2175 North California Boulevard Suite 600, Walnut Creek, CA USA 94596
Dr. Joseph R. Snyder is the Managing Partner of the firm's Walnut Creek office. Dr. Snyder focuses his practice on patent prosecution and counseling, emphasizing patent drafting, patent procurement, client counseling and opinion writing, primarily in the chemical arts, biotechnology, life sciences and clean technology. He counsels clients on planning and portfolio analysis for patent protection, including strategic review of technologies' commercial potential, enforcement of patent rights and defense of infringement allegations. Dr. Snyder represents U.S. and foreign companies, such as pharmaceutical companies, diagnostic laboratories, universities and start-ups in all areas of intellectual property counseling and protection.
He conducts and performs due diligence investigations in connection with commercial transactions, such as mergers, acquisitions and the establishment of strategic business alliances. These investigations involve intellectual property including patents, technology licenses, acquisition agreements and asset purchase agreements. Dr. Snyder advises on the creation of start-ups and their patent portfolio development. He coordinates and negotiates the transfer and licensing of intellectual property as it relates to office of technology transfer agreements, collaborative/sponsored research agreements and other transfer agreements.
His technology experience includes small molecules, pharmaceutical formulations, drug delivery technologies, medical diagnostics, nucleic acid assays, nucleic acid sequencing technologies, dyes and clean technology.
Before joining the firm, Dr. Snyder worked as a patent attorney for Zeneca Ag Products in the areas of patent drafting, patent prosecution and patent validity opinions.
Prior to joining the legal profession, he was a senior scientist in their analytical department doing organic structural analysis using NMR and mass spectrometry.
Dr. Snyder was recommended by Legal 500 US in 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024 for Patent Prosecution and as a "Leading Partner" in 2024 for Patent Prosecution. He was recognized as a Northern California "Super Lawyer" for Intellectual Property in 2018 and the four years immediately preceding by Super Lawyers magazine. He has been recognized repeatedly for Life Sciences in The International Who's Who of Business Lawyers.
Experience
Represented Prometheus Laboratories, Inc. owner of an Orange Book listed branded drug, Lotronex (alosetron hydrochloride), indicated for women with severe Irritable Bowel Syndrome. Prometheus Labs bought the franchise from GSK several years ago, however US Patent No. 6,284,770 drawn to a method for treatment was not listed in the Orange Book. A reexamination strategy was devised to ensure patentability of the claims that covered the indication. After an initial PTO action denying the reexamination request, a petition was filed citing further relevant facts. Thereafter, the petition was granted. After successful prosecution of amended claims, a reexamination certificate issued providing valid patent coverage for Lotronex. The reexamined patent is now listed in the Orange Book.
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News Releases
Adversarial Patent Prosecution℠
Asset Creation - Prosecution & Counseling
Chemicals: Industrial Chemistry & Materials and Material Science
Life Sciences: Biotechnology, Pharmaceuticals & Bioinformatics
University of San Francisco School of Law J.D. (1995)
University of Notre Dame Ph.D. (1987) Chemistry
University of Akron M.S. (1983) Chemistry
Xavier University B.S. (1980) Chemistry
California (1995)
Supreme Court of California (1995)
Supreme Court of the United States (2011)
U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (1995)
International Association for the Protection of Intellectual Property, Standing Committee on Pharma and Biotechnology for the US National Group (2017-2022)
Contra Costa County Bar Association, Intellectual Property, Section Head (2016-Present)
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