McDermott’s BOSTON office welcomes I.P. Partner

The Boston office of McDermott Will & Emery is pleased to welcome Robert H. Underwood, Ph.D., as the newest partner to its office.  He will be a member of the Firm’s Intellectual Property, Media & Technology Department and the Firm’s Life Sciences & Medical Devices Practice Group. 

Bob has extensive experience creating and evaluating intellectual property protection in the areas of life sciences and chemistry including antibody-based and other protein therapeutics, nucleic acid and genetic technology, small molecule therapeutics, medicinal chemistry, drug discovery and development, organic chemistry, polymers, catalysts, and drug formulation and delivery.  His practice focuses on patent portfolio development and management, patent prosecution, opinions, licensing, due diligence and related counseling.  He also assists clients with product planning matters as they relate to intellectual property, patent life-cycle management and the acquisition and divestment of intellectual property assets.

“We are delighted Bob has joined us.  He is a highly skilled lawyer and the wide range of experience he brings with him is a significant addition to our Firm-wide patent prosecution and life sciences practices, as well as a strong supplement to our overall Boston intellectual property practice,"  said Sarah Columbia, vice-chair of the worldwide Intellectual Property, Media & Technology Department and co-chair of McDermott’s Boston Intellectual Property, Media & Technology Department.

Prior to joining McDermott, Bob was in private practice.  He has been a visiting scientist at the Basel Institute for Immunology in Switzerland and a research associate at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston.  He earned his J.D. from Suffolk University Law School, his Ph.D. in immunology from Tufts University and his B.S. in biology from the University of New Hampshire.   He is a registered patent attorney admitted to practice before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.