FDA Lawyer and Registered Patent Attorney

Tel +1 (301) 982 0152
Email: Retford@dobelawgroup.com

Retford is an FDA Lawyer and a Registered Patent Attorney. His practice is focused on all phases of FDA law and practice and in patent prosecution and drafting in the areas of chemical and biochemical sciences. Retford completed his Ph.D. in Biochemistry at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, with emphasis in enzyme kinetics and mechanism. He then embarked on postdoctoral research in areas of steroid chemistry, clinical chemistry, tumor immunology and cancer prevention and control at University of Illinois at Chicago and National Cancer Institute in Bethesda, Maryland. Retford spent twelve years at the FDA as Review Chemist and Compliance Officer where he worked on medical device, biologic and combination product regulation. After completing law school, Retford spent approximately three years at the USPTO as Patent Examiner where his focus was in the prosecution of chemical and drug compositions, biochemical assays and drug delivery medical devices systems.

Practice Areas and Interests

• All phases of FDA law including drug, medical device, biologics and combination products regulations including dossier review, filing and opinion papers.
• Patent prosecution and drafting

Education

• J.D. University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law (2002)
• Ph.D. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (1979)

Bar Admissions

• District of Columbia
• United States Patent &Trademark Office

Professional Affiliations

• Patent Law Community of Greater Washington (PLCW)

Publications

• Berko, R., Light, L., Krebs-Smith, J. and Weed, D.: Novel Cancer Prevention and Control Strategies in Special Populations. Abstract M 26, National Institutes of Health Research Day, Bethesda, Maryland, September, 1989.
• Berko, R., Seissman, K., Colvin M., Bocian, R.C., Shlomo Ben-Efrain, and Dray, S.: Tumoricidal and Immuno-modulatory activities of drugs and implications for therapy of mice bearing a late-stage MOPC-315 Plasmacytoma. International Journal of Immuno¬ Pharmacology, Vol. 10, No. 7, pp 825-834, 1988.
• Berko, R.M., Colvin, M., Mokyr, M.B. and Dray, S.: Comparison of several drugs for their tumoricidal and immuno-modulatory activities in mice bearing a large MOPC-315 plasmacytoma. Presented at American Association for Cancer Research Meeting, Los Angeles, CA, May,1986.
• Berko, R.M. and Dubin, A.: Identification of a specific prostaglandin-binding component in rat ileum. Clinical Phys. and Biochem. Vol. 3, 307-313, 1985.
• Pearlman, W.H., Berko, R.M., Peng, L.H. and Pearlman, M.R.J.: Glucocorticoids and Lactation: In-vitro metabolism of glucocorticoids by rat mammary glands. Endocrinologia Experimentalis, Vol. 17, 175-181, 1983.
• Berko, R. M., Asare, B. and Dubin, A.: Presence of a specific prostaglandin-binding protein in rat ileum. Digestive Diseases Week, Washington, D. C., May 23-25, 1983, Abstract No. 118.
• Berko„ R. M., Asare, B. and Dubin, A.: Presence of a specific prostaglanding-binding protein in rat ileum. Clinical Chemistry, Vol. 29, Abstract No. 1210, 1983.
• Berko, R. M. and Pearlman, W.H.: The influence of 21-acylation of corticosterone on its binding affinity for corticosteroid-binding globulin (CBG). J. Steroid Biochem. Vol 14, pp 1035-1039, 1981. (Award-Winning Publication).
• Pearlman, W.H., Srzynia, C., Hampel, M., Peng, L.H. and Berko, R.M.: The levels of corticosterone-binding proteins in rat milk and coincidental serum, and the dissociation rates of the corticosterone-protein complexes. Endocinology, Vol. 108, pp 741-746, 1981.
• Berko, R.M. and Pearlman, W.H.: The influence of 21-acylation of glucocorticoids on their binding affinities for mammary glucocorticoid receptor and serum glucocorticoid¬binding globulin. The Endocrine Society, 63″I Annual Meeting, 1981, Cincinnati, OH, Abstract No. 918.
• Berko, R.M. and Pearlman, W.H.: The influence of 21-acylation of corticosterone and its interaction with proteins. Federation Proceedings, Vol. 39, pp 1722, 1980, Abstract No. 627.
• Chon, R.S., Berko, R.M. and Heizer, W.D.: Isolation and characterization of four peptide hydrolases from brush border of rat intestinal mucosa. Biochem. Biophys. Acta, Vol. 445, pp 694-719, 1976. (Prelude to Ph.D. Thesis, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina).

