practice on U.S. and foreign patent procurement and client counseling, guided by a technical expertise in chemical, biochemical, and pharmaceutical technologies.

Ms. DeCarlo is experienced in all aspects of patent procurement, from drafting and filing new applications to interference practice to securing patent rights through the appellate process.

Prior to joining O’Brien Jones, PLLC, Ms. DeCarlo was an attorney in the Atlanta office of Finnegan, Henderson, Farabow, Garrett & Dunner, LLP, where she was involved in due diligence investigations; pre-litigation and freedom to operate analyses; preparing patentability, validity, and non-infringement opinions; and all stages of patent procurement before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

Prior to attending law school, Ms. DeCarlo worked as a neurobiology research assistant at Harvard Medical School and Boston Children’s Hospital. While there, she gained significant scientific experience studying neurotransmitter receptor binding and its role in Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.

Prior to joining the firm in 2005, Esther served as deputy commissioner for patent operations in the PTO in Alexandria, Virginia, for five years. As deputy commissioner, she oversaw the nation's patent-examination process, with all the patent examiners in the United States reporting to her. Esther managed a budget of $700 million and was responsible for the day-to-day operations of the country's seven patent technology centers, including about 4,500 people. During her tenure, patent applications increased dramatically and, in 2004, the PTO received more than 350,000 patent applications and granted around 170,000 patents. Esther also played a pivotal role in establishing the policies and strategic direction of the patent examining corps, helping to implement the PTO's goals for improving quality and efficiency of service. With the PTO since 1973, Esther has held a variety of other positions, including patent examiner and supervisor for a biotechology art unit and group director for the chemical and materials engineering group. While at the PTO, Esther received a number of awards, including the Presidential Rank Award in 2002 and teh Department of Commerce Gold Medal in 2004.

As a Founder and executive he has primary responsibility for the financial operation including the contract negotiations, intellectual property transfer, grant development, audit requirements and general operations of the company. He has worked extensively with universities, non-profit foundations and research facilities, pharmaceutical companies and executives at both management and board levels.

Mr. Weiss has extensive biotech/biomedical experience spanning more than 20 years in a variety of settings including, biotech incubation, basic research, clinical research, clinical laboratory, hospital management, laboratory automation and patient billing. He possesses a unique blend of first hand experience combined with extensive finance, legal and operation expertise.

Throughout his career, James has handled global patent litigation, counseling, licensing, prosecution, and issues of patent life-cycle management in both the chemical and biotech areas. James has been with Schering-Plough since 1992 and has also served as chief patent counsel for Schering’s animal health and gene therapy units and as Director of European Patent Operations, where he had responsibility for Schering’s European patent litigation and opposition proceedings.

Joshua R. Slavitt is a registered patent attorney and a partner in the Philadelphia office of Pepper Hamilton LLP. Mr. Slavitt practices in all areas of intellectual property law. He counsels inventors, early stage ventures, established technology companies, universities and investor groups on the strategic use of intellectual property with an emphasis on IP creation and acquisition strategies and IP portfolio management.

Mr. Slavitt’s practice includes preparing and prosecuting patent applications for pharmaceuticals, drug delivery technologies, medical devices and equipment, nanoscale materials and devices, organic and inorganic compositions, diagnostic testing equipment, automotive components and consumer goods. He also is experienced in counseling on the use and protection of trademarks, trade dress, domain names and Internet-related trademark usage, and representing clients in all aspects of patent and trademark litigation at the trial and appellate levels.

Mr. Slavitt earned an undergraduate degree in philosophy and economics from the University of Pennsylvania (B.A. 1986) and a law degree from Boston University School of Law (J.D. 1991), and has studied chemistry at Drexel University. Mr. Slavitt is admitted to practice in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

Jennifer Tegfeldt focuses her practice in the area of transactional intellectual property and business development as Director, Business Initiatives and Strategy in the Corporate Development group of Genzyme Corporation, Cambridge, Massachusetts. She is deployed to meet the needs of various business areas of the company including Corporate Science, Renal, Endocrine, Immune Mediated Diseases, Transplant, Lysosomal Storage Diseases and Rare Genetic Diseases, and her frequent focus is on technology evaluations, early stage science collaborations, licensing, alliance management, and acquisitions. She received a J.D. from Franklin Pierce Law Center in 1985, and was the first alumnus to be appointed as a law clerk by a Circuit Judge of the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. Jennifer served as law clerk to the Honorable Pauline Newman from 1985-1987.

Before joining Genzyme in 1994, Jennifer practiced law with Fitzpatrick, Cella, Harper and Scinto in the firm’s Washington D.C. office. She is registered to practice before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, and is admitted to practice in Washington, D.C. and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and before the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. She received her Bachelor of Science in Biology from the University of California, Davis. Jennifer has been very active in such organizations as the Federal Circuit Bar Association, AIPLA, American Bar Association, including gaining Delegate status in the ABA’s House of Delegates for the Federal Circuit Bar Association, the American Inns of Court, Giles S. Rich Inn, the Licensing Executives Society, and Pierce Law’s Advisory Council on Intellectual Property. Jennifer is a frequent speaker and author on intellectual property, licensing and collaboration issues for legal and business conferences, and is a featured lecturer for Pierce Law’s Annual Advanced Licensing Institute.

Jim has been at Rigel in the IP department since the beginning of 2002, where he has focused on building the company’s IP portfolio, particularly the patent estate. His current duties include managing the IP and Contracts portions of the Legal Department and supporting Rigel’s General Counsel in Corporate and all other legal affairs. Prior to joining Rigel, Jim worked at the firm of Flehr Hohbach Test Albritton & Herbert, a small patent boutique. He received a J.D. from University of California, Hastings College of Law in 1999. He has a Ph.D. in Neuroscience from the University of Connecticut Health Center and did his undergraduate work at U.C. Santa Cruz.

