LES-SVC July Chapter Meeting (in-person event):

"Navigating the Evolving Landscape of Life Sciences Licensing: Trends, Challenges, and Opportunities"

   Wednesday, July 23, 2025 |  11:00 AM – 2:00 PM PT
Wilson Sonsini, 650 Page Mill Road, Palo Alto, CA
 Includes 1 CLE credit |  Lunch provided | Free registration

REGISTER ONLINE TODAY!

 Join LES-SVC for a high-impact, in-person event bringing together legal, licensing, and business development leaders shaping the future of life sciences innovation and dealmaking. Hosted at Wilson Sonsini’s Palo Alto HQ, this lunch session delivers a unique combination of data-driven insights, real-world deal experience, and networking with Silicon Valley’s biotech and licensing professionals.

AGENDA

11:00 AM – 12:00 PM: Registration, Lunch, and Networking

12:00 PM – 1:20 PM: Program (Keynote, LES Life Sciences Survey Preview, Panel Discussion)

1:20 PM – 2:00 PM: Networking

KEYNOTE CONVERSATION
Ian B. Edvalson, Partner, Technology Transactions at Wilson Sonsini (bio), will kick off the event with a strategic talk on building durable relationships in today’s high-stakes licensing environment.

 DATA SPOTLIGHT

Natalie J. Punnilathil, Ph.D., Director of Business Development & Licensing at Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, will provide a brief preview of the 2025 LES Life Sciences Royalty Rates and Deal Terms Survey, which offers exclusive benchmarking data and trends across upfronts, royalties, milestones, and more.

EXPERT PANEL DISCUSSION

Join a panel discussion moderated by Natalie that will bring together diverse experts to discuss the current state of life sciences licensing, exploring the dominant trends in deal-making, from upfront payments and royalty structures to the most sought-after therapeutic areas and technologies. Panelists will highlight the critical challenges faced by both licensors and licensees, and explore key trends, deal dynamics, early-stage valuation challenges, and emerging opportunities, offering actionable advice for navigating this evolving field.

PANELISTS

Cristina Ghenoiu, Ph.D.,  Partner, Mubadala Capital

 
Cristina Ghenoiu is a partner in Mubadala Capital’s venture business, focusing on biotech investments. She came to Mubadala from RA Capital, where she was a principal on the venture team. Prior to that, while a vice president on the biotech team at Longitude Capital, she helped spin out, amongst others, Rivus (scientific co-founder), 89bio (ETNB), and Epirium Bio, which she joined and served as senior vice president, R&D operations & new product planning. Before Longitude Capital, Cristina was an associate analyst in Biotechnology Equity Research at TD Cowen covering publicly traded large and smid cap biotech stocks. Cristina trained as a postdoc at The Rockefeller University, published first author papers in Science, Molecular Cell and JCB; holds a PhD in Chromosome and Cell Biology from Cornell University and a Bachelor of Arts in Biochemistry from Mount Holyoke College, Magna cum laude and High Honors for Computational Quantum Chemistry Thesis.

Timothy Herpin, Ph.D., Fractional CBO to multiple biotech startups

Tim Herpin has over 20 years of business development experience in biotech and pharmaceutical companies. Until recently, he was Chief Business Officer at Santa Ana Bio, a precision immunology company developing antibodies and ADCs for autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. During the pandemic, he served as Vice President, Janssen Business Development, Infectious Diseases and Vaccines, leading the strategy and planning of all business development activities in support of the therapeutic area. Before J&J, he was the Chief Business Officer at Caribou Biosciences, a privately held gene editing company based in the Bay Area. Prior to that, Tim was Vice-President, Head of Transactions at AstraZeneca and led a group of business development professionals involved in all aspects of transaction negotiation and execution. Tim joined AstraZeneca in 2011 as Vice-President, Strategic Partnering and Business Development, covering all business development activities for the Neuroscience disease area and subsequently for the Oncology disease area. Prior to AstraZeneca, Tim spent eight years in the business development organization at Bristol-Myers Squibb, covering both search and evaluation as well as transactions in multiple disease areas. Over his business development career, Tim has led deals of all sizes from research collaborations to multi-billion M&A, and deals of all shapes from licensing transactions to Series B financing. Tim started his career as a medicinal chemist at Bristol-Myers Squibb, Aventis, and Pharmacopeia.