Registered Patent Agent

Tel: +1 (301) 982 0152

Email: Chris.Onuaku@dobelawgroup.com

Christopher Onuaku is a Registered Patent Agent and practices patent preparation and prosecution; design patents, patent reissue and reexamination proceedings; interference practice and patent portfolio analysis.  Mr. Onuaku’s technical expertise includes various aspects of electrical engineering, electro-mechanical systems, mechanical, industrial, wireless technology, software enabled systems, camera, video distribution systems, recording devices and telecommunications engineering. 

Prior to joining Dobe Law Group, Mr. Onuaku was a U.S. Patent Examiner for twelve years.  Prior to becoming a Patent Examiner, Mr. Onuaku held Senior Systems and Electrical Design Engineering positions in Electrical Engineering firms.

Practice Areas

·        Patent and Trademark Prosecution

·        IP Due Diligence/IP Counseling

·        Licensing Agreements and Technology Transfer

·        Portfolio Management

Technology Areas

·     Electrical Engineering - electro-mechanical, mechanical, industrial, wireless technology, software enabled systems, camera, video distribution systems, recording devices and telecommunications engineering. 

Education

·     M.S. (Engineering Administration), The George Washington University, Washington, District of Columbia

·     B.S.  (Electrical Engineering).The George Washington University, Washington, District of Columbia

·     B.S., (Applied Science) Hampshire University, Hampton, VA

Bar Admissions

·        United States Patent & Trademark Office

Professional Affiliations

·        American Intellectual Property Law Association

Attorney at Law

Tel: +1 (301) 982 0152
Email: kez@dobelawgroup.com

Kez U. Gabriel, Esq., PhD is an experienced litigation attorney and is involved in a   broad range of litigation matters including complex litigation.  Representative cases have dealt with general and complex civil litigation, business and commercial litigation,  international law, and medical malpractice litigation. He has extensive experience in all phases of litigation, including pre-trial, trial and post-trial practice, and has counseled clients on strategic business and commercial issues.

Practice Areas

·  Intellectual Property Litigation

·  Business and Commercial Litigation

·  General and Complex Civil Litigation

·  Medical Malpractice Litigation

·   International Business Law & Litigation

·  Federal/State Administrative Process & Litigation

Courtroom Experience

            Federal Courts

·   United States Court of Appeals for the 4^th Circuit

·   United States Court of Federal Claims

·   United States District Court for the District of Maryland

·   United States Immigration Courts & Board of Immigration Appeals

      State Courts

·   Court of Special Appeals, Maryland

·   Circuit Courts of Maryland

·   District Courts of Maryland

 Foreign Courts

·   Provincial Courts of Alberta, Canada

Education

·  J.D. (Doctor of Jurisprudence), American University Washington College of Law, Washington, District of Columbia

·  Ph.D., University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada

·  M. ED., University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Nigeria

·  B. A., University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Nigeria

Bar Admissions

· Maryland

Professional Affiliations

· American Bar Association

· Federal Bar Association

· Maryland State Bar Association

IP Consultant

Tel: +1 (301) 982 0152

Email: Lambert@dobelawgroup.com

Lambert C. M. Ngoka, Ph.D. is an IP Consultant and has a wealth of research experience in the chemical, biotechnological, and pharmaceutical arts and in such diverse areas as analytical, inorganic and organic chemistry, mass spectrometry, proteomics, genomics, bioinformatics, genetic engineering, and molecular biology.  He has particular expertise in biomedical applications of mass spectrometry, and has extensive biomedical research experience in cyclic peptides, glycolipids and oligosaccharides.