Leisa Smith Lundy is active in all aspects of the firm's patent practice, focusing primarily on litigation, IP due diligence investigations, and client counseling and patent portfolio manangement for major financial institution clients. Ms. Lundy has extensive experience in patent litigation and has worked with technologies such as biological, pharmaceutical and chemical arts. She also has particular experience in litigating ANDA cases brought under the Hatch-Waxman Act involving pharmaceutical compounds and compositions.

Ms. Lundy also has prior experience as an in-house patent prosecution attorney in air separation technology, including cryogenic and membrane separation. Ms. Lundy's prior experience also included drafting and negotiating licensing agreements for such technology as applied to the semiconductor and steel industries.

Dr. Matthew Langer is a partner in the New York office of Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, where his practice focuses on pharmaceutical, biotechnological, and non-pharmaceutical chemical patents. He has counseled clients on matters including the formation of an IP holding company, appellate review, standing and damages issues, patent-term extension applications, IP due diligence, patentability, claim validity and claim construction, infringement analysis, freedom to operate, priority of invention, and license agreements. In addition, Matt has extensive experience prosecuting pharmaceutical, biotechnological, and non-pharmaceutical chemical patent applications, particularly those relating to compositions of matter and methods for their use, chemical synthesis, and biosynthesis.

Prior to joining the firm, Matt was an intellectual property partner at WilmerHale and, before that, a biotechnology partner at Pennie & Edmonds LLP.

Before starting his legal career, Matt served as a research scientist with Unilever Research in Edgewater, New Jersey. In this position, he synthesized, characterized, and evaluated sunscreens, artificial tanning agents, fluorescent whitening agents, and oxidizing agents for skin and fabric care. Previously, he was a staff chemist at GE Corporate Research and Development. Matt is a joint inventor named on numerous United States patents assigned to Lever Brothers Company or GE.

Mr. Boulding is the Senior Vice President & General Counsel of PTC Therapeutics, Inc, a privately-held biopharmaceutical company located in South Plainfield, NJ. His responsibilities include development and management of PTC’s intellectual property portfolio, negotiation of licensing arrangements and business development transactions, interactions with the government and universities on technology transfer matters, and general oversight of the legal department and related functions. PTC is focused on the discovery, development and commercialization of orally administered, proprietary, small-molecule drugs that target post-transcriptional control processes. Prior to working for PTC, Mr. Boulding was the General Counsel and Executive Vice President, Government and Regulatory Affairs of MedicaLogic/Medscape, Inc. (MDLI), a publicly-traded company offering software and information products to physicians and consumers. He joined MDLI following its acquisition in 2000 of Medscape, Inc., where he was also General Counsel and Vice President, Regulatory Affairs. Before Medscape, Mr. Boulding was a law firm partner in private practice in Washington, DC, where he specialized in healthcare and technology law, with a focus on pharmaceutical, biotech, and high-tech companies.

Mr. Boulding sits on the Board of Directors of the Healthcare Communication and Marketing Association, a not-for-profit membership association that provides training and educational development programs for pharmaceutical marketers and communicators. Mr. Boulding was a co-founder of the Internet Healthcare Coalition, a nonprofit organization dedicated to education, guidance, and policymaking in the service of high-quality health care information on the Internet. He also served on the founding Board of Directors of the eHealth Initiative, which was created by the leading healthcare organizations to promote the use of technology to improve healthcare.

Among Mr. Boulding’s publications are articles and book chapters on pharmaceutical and health care law and policy, FDA regulation of drugs and medical devices, and technology law. He is an editor of the ABA Business Law Press book, "Internet Law for the Business Lawyer." Mr. Boulding has presented at meetings of the American Bar Association, the Food and Drug Law Institute, the Drug Information Association, the Pharmaceutical Research and Education Institute, the Pharmaceutical Advertising Council/HMC Council, the Medical Marketing Association, and various commercial conference providers.

An honors graduate of Yale College, Mr. Boulding received his law degree cum laude from the University of Michigan.

Dr. Dorothy Auth has more than 17 years of experience in complex patent litigation, as well as licensing, patent procurement and intellectual property counseling in the United States and abroad. Her experience spans diverse industries, including biotechnology, pharmaceutical and medical devices, as well as consumer products, computers and other mechanical devices. Dr. Auth coordinates global patent procurement and enforcement strategies for her clients to maximize their patent-protected field. Her international experience includes coordinating patent infringement trials and hearings throughout Europe (including trials seeking preliminary relief and cross-border injunctions), as well as nullity, cancellation and oppositions proceedings on important patent rights in European courts and patent offices. In these matters, Dr. Auth coordinates corresponding activities in the U.S. with respect to the U.S. counterpart patents.

Among the clients Dr. Auth has represented are Medinol Ltd., DuPont Corporation, Rhone-Poulenc Rohrer, Inc., BioRest Ltd., Oscillon Ltd., Digene Corporation, Osteonics Corporation, Hoffman-La Roche and the National Institutes of Health.

Dr. Auth is the Chair of the CLE Committee of the NYIPLA. Prior to joining Cadwalader, she was a partner at Morgan & Finnegan, an intellectual property specialty firm in New York.

Dr. Auth earned her J.D. from St. John's School of Law, Ph.D. in biochemistry from Tufts University, and B.A. from Rutgers.