Elizabeth “Betty” Hanley, the former Chair of the Intellectual Property practice group and former member of the firm’s Executive Committee, has more than 30 years of experience as a patent professional. Betty began her career as an Examiner at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office in the fields of biotechnology and chemistry. While employed by the Patent Office, she received specialized biotechnology training at the National Institutes of Health.
Betty practices in all areas of chemistry and biotechnology patent law, including patent prosecution, patentability, freedom to operate and validity opinions, licensing, and due diligence evaluations. Her specialties include small molecule and organic chemistry, drug delivery, and pharmaceutical development. She has extensive experience in representing early stage companies and working with them interactively to strategically build their patent portfolios. She also represents many of the leading pharmaceutical companies building and managing complex patent portfolios, protecting blockbuster biotech and small molecule drugs, and developing global strategic plans.