Practice Areas

·       Patent Prosecution

·       IP Opinions

Technology Areas

·       Chemistry/Pharmaceutical Sciences – Analytical, inorganic chemistry, organic chemistry

·       Biotechnology – genetic engineering, molecular biology, genomics, proteomics, cancer, biochemistry

Education

·       Postdoctoral Research Associate, Washington University, St Louis, Missouri

·       Postdoctoral Fellow, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston Massachusetts

·       Postdoctoral Associate, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts

·       Ph.D. Analytical Chemistry, University of California, Davis, California

·       M.S. Graduate Study in Analytical Chemistry, University of Alberta, Canada

·       M.S. Industrial Chemistry, University of Ibadan, Nigeria

·       B.A. First Class Honors, Chemistry, University of Ibadan, Nigeria

Professional Affiliations

·       American Society for Mass Spectrometry

·       American Chemical Society

  Representative Publications

• Ngoka, Lambert C. M., Dramatic down-regulation of oxidoreductases in human hepatocellular carcinoma hepG2 cells: proteomics and gene ontology unveiling new frontiers in cancer enzymology. Proteome Science 2008, 6(1):29 (24 October 2008)

• Ngoka, Lambert C. M., Sample prep for proteomics of breast cancer: proteomics and gene ontology reveal dramatic differences in protein solubilization preferences of radioimmunoprecipitation assay and urea lysis buffers. Proteome Science 2008, 6(1):30 (24 October 2008)

• Gao, S., Zhang, Z.-P., Edinboro, L.E., Ngoka Lambert, C. and Karnes, H.T. The effect of alkyl amine additives on the sensitivity of detection for paclitaxel and docetaxel and analysis in plasma of paclitaxel by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Biomedical chromatography: BMC 20, 683-695 (2006)

• Ngoka, Lambert C. M., Alkali Metals and Cyclic Peptides, In: The Encyclopedia of Mass Spectrometry : Fundamentals of and Applications to Organic (and Organicmetallic) Compounds-US-ISBN:0080438466 (Hardcover book) Vol.4 Gross, Michael L. /Caprioli, Richard M. (EDT) /Nibbering, Nico (EDT) /Publisher: Elsevier Science Ltd /12, 593-600 (2005).

• Ngoka, Lambert C. M., Gross, Michael L.  Location of alkali metal binding sites in endothelin A selective receptor antagonists, cyclo (D-Trp-D-Asp-Pro-D-Val-Leu) and cyclo (D-Trp-D-Asp-Pro-D-Ile-Leu), from multistep collisionally activated decompositions.    Journal of Mass Spectrometry 35 (2), 265-276 (2000) 

• Ngoka, Lambert C. M., Gross, Michael L.  Multistep collisionally activated decomposition in an ion trap for the determination of the amino-acid sequence and gas-phase ion chemistry of lithium-coordinated valinomycin.   International Journal of Mass Spectrometry, 194 (2/3), 247-259 (2000).

• Ngoka, Lambert C. M., Gross, Michael L.  Multistep tandem mass spectrometry for sequencing cyclic peptides in an ion-trap mass spectrometer. Journal of the American Society for Mass Spectrometry, 10(8), 732-746 (1999) 

• Ngoka, Lambert C. M., Gross, Michael L.  A nomenclature system for labeling cyclic peptide fragments. Journal of the American Society for Mass Spectrometry, 10(4), 360-363 (1999) 

• Ngoka, Lambert C. M., Gross, Michael L., Toogood, Peter L.  Sodium-directed selective cleavage of lactones: A method for structure determination of cyclodepsipeptides    International Journal of Mass Spectrometry, 182/183 289-298 (1999) 

• Ngoka, Lambert C. M., Gross, Michael L. Novel sodium binding properties of some cyclopentapeptide endothelin A selective receptor antagonists: electrospray and fast-atom-bombardment mass spectrometric studies. Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications, 254 (3), 713-719 (1999) 

• Costello, Catherine E., Helin, Jari and Ngoka, Lambert C. M., Utilization of matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry for structural studies related to biology and disease. SPIE — Volume 2680. Ultrasensitive Biochemical Diagnostics, Gerald E. Cohn, Steven A. Soper, C. H. Winston Chen, Editors, pp. 406-414 (1996).

• Costello, Catherine E.; Perreault, Heléne; Ngoka, Lambert C., Mass spectrometric and tandem mass spectrometric approaches to the analysis of glycoconjugates. In Mass Spectrometry in the Biological Sciences, Burlingame, A. L.; Carr, S. A., Eds.; The Humana Press, Inc.: Clifton, NJ, pp 365-384 (1996).

