Law Committee goals are: to provide ACS members who are legal practitioners with a forum for discussing issues relevant to chemistry;
- to provide the ACS membership at large with high quality, inter-disciplinary programs, symposia, and publications on topics where chemistry and the law intersect;
- to expose ACS members to alternative career opportunities which provide an interdisciplinary challenge, between chemical scientists and its application to areas of law, and between law and its applications to chemical science;
- to encourage networking, collaboration and the exchange of information amongst members of the Law Committee and other relevant ACS groups.
Any individual having both a qualification as a legal practitioner or an interest in the law and a background or interest in chemistry is encouraged to join the Law Committee and to become involved with its activities.
Areas of focus for the Law Group’s activities include intellectual property, contract law, torts, regulatory law, and any other area of law relevant to chemistry.
For further information, please contact the Chair:
Dr. Don Lewis, Esq., F.R.S.C.
Chair, Law Committee
Catalyst Law Group
9710 Scranton Road, Suite 170
San Diego, CA 92121
Tel: (858) 450 0099; fax: (858) 450-9834
Upcoming Events for the Law Committee
Title: Review of Chemistry Case Law: 2009/2010
Location: DLA Piper LLP
Link out: Click here
Description: Note: this event is geared toward legal professionals
Format:
Four presenters will review four recent IP cases relevant to chemistry. Each presenter will have 20 minutes, followed by 10 minutes of questions. Registration will start at 5:30 PM; the program will start at 6:00 PM.
Program:
6:00: Ex parte Pfizer
Issue: Proving Inherent Anticipation
Presenter: Michael Smith (Morrison & Foerster LLP)
6:30: Wyeth v. Kappos
Issue: Patent term adjustment calculations
Presenter: Edward Robinson (DLA Piper LLP)
7:00: Boehringer Ingelheim Int’l v. Barr Labs
Issue: Doctrine of obviousness-type double patenting
Presenter: Victor Behar (McDermott Will & Emery LLP)
7:30: Mayo v. Prometheus Labs, in view of Bilski
Issue: What types of subject matter are patentable
Presenter: Donald Lewis (Lewis Kohn & Fitzwilliam, LLP):
Start Time: 17:30:00
Date: 2010-04-29
End Time: 20:30:00
Previous Events:
Law Committee January ‘10 Event
Interactive Workshop
for Bench Chemists:
“What Every Bench Chemist
Needs to Know About IP”
When: Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Time: 5:00 PM - 8:30 PM
Place: Morrison & Foerster LLP
12531 High Bluff Drive, Suite 100
San Diego, California 92130
Format: A panel of four patent practitioners will explain what practicing chemists need to know about patent law and will answer questions. The program is geared for bench chemists as well as those who supervise or manage chemists, rather than toward IP professionals.
Title: Annual Review of Chemistry Case Law: 2008 (lawyers, patent agents, and law trainees only)
Format: Four leading chemistry cases from 2008 were briefed. Attendees were encouraged to participate by summarizing their favorite cases of the year.
Find the program agenda and slide deck for the event HERE.
Title: IP Issues related to Pioneering Chemistry Inventions
Speaker: Don Lewis, Catalyst Law Group
Find the slide deck for the event HERE.
Title: Update of Foreign Patent Prosecution Practice
Format: This event is designed for legal practitioners. Recent changes in foreign IP law and practice relevant to chemistry will be reviewed. Three presenters will review developments in foreign jurisdictions and a fourth presenter will review the state of the USPTO Patent Prosecution Highway program. Each presenter will have 20 minutes, followed by 10 minutes of questions. Food will be provided.
Jurisdictions:
USPTO Patent Prosecution Highway (presenter: Victor Behar, McDermott Will & Emery)
China (presenter: Michael Smith, MoFo)
Japan (presenter: Ed Robinson, DLA Piper)
European Patent Office (presenter: Donald Lewis, Catalyst Law Group)
View the presentation HERE: mcdermott10
Law Committee Event
Review of Chemistry Case Law: 2008/2009
(Note: This event is geared for legal professionals)
Date: September 1, 2009
Time: 5:30-8:00 PM
Place: Morrison & Foerster LLP
12531 High Bluff Drive, Suite 100
San Diego, California 92130
Format: Four presenters will review four recent IP cases relevant
to chemistry. Each presenter will have 20 minutes,
followed by 10 minutes of questions. Registration will
start at 5:30 PM; the program will start at 6:00 PM.
RSVP: donaldgeorgelewis@gmail.com
(Please RSVP by Friday noon, Aug 28, 2009)