Todd Pazdera, Ph.D., Director, Business Development, UCSF Innovation Ventures

Todd has over 15 years of business development and licensing experience and is currently the director of BD and Licensing in Innovation Ventures at UCSF. Todd leads both the EOD and Licensing teams which are engaged in identifying, prioritizing, developing and partnering UCSF innovations. Todd and his teams also lead efforts to cultivate and launch new startups based on UCSF discoveries. Todd received his Ph.D. in Biological Sciences from Carnegie Mellon University and a B.S. in Cell and Structural biology from the University of Illinois.

David Pirko, Partner, Technology Transactions, WSGR

David Pirko represents leading life science companies and venture capital investors in strategic transactional and corporate matters, including partnering and collaboration agreements, licensing agreements, services agreements, clinical trial agreements, manufacturing and supply agreements and other complex transactional matters, as well as in corporate formations, corporate governance, venture financings, mergers and acquisitions, and other strategic corporate matters. David’s practice extends from startups to public companies operating in all sectors of the life sciences industry. David regularly counsels his clients with respect to complex transactions with major biopharmaceutical companies, leading investors, and internationally recognized public and private research universities and institutions.

Prior to joining the firm, David was an associate at Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan LLP, where he represented clients in complex litigations. He also served as a judicial extern to the Honorable Janis Sammartino of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California.

MODERATOR 

Natalie J. Punnilathil, Ph.D., Director of Business Development & Licensing at Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy

Natalie Punnilathil, PhD, CLP is a seasoned business development and licensing leader with over eight years of experience in technology transfer spanning academic, nonprofit, and federal research institutions. She currently serves as Director of Business Development and Licensing at the Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy (PICI), where she oversees licensing and commercialization of a diverse oncology portfolio in collaboration with leading academic research centers. She works closely with inventors, venture capitalists, and industry partners to advance breakthrough technologies from lab to market.

Natalie previously held roles at UCSF Innovation Ventures and the NIH’s National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, where she developed and executed licensing strategies, negotiated complex research and commercialization agreements, and advised investigators on IP protection and technology development pathways. She has a proven track record of structuring and negotiating high-value licensing agreements, forging strategic partnerships, and accelerating the path from scientific discovery to patient impact. As a Certified Licensing Professional and active LES member, Natalie brings a collaborative spirit to mentoring and advancing the field of technology licensing. 

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Discover the latest trends and strategies shaping life sciences licensing deals in 2025

• Learn how global forces and economic shifts are impacting negotiations and deal-making

• Hear expert insights on the breakthrough technologies and emerging therapeutic areas driving industry partnerships

• Get actionable tips for navigating challenges and building successful licensing relationships in a changing landscape

CLE Credit: 1 CLE credit available (AZ, CA, CO, ID, IL, NY, OR, TX, VA, WA, WI)
Audience: Life sciences innovators, investors, business development & IP professionals.

Thank you to our sponsor for hosting this event:

Leave the office behind!
“Explore Nature and Network with LES-SVC”

Wednesday, August 20, 2025

Join the Silicon Valley Chapter on a fun hike in Palo Alto's Arastradero Preserve. Then we move to Rossotti’s Alpine Inn in Portola Valley for a social get-together. (If you don’t want to hike, then join us at Rossotti’s at 5:00 p.m.)

FOR HIKERS - Please read:  
WAIVER REQUIRED: Hike participants will be required to sign a waiver in order to participate.  Please download the link below, sign and bring to the hike.  Hard copies will also be available at the hike.

WAIVER LINK

HIKING (Optional)
Arastradero Preserve
4:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.

REGISTER ONLINE TODAY!

(Meeting at the parking lot at 4:15 p..m., leaving promptly at 4:30 p.m. – see parking lot link below)

Calling all beginners to experienced hikers! Take a break from the office and lace up your hiking boots or tennis shoes to explore the beautiful Arastradero Preserve trails around Portola Valley. 