• Ngoka, Lambert C., Gal, Jean Francois; Lebrilla, Carlito B.  Effects of Cations and Charge Types on the Metastable Decay Rates of Oligosaccharides.    Analytical Chemistry 66 (5), 692-698 (1994). 

• Ngoka, Lambert, Lebrilla, Carlito B.  “Slow” metastable decomposition of oligosaccharide cations produced in an external source Fourier transform mass spectrometer. Journal of the American Society for Mass Spectrometry, 4 (3), 210-215 (1993) 

• Carroll, James A.; Ngoka, Lambert; Beggs, Cindy G.; Lebrilla, Carlito B.  Liquid secondary ion mass spectrometry/Fourier transform mass spectrometry of oligosaccharide anions.    Analytical Chemistry, 65 (11), 1582-1587 (1993) 

• Carroll, James A.; Ngoka, Lambert; McCullough, Sesi; Gard, Eric; Jones, A. Daniel; Lebrilla, Carlito B.  Quadrupole Fourier transform mass spectrometry of oligosaccharides. Analytical Chemistry, 63 (21), 2526-2529 (1991) 

We have experience in designing and implementing strategies that will help secure, protect and leverage our client’s valuable intellectual properties. We counsel our clients as to checks, balances, and regular evaluations of their patents, registered designs, trademarks, brands, trade secrets, and/or know-how. These are critical drivers for a company’s valuation and for its ability to make, use, sell, and evaluate prospective products, especially in the emerging technologies and bioscience markets. In this role, we pride ourselves as strategic business partners of our clients charged with maximizing their IP protection while minimizing their exposure to third party IP rights.

We provide patent portfolio planning and patent portfolio analysis in connection with financing, evaluating, and acquiring technology. We also help clients with assessment and surveillance of competitive and other third-party patent positions. We provide opinions on freedom to use, infringement, validity, and patentability.

Further, we can provide comprehensive services related to IP portfolio management, including evaluating your IP portfolio’s strengths and weaknesses, defining IP strategies, and auditing your portfolio. Further, we can provide counseling on product clearance opinions, competitive cross-licensing, and litigation strategies. Our clients value our personalized service to their growth and success.

Patent Portfolio Development

We can work alongside your staff in order to gain insight into your business’ strategic direction and IP assets. In addition, we monitor the commercial landscape for new licensing opportunities or patent targets and we help you plan both offensive and defensive licensing strategies.

We can help you organize your patent assets and realize their value as well as identify the products, companies and industries that have the greatest licensing potential. We do this by developing a comprehensive and streamlined patent portfolio. Our methodology includes patent mining to identify and review your patent assets followed by categorization where we map the patents by technology, product, and market. Following this is a patent review, which rates the patent based on market use, cost, complexity of analysis, prior art implications, and technical strengths and limitations. Creating the patent product matrix identifies products that deserve to be analyzed for possible infringement and the patent market matrix identifies the targets for licensing revenue.

We are available to answer all your questions about developing your patent portfolio as part of your company’s strategic business development objectives.

Investing in Intellectual Properties

We provide clients with a general valuation of their intellectual property portfolio utilizing our skills in competition searching and claim analysis. We also provide specific financial target amounts for intellectual property portfolios in order to assist clients in the licensing, selling or litigation of any of their IP.

We can work with investment, venture capitalists and merger and acquisition firms to help assign value to potential investment or takeover prospects, respectively. We encourage you to contact us so that we may demonstrate how we can tailor our intellectual property services to your needs.

Technology Transfer

Our attorneys can handle all aspects of technology transfer agreements and negotiations, including the technology licensing process, marketing, and patent management. The technology transfer process often requires matching your invention with prospective partners/licensees, negotiating terms and conditions and preparing agreements that afford protection for the intellectual property.

We can help our clients seek practical applications for the results of their scientific research. We help them recognize their idea/concept as an invention, apply the discovery to practical problems, assess the commercial potential, protect the intellectual property, and then market and commercialize it. We understand that technology transfer negotiations are not only about cost and terms; they also involve successful business development by two strategic partners and the resultant technology transfer agreement should benefit both partners. Our attorneys have experience in negotiating and drafting domestic and international technology transfer agreements.

