Andrew T. Serafini, PhD
He | Him | His
Partner

1420 Fifth Avenue Suite 3700, Seattle, WA USA 98101

Overview

Andrew T. Serafini is a registered patent lawyer who focuses his practice on strategic and comprehensive intellectual property counseling and management for biotechnology, biopharmaceutical, and other life sciences clients. Dr. Serafini is listed as a leading lawyer in the 2021, 2022, and 2023 editions of Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business in Intellectual Property. Managing Intellectual Property recognized him in 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023 as a “Patent Star” in Washington and nationally. He was also recognized as a top patent practitioner in 2023 and the eight years immediately preceding by IAM Patent 1000 – The World's Leading Patent Practitioners and was listed as an IAM Strategy 300 Global Leader in 2021, 2022, and 2023. He is recognized in the Patents: Prosecution category in The Legal 500 United States 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023 editions and named one of the "Top 10 Intellectual Property Lawyers" in Washington by Business Today. JD Supra recognized Dr. Serafini’s article titled “COVID 19- Related Delays in Filing Patents and Trademark Documents” as among the top five trademark articles for 2020. He was awarded JD Supra's “Readers' Choice Award” for Thought Leadership in 2021.

As a scientist, Dr. Serafini enjoys pursuing innovation in his scientific research – as a lawyer; he uses his scientific background to strengthen his clients’ positions. He assists his clients in obtaining, protecting, and enforcing their intellectual property rights, especially in the areas of immunology, molecular biology, chemistry, antibody engineering, and therapeutics, vaccines, stem cell technologies, molecular genetics, genomics, proteomics, and protein chemistry, small and large molecule design and synthesis, pharmaceuticals, medical therapeutics, nanotechnology, clean energy, medical diagnostics, personalized medicine, and medical and surgical devices.

In over twenty years of practice, Dr. Serafini has focused on strategic and comprehensive intellectual property counseling and management for biotechnology, biopharmaceutical, medical and surgical device, and various other diverse life sciences clients. He fully engages with his clients, so he knows not only his clients’ wants and needs and how to best realize his clients’ goals given the pressures of business, the innovations of science, and the connections of the global community.

Dr. Serafini's practice includes preparing and prosecuting the U.S. and international patents; performing due diligence and freedom to operate analyses associated with mergers and acquisitions, venture capital, and other private and public financings; drafting opinions on patentability, non-infringement, and patent validity; product development counseling; supporting patent infringement litigation, post-grant proceedings, and International Trade Commission investigations.

Dr. Serafini guided the development of the intellectual property estate for Medarex’s ipilimumab (Yervoy™), a first-in-class monoclonal antibody and checkpoint inhibitor directed at CTLA-4, a protein receptor and critical target in cancer immunotherapy.

As an Adjunct Professor of Law at the University of Washington (UW) School of Law, Dr. Serafini teaches advanced courses in intellectual property. He also advises and mentors law students participating in independent study programs and law clinics, including the UW School of Law Entrepreneurial Law Clinic. Dr. Serafini is also a Patent Faculty Clinic Supervisor for the USPTO Law School Clinic Certification Program at UW School of Law.

Dr. Serafini is a Life Science Washington (LSW) Board director. LSW, formerly the Washington Biotechnology & Biomedical Association, is an independent, non-profit trade association serving the life sciences industry in Washington. LSW members include organizations engaged in or supportive of life science technologies' research, development, and commercialization. Dr. Serafini was recognized as the Volunteer of the Year at the 2013 Governor's Life Science Summit and WBBA Annual Meeting.

Dr. Serafini is also a Director of the Antibody Society of Korea Board (“ASK”; Republic of Korea).

He is also President of the Board of Directors for the Washington Rush (WA Rush) Youth Soccer Club. WA Rush is committed to developing healthy youth through the game of soccer.

More
Insights
Education

The University of California, Hastings College of the Law J.D. (1998)

Stanford University School of Medicine PhD (1994) Immunology

Case Institute of Technology of Case Western Reserve University B.S. (1986) Biochemistry, with honors

Admissions

Washington (2003)

Court Admissions

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit

U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington

U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (1997)

More
Professional & Community Activities

Life Science Washington, Board of Directors (2015-Present)

Antibody Society of Korea (ASK) Board of Directors, Director (2019 - Present)

University of Washington School of Law, Adjunct Professor (2008-Present)

University of Washington School of Law Entrepreneurial Law Clinic (ELC), Advisor and Mentor (2009-Present)

University of Washington Center for Advanced Study and Research on Innovation Policy (CASRIP), Advisory Board, Member (2019-Present); Summer Institute Speaker (2006-Present)

University of Washington School of Law USPTO Law School Clinic Certification Program, Patent Faculty Clinic Supervisor (2022-Present)

Washington Rush Youth Soccer Club, Board of Directors, President (2014-Present)

American Bar Association, Member

Federal Circuit Bar Association, Member

Washington State Bar Association, Member

American Intellectual Property Association, Member

Washington State Patent Law Association, Member

Licensing Executive Society (U.S.A. & Canada) Inc., Member

American Association of the Advancement of Science, Member

More
close
Loading...
If you would like to receive related insights and information from Kilpatrick Townsend, please provide your contact details by filling out the form and clicking “Agree.” If you would like to access the PDF only, please click “Download Only.”