Tina Williams McKeon, Ph.D.
Retired Partner

1100 Peachtree Street NE Suite 2800, Atlanta, GA USA 30309

Overview

Tina Williams McKeon retired from the partnership in December 2024. Prior to her retirement, Tina was a partner in the Atlanta office. She was a registered patent attorney who focused her practice on patent prosecution, post-grant proceedings, IP strategy, and IP portfolio management for leading universities, research institutions, and corporations in the life sciences, pharmaceutical, and biotechnology fields. Her technology experience included neuroscience, immunology, therapeutic antibodies, oncolytic virus therapy, stem cell technology, and recombinant technologies in areas such as food and food supplements. She worked extensively with medical technology (including diagnostics) and pharmaceuticals (including small molecules and biologics). Tina routinely performed IP due diligence for investors prior to their investments. This breadth of experience allowed Dr. McKeon to spot issues and avoid disputes. She also represented clients in licensing dispute mediations and in post-grant proceedings in the U.S. and European patent offices.

Tina contributed her talent and time to several legal, bioscience, and medical device organizations. She served on the boards of the IP Section of the Georgia Bar, Southeast Bio, Southeast Life Sciences, and the Red Cross of Greater Atlanta. She was a past chair of the IP Section of the Georgia Bar, Southeast Bio, Southeast Life Sciences, and the Greater Atlanta Chapter of the Red Cross. From 2005 until 2016, she taught in the TI:GER® Program, a collaboration between Emory University School of Law and Georgia Institute of Technology, that focused on technology commercialization in a multidisciplinary context. She was also a frequent lecturer on the role of intellectual property in entrepreneurship and served as adjunct faculty at Emory Law School. Tina authored more than 14 scientific publications.

She was recognized by Chambers USA annually from 2009 to 2024. Chambers stated that she “has a respected postdoctoral academic background and is highly regarded for her ‘great depth of knowledge,’ particularly in biotech matters.” Tina was named an “Atlanta Lawyer of the Year” in 2018 for Biotechnology Law and in 2012 for Patent Law by The Best Lawyers in America®. She was also listed in The Best Lawyers in America® for Patent Law and Biotechnology and Life Sciences Law from 2009 to 2025. Tina was further recognized as the “Atlanta Lawyer of the Year” in Biotechnology and Life Sciences in both 2022 and 2025 by The Best Lawyers in America®. Tina was named a Georgia “Super Lawyer” each year from 2008 to 2025. She was also recognized as a “Top 50 Women Georgia Super Lawyer” from 2013 to 2019 and as a “Top 100 Georgia Super Lawyer” in 2016 by Super Lawyers magazine. In 2020 and 2021, she was recommended by Legal 500 US for Patent Prosecution. Tina received the 2019 SEBIO Leadership Award and the 2013 Georgia Bio Community Award. Georgia Bio acknowledged her as “being that rare combination of scientific expertise, legal acumen, and sociability that affords her a broad role in the Georgia life sciences community.” She was named one of the “Top 10 IP Stars of the Top 250 Women in IP” in 2013 and 2016 and was recognized as an “IP Star” each year from 2013 to 2023 by Managing Intellectual Property magazine. Tina was also named one of Georgia Trend’s 2018 “Legal Elite” for Intellectual Property Law. She was recognized as a top patent practitioner from 2014 to 2024 by IAM Patent 1000 – The World’s Leading Patent Practitioners. Additionally, she was included in the Legal Media Group’s Expert Guide to the World’s Leading Women in Business Law in 2014 and from 2016 to 2019. Tina was selected as a “Life Science Star” in the 2016 edition of LMG Life Sciences. She is AV Preeminent® rated by Martindale-Hubbell.*

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Insights
Education

Emory University School of Law J.D. with distinction, Order of the Coif

University of Alabama at Birmingham Ph.D. Anatomy (Neuroscience)

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill B.S. Physical Therapy

Admissions

Georgia (1996)

Court Admissions

Court of Appeals of Georgia (1996)

Superior Court of Georgia (1996)

Supreme Court of Georgia (2000)

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit (1998)

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (2022)

U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia (1997)

U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (1999)

Clerkships

United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit - Stanley F. Birch (Sep 1996-Aug 1997)

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Professional & Community Activities

Intellectual Property Section of the Georgia Bar, Chair (2013-2014); Section Officer (2009-2013); Committee Chair (2005-2009)

Atlanta Intellectual Property Inn of Court, Founding Committee, Member (2010-Present); Pupilage Group Leader (2011-2016, 2018-2021)

BIO, Steering Committee, Member (2009)

American Red Cross of Greater Atlanta, Board of Directors (2016-2020); Chair (2020-2022)

SEBIO/Southeast Life Sciences, Vice-Chair and Secretary (2017); Co-Chair of the SEBIO Investor and Partnering Forum (2014); Member of Planning Committee (2008-2016); Chair of the Early State Committee (2008-2013; 2015); Chair of the Program Committee (2016); Executive Committee (2012-2014, 2016-2021); Chair (2018-2019)

Georgia BIO, Board of Directors, Member (2008-2015); Chair of Programs and Events (2013-2014)

SEMDA, Member of Planning Committee for Annual Conference (2009-2010) and (2012-2013)

Family Division of Fulton County Superior Court, Guardian ad litem (2009-2016)

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