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Lee A. Johnson, PhD

Partner

[email protected]

+1.647.499.2630 Toronto

+1.212.692.6858 New York

+1.858.314.2158 San Diego

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Lee is a versatile intellectual property attorney and registered Patent Agent who advises clients on a broad spectrum of IP matters, from patent prosecution and portfolio management to disputes to IP strategy and diligence in connection with transactions. He represents clients across a variety of industries, including biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, AgTech, and FoodTech, on both the company and investor side. Through his work in this space, Lee is an active member of the life sciences ecosystem and has developed strong relationships with venture capital funds, investors, strategic partners, universities, and other incubators.

In his multifaceted work for companies and IP innovators, Lee drafts and prosecutes US and international patents, develops patent strategies, and serves in an advisory role to clients facing disputes before courts in the United States and Canada, and the USPTO. Lee also acts on behalf of investors, emerging companies, and transactional IP counsel in licensing and technology transfer arrangements, research collaborations and partnerships, initial public offerings (IPOs), mergers, and acquisitions.

Lee regularly counsels clients at all stages of growth in order to secure funding, develop and protect their IP portfolios, create long-term strategies, and achieve desired business outcomes. He is often a company’s first lawyer and has deep experience working alongside founders to obtain funding, scale the business, and create profitable exit strategies.

Lee enjoys mentoring budding biotech entrepreneurs, and he frequently writes and speaks on how companies can access capital and maximize their assets. He has given guest lectures at the University of Toronto Medical School, CalTech, the Amplitude Fellowship program, and the University of British Columbia School of Biomedical Engineering.

Prior to joining Mintz, Lee was a partner in the patents and innovations group of a leading Silicon Valley–based law firm. He started his career practicing IP law with an international firm based in Canada.

Experience

  • Lead outside patent and IP strategy counsel to biotechnology company BELLUS Health from initial diligence of its camlipixant program for chronic cough through their 2019 US initial public offering and $2B acquisition by GSK in 2023.
  • Primary outside patent and IP strategy counsel to biotechnology company Zymeworks on patent issues in connection with numerous exclusive pharmaceutical licensing agreements and its 2017 initial public offering and multiple follow-on financings in support of the development and commercialization of zanidatamab, an antibody being studied as a treatment option for biliary tract cancer and gastroesophageal adenocarcinoma (GEA).
  • Lead outside patent and IP strategy counsel to molecular testing company ChromaCode on patent matters related to its $10 million Series C financing from Adjuvant Capital, which is backed by health care investors Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the International Finance Corporation, and Novartis, among others.
  • Lead outside patent and IP strategy counsel to Northern Biologics, a preclinical company focused on therapeutic antibodies targeting the tumor microenvironment, in all patent matters until it was acquired by Boehringer Ingelheim.
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viewpoints

Why companies may want to accelerate marketing approval for their patented drugs in Canada

November 8, 2024 | Blog | By Lee Johnson, PhD, Christine C. Pemberton, PhD

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Do Patent Claims to Methods of Treatment Cover In Vivo Transformations?

April 29, 2024 | Blog | By Lee Johnson, PhD, Thomas Wintner, Iris Cheung, PhD

Where an alleged infringer administers a substance A to a subject, and the substance is subsequently transformed to a therapeutic agent X inside the subject’s body, does the administration of the substance A constitute an act of infringement of a patent claiming a method of treatment by administration of the therapeutic agent X?

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Basics – How an Inventor’s Own Work Affects Patent Applications

December 6, 2023 | Blog | By Peter Hecker, PhD, Lee Johnson, PhD

Imagine excitedly filing a patent application, waiting years for the case to be examined, and then finding your application rejected on grounds that it is obvious or anticipated by your own previously published work. This is a common situation, but it may be avoided with careful planning.

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Distinguishing Patent Protection from Patient Safety – A Role for the FDA

August 21, 2023 | Blog | By Peter Hecker, PhD, Lee Johnson, PhD

At its heart, a patent grants the right to stop another person from doing whatever falls within the scope of the patent’s claims. A patent is not a right to practice what is included in the patent, or a government stamp of approval on everything within the scope of its claims.

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News & Press

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Events & Speaking

Speaker
Nov
3
2026

LSBC's 11th Annual Invest in BC Conference

Set Up for Success: Earnouts and CVRs in Life Sciences M&A

Vancouver, British Columbia

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Speaker
Oct
28
2025
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Publications

Co-author, Major Change to European Patent System in 2023 to Impact Patent Owners' Portfolios, IP Litigator (November/December 2022)

Lee Johnson contributed to an overview of the Unitary Patent System (UPS), a major change to the European patent system expected to take effect in the second quarter of 2023 at the earliest. The article also discusses how patent owners can opt out of the new system during a transitional period.

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Recognition & Awards

  • LMG Life Sciences Americas Patent Strategy Practitioner of the Year – Canada (2026)

  • Shortlisted as LMG Life Sciences Americas Patent Strategy Practitioner of the Year – Canada (2025)

  • Legal 500: Recognized for Patents: Prosecution (2024)

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Involvement

  • Member, Canadian Bar Association
  • Member, Intellectual Property Institute of Canada
  • Member, Commercialization Committee, BioCanRx (Canada’s Immunotherapy Network)
  • Member, BIOTECanada; Life Sciences British Columbia; Life Sciences Ontario; BioQuebec
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