Patent Licensing

We have broad experience with all forms of corporate partnering deals, from commercializing specific items of intellectual property to broad strategic collaborations and joint ventures. We have particular expertise in intellectual property “due diligence” in connection with mergers and acquisitions.

Our attorneys have wide-spread experience preparing and negotiating licensing agreements. We can provide the patentee with a valuation of their patent so that they can obtain their desired royalty. We also assist our clients to target potential products, fields and ideas that may be ripe for licensing. Further, our attorneys are able to use their expertise in other areas, such as patent searching, design-around consulting and opinion drafting in order to shore-up our clients’ positions in licensing negotiations. We also routinely review licensing agreements and provide opinions regarding existing agreements.

We can handle complex trademark matters and provide a complete range of related trademark development services - from trademark selection and clearance to prosecuting applications to handling disputes and civil litigation. Our attorneys have extensive experience in all aspects of trademark law, including searching and clearance of trademarks; prosecuting trademark applications; litigating and trying trademark, trade dress, unfair competition and dilution matters in state and federal courts; temporary restraining orders and seizures of unauthorized merchandise; and coordinating trademark oppositions and cancellations worldwide.

We can regularly monitor the United States Patent and Trademark Office’s Official Gazette, notify our clients of the publication of potentially conflicting trademarks and will oppose them if authorized. We can also monitor the Internet and popular press for unauthorized uses of a client’s trademark and can arrange for monitoring the publication of trademarks worldwide.

Trademark Prosecution

Our attorneys have extensive experience in both filing and procuring trademarks. Our capabilities and expertise allow us to represent and procure trademarks for a wide variety of companies, universities; governmental organizations, small and mid-size companies and start-ups. .

Oppositions

We also have extensive experience in trademark oppositions. We guide our clients through the complex opposition process, whether they intend to cancel the trademark of a potential competitor or if their trademark is being opposed. Additionally clients can utilize our search and review services to determine if trademarks should be the target for opposition or if desired marks may be the subject of future oppositions.

Trademark Licensing

Our attorneys have significant experience preparing and negotiating licensing agreements among both trademark holders and those desiring to obtain the rights to trademarks. We also provide trademark valuation services to help our licensor-clients obtain their desired royalty rates. We also routinely review licensing agreements and provide advice opinions regarding existing agreements.

Trademark Portfolio Development

We can work with you to develop and maintain strong brand identity by way of strategic planning and development of your trade names and trademarks. The plan can include obtaining trademark or service mark registrations, securing the right registrations, and enforcing the rights attendant to those registrations. Our services include civil litigation at the trial and appellate levels (including infringement and dilution cases), counterfeiting, gray-market goods, false advertising, and cybersquatting. In addition, we handle domain name administrative proceedings, including cases under ICANN’s Uniform Dispute Resolution Policy and similar policies.

We have attorneys with the business acumen to work effectively alongside our client’s marketing/advertising departments in order to select and develop the unique and identifiable marks that set their businesses apart from the competitors. Our services include pre-filing consultation, trademark selection, searching and clearance, trademark registration and maintenance (domestic and international), trademark licensing, enforcement and policing, prosecution, due diligence, trade practice and antitrust issues

Trademark Search

We perform wide ranging trademark searches. Our searches encompass the U.S. Trademark Office records of all registered, pending, expired, canceled or abandoned trademarks and service marks. Further, our search services can be tailored to target other marks, registered or not, that may be potentially infringing, confusing or ripe for licensing.

Whatever your search requirements, our attorneys can help. We have access to the largest and most comprehensive databases of scientific and patent information in the world. We conduct prior art searches, patentability, validity, and infringement searches, competitive intelligence, patent assignee, and patent family searches, US-specific searches and Patent Watch services

Our search service is incident to our patent opinion and competitive intelligence services. As a result, our attorneys have extensive backgrounds in patent searching. We understand the importance of comprehensive patent search and provide detailed and accurate searches in the chemical, biotechnological and pharmaceutical fields. Also, we can provide in-depth analysis of your search results and work with you to device strategies to avoid prior art.

Our patent searches provide a detailed outline of the relevant domestic and foreign prior art, including patents, published applications and other published documents when desired.

