
Bill advises both large pharma and startup companies with clinical stage assets in the development of global patent estates. He provides clients with strategic advice on patent portfolio development, conducts due diligence reviews of targeted companies and technology, and handles comparative evaluations of competitive patented technologies. His experience includes serving as in-house patent counselor for a life sciences company and working as a senior research scientist for two global chemical companies. Prior to pursing his law degree, Bill earned a PhD in organic chemistry from UC Berkeley.
More specifically, Bill's practice focuses on patent portfolio development to achieve optimum term for pharmaceutical products. Bill’s clients recently obtained multiple drug product approvals with patent portfolio coverage under development at Mintz. For early stage companies, Bill has assisted in patent portfolio development leading to acquisitions and/or collaborations valued at from about $100M to about $4B. He leverages experience in the corporate setting to provide clients with a business-based, product-driven approach to all of his IP legal services, and includes approaches with potential litigation challenges in mind. Bill also advises on product protection strategies involving formulations, drug delivery technologies, and dosing methods.
Prior to joining the IP team at Mintz, Bill was a partner in the Bay Area office of a large, international law firm. He also served as in-house patent counsel for Tularik Inc. (now part of Amgen, Inc.), a company involved in the discovery of compounds for the regulation of gene expression.
Earlier, Bill worked as a senior research scientist and project leader for FMC Corporation and Dow Chemical Company/DowElanco, where his research involved the design and synthesis of small molecule regulators of biological processes. Bill's doctoral thesis, conducted under the direction of Professor Paul A. Bartlett at UC Berkeley, concerned the design and synthesis of transition-state analogs as inhibitors of peptidases.
viewpoints
USPTO Prepares to Celebrate the Issuance of the Ten Millionth U.S. Patent
April 9, 2018 | Blog | By William B. Kezer
Federal Circuit Reverses PTAB Claim Interpretation in Dispute over Credit Card Security Patent
December 22, 2016 | Blog | By William B. Kezer
News & Press
Mintz Snags Ex-Kilpatrick Townsend Patent Prosecutor
March 2, 2016
Events & Speaking
BPIP 6th Annual Conference
Best Practices in Intellectual Property
Sheraton Tel Aviv Tel Aviv, Israel
Bill advises both large pharma and startup companies with clinical stage assets in the development of global patent estates. He provides clients with strategic advice on patent portfolio development, conducts due diligence reviews of targeted companies and technology, and handles comparative evaluations of competitive patented technologies. His experience includes serving as in-house patent counselor for a life sciences company and working as a senior research scientist for two global chemical companies. Prior to pursing his law degree, Bill earned a PhD in organic chemistry from UC Berkeley.
Recognition & Awards
- Included on Patexia's Most Active Attorneys in Biotech (2022 – 2023)
- Recognized in Chambers USA: California – Intellectual Property: Patent Prosecution (2021 – 2023)
- IAM Patent 1000 World's Leading Patent Practitioners (2013 – 2022)
- Included on the Northern California Super Lawyers: Intellectual Property list (2013 – 2014)
- Best Lawyers in America: Patent Law (2023)
Bill advises both large pharma and startup companies with clinical stage assets in the development of global patent estates. He provides clients with strategic advice on patent portfolio development, conducts due diligence reviews of targeted companies and technology, and handles comparative evaluations of competitive patented technologies. His experience includes serving as in-house patent counselor for a life sciences company and working as a senior research scientist for two global chemical companies. Prior to pursing his law degree, Bill earned a PhD in organic chemistry from UC Berkeley.
Involvement
- Chairman, AIPLA Chemical Practice Committee (2011 - 2013)
- Vice-chair, AIPLA Chemical Practice Committee (2009 - 2011)