Leena Contarino

Practice

Leena advises clients in protecting inventions mainly in the areas of biologics, including, DNA, RNA, peptides, and proteins, such as antibodies and enzymes. She also has considerable experience in diagnostics utilizing biomolecules, and in inventions related to cells, including microbes. 

Leena's expertise covers preparing and prosecuting patent applications, strategic patent portfolio review and management, intellectual property due diligence, and opinions regarding freedom-to-operate, non-infringement, and inventorship.

Prior to joining HGF Leena served as a VP of Intellectual Property at a global pharmaceutical company headquartered in Basel where she managed multiple patent portfolios related to drugs to be repurposed or refocused and conducted due diligence on assets under consideration to be bought or licensed. Before repatriating to Europe, she practiced patent law for almost two decades at a major law firm in the United States, where she advised clients at university technology transfer offices, start-ups and large multinational companies. Before beginning her legal career Leena conducted post-doctoral research at Harvard Medical School.

Leena holds a Masters degree in biotechnology, a Ph.D. in biochemistry, and is registered to practice before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. She also holds a U.S. law degree with license to practice before the courts of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.