Our attorneys have extensive experience working on a variety of patent litigation and pre-litigation matters including analyzing the patent(s) and prosecution history, conducting infringement analysis and validity analysis. We leverage our expertise in preparing patent opinions and in formulating design around strategies to best put our clients in a position to vigorously litigate or avoid a litigation dispute. We also review and analyze opposing party’s issued patents and pending applications for strategic alternatives and design-around opportunities.

Our attorneys have provided counsel to domestic and foreign corporations, universities and organizations, successfully resolving and avoiding patent litigation conflicts. We are adept at formulating ways that can be tailored to suit your business needs as may be warranted by the litigation and business environment.

Our attorneys have extensive experience in providing patent opinions in the chemical, biotechnological, and the pharmaceutical arts. We have prepared patentability opinions, freedom to operate or clearance opinions, validity opinions, invalidity opinions, infringement and non-infringement opinions for a wide variety of clients. We take pride in comprehensive analysis of your patent, application, or practice and any prior, contemporary or new technology or art and utilize our experience in intellectual property law to provide clear and definitive opinions.

Patentability Opinions

As part of our patent drafting practice, we can perform a patentability search (patentability study) and provide you with the resulting patentability opinion based on our extensive research into prior art. We give you valuable insight into whether the innovation is patentable, as well as the likely scope of that patent. The opinion and advice may help you to decide if it is worthwhile to proceed with the patent application. If you decide to proceed, the knowledge of existing technology and/or similar inventions is helpful in the preparation, filing, and prosecution of a strong patent application.

Validity Opinions

Our litigation and licensing clients sometimes engage us to provide validity opinions. These opinions strive to accurately predict legal outcomes. In rendering this opinion, we work closely with our clients to disclose any assumptions made in reaching the opinion so that the client is well apprised of the weight of the opinion and put in the best position to make informed decisions regarding the patent and their business objective.

Patent validity opinions are required when a new product or process may possibly infringe on a third party’s patent and when defending a patent against an infringer.
Our attorneys, armed with the applicable statutes and case law, have the knowledge and experience to provide clients with a clear and definitive opinion that is well-grounded in both fact and law.

Freedom-To-Operate Opinions

Our clients also seek our opinion regarding whether their product or process would infringe the valid and enforceable IP rights or claims of a third party or otherwise advice on identifying barriers to their commercial endeavors. In this case, we render freedom-to-operate opinion or FTO, also known as freedom-to-practice (FTP), clearance, infringement, non-infringement, and right-to-use opinion.

In carrying out this task, we seek to identify the IP environment and new information that could affect our client’s business plans. We counsel them on how this information can be used to develop their strategic options for handling proprietary science embedded in the product. This can be an effective management tool for assessing and managing certain types of risks.

Our Attorneys have experience in preparing and prosecuting patent applications in the United States Patent and Trademark Office (PTO). Our Attorneys have successfully prosecuted patents in the chemical, biotechnology, pharmaceutical, and business methods areas for clients ranging from Fortune 100 corporations to start-up firms and individual inventors.

We enjoy preparing patent applications which will help our clients accomplish their business goals. We take pride in understanding our client’s industries and work with them towards obtaining licensable and enforceable patents. We also assist our clients in the strategic aspects of patent prosecution, helping them to develop appropriate and cost-effective patent portfolios.

We pride ourselves on our thorough knowledge of the patent examination process, and we maintain a variety of active patent portfolios for clients desiring varying levels of service. Additionally, our attorneys have experience in prosecuting and supervising foreign counsels during the prosecution of patents outside the United States.

Biotechnology Patents

The biotechnology patent process can be complex, but our attorneys have the in-depth legal experience, industry knowledge, and scientific education to help you achieve your business goals.

Our Attorneys have formal scientific training and/or have held research positions in a wide variety of biotechnology fields including immunology, molecular biology, cell biology, gene therapy, genomics, proteomics, microbiology, virology, biochemistry and plant sciences. Our training enables us to quickly grasp and appreciate our client’s innovations and allows us to focus on their legal needs.

