Stephanie Seidman, Ph.D., J.D., a principal with the law firm of Fish & Richardson, provides a vital service to the health care industry -- she strategically helps companies plan for and obtain patents on their health-related inventions and is an important aspect of a company's path to the marketplace. Her clients include dozens of leading companies in California and throughout the United States and her practice has a specific focus on biotechnology and chemistry.
Seidman has a unique background that makes her extensive services as a patent attorney more valuable to clients. Before attending law school, she earned an undergraduate degree in chemistry and physics from William Smith College, a master's degree in chemical physics and a Ph.D. in molecular biology/biochemistry, both from Indiana University. She went on to be a postdoctoral staff fellow for the National Institutes of Health. When clients discuss the science behind their inventions, Dr. Seidman understands it.
In the early 1980s, Seidman chose to make a career change and entered law school at The Catholic University of America, Columbus School of Law. She graduated in 1985 and hit the ground running. She first worked as a patent examiner for the U.S. Patent Office. This valuable experience and the firsthand knowledge of the patent system that she gained allow her to effectively lead her clients through the cumbersome patent process. A significant amount of her practice is also devoted to international patent work -- helping clients receive protection for their health care inventions worldwide.
Today, Seidman leads Fish & Richardson's biotechnical and pharmaceutical patent law practice, the largest such practice in San Diego. The group has significant expertise in biotech and chemical patent prosecution, including molecular biology, biochemistry, bioinformatics, synthetic organic chemistry, polymer chemistry and immunology as well as medical devices.
Seidman joined Fish & Richardson in 2004 after founding and successfully building a biotech patent practice at another national law firm. She brought to F&R a team of 12 attorneys, technical specialists and scientific advisers, a new position that she created to provide scientists an opportunity to assess patent law as a career.
Of the many practice groups at Fish & Richardson, Seidman's group has the highest percentage of women -- 96 percent. Mentoring and creating opportunities has always been an important aspect of her career. Several of the young women scientists she has mentored have gone on to follow Seidman in a career in law.
Seidman's commitment to helping biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies bring their inventions to the marketplace continues to be the driving force behind the successful Fish & Richardson practice. Her commitment to clients and hard work has resulted in hundreds of clients receiving the patent protections they need to make their businesses successful.
Although working with clients is her passion -- she reportedly has worked every day in some years -- she also finds time to pursue other professional interests. She has written several education articles geared toward helping health care companies understand the patent process and the need for strong, well-crafted patents. Seidman is a contributing author to "Inside the Minds: The Art & Science of Patent Law" and is currently writing a book on biotech and pharmaceutical intellectual property issues.
Seidman is a premiere board member of the Robertson Center of Science and Public Policy. Her business and legal expertise has been a catalyst for the organization's early success. She has also developed substantive seminars on various IP topics for both internal Fish & Richardson educational programs as well as for various industry organizations. In 2005, she spoke at BIO, attracting a worldwide audience. She participates in F&R's Women's Forum, a monthly meeting of the female attorneys to discuss internal issues, and share ideas and concerns.
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