We will be meeting at the Arastradero Preserve parking lot at 4:15 p.m. at 1530 Arastradero Road, Palo Alto (see link below).

Important: If you have difficulty locating the hiking group, please call Efrat Kasznik, 650-255-4943.

Be sure to bring plenty of water, sunscreen and a hat as we expect 80 degrees tomorrow!

Arastradero Preserve - Link to Parking Lot

Networking & Social Get-together
5:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
Rossotti’s Alpine Inn
3915 Alpine Rd, at Arastradero Road, Portola Valley, CA
(Parking at Rossotti's – see below)

See you at Rossotti's Alpine Inn – whether you're coming straight from our scenic hike or joining us after work for networking and socializing in a beautiful setting (some of our SVC Board members will be in attendance to greet you). Please note, attendees are responsible for their own food and beverage expenses. See parking availability below.

Parking: Rossotti’s encourages guests to carpool, utilize ride share, horseback ride in, or bike in. All guests who arrive in a full car with 4+ adults will either receive front-row parking or a coupon for a free pitcher of beer if the front-row parking is full. The parking lot is staffed with attendants. Be mindful of parking on public roads. Please do not park vehicle in any way that blocks bikers and other vehicles. Cars parked over the white line on public roads can be ticketed and/or towed.

November LES Silicon Valley Chapter In-Person Event

“Royalty Compliance and Dispute Resolution”

Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2025

11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. – Networking, Registration, Lunch
12:00 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. – Program
1:30 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. – Networking

Location: KPMG Silicon Valley Office

2755 Augustine Drive, Suite 701
Santa Clara, CA 95054

Thank you to our meeting sponsor:

PANEL-- TBC
Braden Weatherhead, Managing Director, KPMG IP Compliance
Michael Pierantozzi, Board Member, LES-SVC, IAM Strategy 300 (Fmr HP IPL and KPMG IP Consulting)

Who Should Attend: Licensing Professionals, Intellectual Property Managers, FFRDC Managers, Inventors, Entrepreneurs, Business Development Executives, Investors, and Attorneys

Braden Weatherhead, Managing Director, KPMG IP Compliance  LinkedIn
Braden is a Managing Director and KPMG’s commercial line of business leader for contract compliance. He has over sixteen years of experience in providing royalty audit services to multinational organizations in a variety of industries including High Technology, Semiconductors, Consumer Products, Diagnostics, and Pharmaceuticals.  Braden has deep experience in helping to establish and execute global contract compliance programs combining elements of data analytics, royalty monitoring, audit targeting and remediation. He has led the development of cloud-based data aggregation, monitoring and executive dashboard tool to help better identify licensee compliance issues which range from erroneous reporting, low royalty payment and fraud. He has significant experience successfully managing relationships between potentially contentious third parties in an audit environment. Braden is also well versed in performing advanced data analytics and has developed analytical tools to implement proactive monitoring solutions leveraging third party data.  All together, these programs have resulted in the identification of over $300 million in overpaid rebates & discounts while strengthening contract lifecycle management and strategy.  Braden is a Certified Public Accountant and member of the AICPA.

Michael Pierantozzi, Moderator and Board Member, LES-SVC (IAM Strategy 300)  LinkedIn
Based in Silicon Valley, Michael is a technology and intellectual property (Tech/IP) entrepreneur, strategist and transaction expert. Andiamo Associates is a management consulting firm that specializes in Tech/IP business catalyzing and monetizing matters. Previously, Michael was responsible for strategic business development, including sales, acquisitions, and licensing for the IP Licensing group at Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE), and served as Director of KPMG's IP Consulting practice. Previously, Michael held executive leadership positions at Hewlett-Packard Company (HP) including HPE, Intellectual Ventures (IV), IPotential, and an IP transaction data services startup that he co-founded. Since 2009, Michael has been recognized by Intellectual Asset Management (IAM) Magazine in their IAM 300 rankings as one of the “World’s Leading Intellectual Property Strategists”. He is a frequent speaker at Tech/IP industry events in the US, Europe, and Asia, and has delivered IP management seminars at Stanford University.