The CataloniaBio Council brought together a dozen executives from member companies on 17 July at the Barcelona Science Park to meet with Dr Madhuri Roy, associate in the life sciences patent prosecution and counselling at Cooley LLP (Palo Alto, California), during her visit to Barcelona with the Alta Life Sciences investment fund. Cooley LLP is one of the most prestigious US intellectual-property firms with a team of 900 lawyers and 12 offices in the United States, China and Europe. 

At this intimate breakfast-gathering, Madhury Roy highlighted the importance of establishing an intellectual property (IP) strategy in line with the company’s R&D, “which may have a defensive side and an offensive side,” she explained. Participants also debated the need to do your due diligence, whether for an investment or licensing deal, as well as the main differences to take into account in your IP strategy when addressing the US market and the rest of the world. 

This was the second session of the CataloniaBio Council, a new initiative launched in 2017 exclusively for CEOs, founding partners and boards of directors at member companies. Its goal is twofold: to create a tight-knit group of executives that represent the present and future of the sector and to give them the chance to network and share in the knowledge of top-notch guest speakers.