We work with inventors and firms in the biotechnology, pharmaceutical, and life sciences industries and our patent prosecution work encompasses all life sciences-related disciplines, including genetic engineering, immunology, microbiology, developmental biology, neurology, virology, cell and transplantation biology, gene therapy, vaccine development, gene regulation, transgenic animals and plants, genomics-based analysis and diagnosis, bioinformatics, small-molecule design, peptide analog design and synthesis, drug discovery, proteomics, and gene- and cell-based therapies.

We appreciate the business challenges that face, particularly, start-up life science and biotechnology firms and we enjoy assisting them to develop unique legal and business strategies structured around their intellectual properties

Pharmaceutical Patents

Our Attorneys appreciate that robust IP protection holds the key to the continued growth and viability of our pharmaceutical industry clients. These clients repeatedly entrust us with their highly valued intellectual property assets. Our Attorneys have prosecuted and rendered opinions in virtually every field of pharmaceutical sciences, including vaccines, antimicrobials, AIDS therapies, anticonvulsants, oncologics , antipyretics, immunosuppressives, anti-inflammatories, and anti-virals.

For start-up companies, our attorneys can help set up the initial IP strategy. For established firms, we can draft and prosecute your valued IP assets. We determine priority in complex interferences, assess the patent portfolios of our clients, and assert and defend patents in the District Courts and at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.

World-wide, the pharmaceutical industry is regulated under complex laws that address both medical and economic issues. Our attorneys have the legal, scientific, and commercial business expertise required to identify and prosecute patentable inventions throughout the development process.

Chemical Patents

Our IP patent attorneys have the specialized scientific education, industry knowledge, and legal experience to effectively handle chemical intellectual property matters. We provide patent services for all chemistry-related disciplines including organic chemistry, physical chemistry, inorganic chemistry, analytical chemistry, biochemistry, polymer science, and materials sciences.

Our chemistry professionals have experience working with clients in a wide variety of industries, including the chemical, pharmaceutical, personal products, household products, plastics and polymers, agrochemicals, medical device, metallurgy, energy products, analytical instrumentation, pulp and paper science, adhesives, fuel cells, and battery industries.

We take pride in drafting and providing counseling on strategies that will assist in bringing your chemical product to market, while avoiding potential conflicts with competitors.

Combinatorial Chemistry

Our combinatorial chemistry clients try to make arrays or libraries of distinct compounds starting from a small number of starting materials and screen those compounds against biological, agricultural, or other targets to identify candidate compounds that have desired properties.

Our Attorneys have the expertise in chemistry, molecular biology, pharmacology, and chemical engineering – those areas that are needed to reap the promise of combinatorial chemistry. We can easily get up to speed to help clients protect techniques they have developed in the areas of liquid- and solid-phase synthesis, library design, genetic screening, and bioinformatics.

Nanotechnology

Nanotechnology, the development and use of nanometer-sized structures, has the potential to transform various traditional technical arts, including materials, computers, chemicals, biotechnology, medicine, semiconductors, optics and mechanical devices.

Our Attorneys hold advanced degrees in every field of science and technology pertaining to nanotechnology. Our understanding of the complexities of patent law and our broad range of expertise makes us well-suited to serve the legal needs of clients working in this ground breaking technology. Our Attorneys have expertise in a variety of technical areas that are important to nanotechnology research, including nanoparticles, solid state physics, MEMS technology, atomic force microscopy, carbon nanotubes, optics, biotechnology, electronics, materials, chemistry, and sensors.

Mechanical, Biomechanical, and Medical Device Patents

Our Attorneys have the experience and the technical expertise to effectively draft, prepare and prosecute mechanical, biomechanical and medical device patents. Our attorneys have patent prosecution experience with a broad range of medical devices including devices for magnetic resonance imaging, ultrasound and x-ray imaging, catherters, prosthetic organs and joints and orthopedic devices, surgical instruments and inserts, and drug delivery devices.

Business Methods

An increasing number of patents have been issued to software and Internet companies that have devised novel ways of doing business. These patents, which usually combine software with business methodology, are commonly referred to as business method patents and have become important assets for both independent inventors and major corporations.

We handle patent protection on a new Internet business model. We also handle domain name dispute, counsel clients on trademark and copyright issues surrounding their websites, and conduct due diligence investigation of the intellectual property assets of an e-technology company.

Registered Patent Attorney

Tel: +1 (301) 982 0152
Email: daniel@dobelawgroup.com

Daniel Andrews-Wilberforce, Esq. is a registered Patent Attorney and his practice is focused on chemical and pharmaceutical intellectual property matters. His practice is focused on chemical, pharmaceutical, and biotechnology intellectual property matters with an emphasis in assisting entrepreneurs and emerging technology companies. Daniel represents clients in a variety of areas, including patent counseling, opinions, prosecution, and patent portfolio development. He is also experienced in the areas of licensing and technology transfer, intellectual property due diligence, and business development. Daniel has had significant scientific work experience as a research and development scientist and as an analytical chemist in a pharmaceutical laboratory. He has also worked as a Bioanalytical chemist.

Practice Areas

• Patent Prosecution
• Trademark Prosecution
• IP Legal Opinions
• Patent and Trademark Litigation
• IP Counseling

Technology Areas

• Chemistry/Chemical Engineering – Pharmaceuticals, drug delivery systems, separation technology, macromolecular materials, inorganic chemistry, organic chemistry, nanotechnology, bioengineering, Agro-chemical, Electrochemical and electronic materials, and process engineering.

Education

• J.D. (Doctor of Jurisprudence), Thomas Cooley Law School, Lansing, Michigan (2003)
• LL.M (Intellectual Property), Thomas Cooley Law School, Lansing, Michigan (2008)
• M.S. Chemistry, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA (1992)
• B.S. Chemistry, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA (1985)
• Certificates in Foundations of Chemical Engineering, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan (2007)

Publications

• Fluorescence Quenching Studies of Near-Infrared Fluorophores, Appl. Spectros 1989 43(8);
• Investigation of Near-Infrared Laser Dye-Albumin Complexes, Spectrochemica Acta Part A 1990 46(8);
• Determination of Surfactants Using Ion Pair Extraction of Near-Infrared Laser Dyes, Anal Lett 1990 23(4)

Bar Admissions

• United States Patent and Trademark Office
• District of Columbia
• Maryland

Professional Affiliations

• District of Columbia Bar Association
• Maryland State Bar Association
• American Bar Association (IP Section)
• American Intellectual Property Law Association
• American Chemical Society

Registered Patent Attorney

Tel: +1 (301) 982 0152
Email: chris@dobelawgroup.com

Chris E. Aniedobe, Esq. is a registered Patent Attorney and practices in all aspects of intellectual property and business law. He has extensive experience in patent and trademark law, including patent preparation and prosecution; patent litigation; pre-litigation analysis, patent reissue and reexamination proceedings; interference practice; strategic national and international patent portfolio development and management; patentability, validity, invalidity, infringement, freedom to operate, due diligence opinions, and design patents.

Chris has drafted and prosecuted hundreds of patents worldwide in the chemical, biotechnological, and pharmaceutical arts. These include diverse areas such as biotechnology, cellular and molecular biology, immunology, drug delivery, organic and inorganic chemistry, polymers, medical therapeutics, pharmaceutical chemistry, oncology, medical devices and diagnostics, nanotechnology, bioinformatics, computer-assisted business methods, and mechanical arts.

In addition, he is also highly experienced in the areas of licensing and technology transfer, intellectual property due diligence, intellectual property opinions, IP transactional counseling, patent and trademark appeals and oppositions at the United States Patent and Trademark Office, intellectual property litigation, and business development. He assists clients with strategic issues involving the acquisition, development, leveraging, and patenting of their intellectual property.

Prior to founding Dobe Law Group, LLC, Chris was formerly an attorney with ReedSmith LLP.

Practice Areas

• IP Counseling
• Patent Prosecution
• Trademark Prosecution
• IP Legal Opinions
• IP Due Diligence
• Patent and Trademark Litigation
• Licensing Agreements and Technology Transfer
• Business and Commercial Litigation
• Trade Secrets and Copyright Litigation

Technology Areas

• Biotechnology – genetic engineering, molecular biology, genomics, proteomics, cancer, developmental biology, cell biology, gene therapy, protein biochemistry, vaccine technology and immunology, neurobiology, molecular diagnostics, tissue engineering, stem cells, bioinformatics, medical devices, and analytical instrumentation.
• Chemistry/Chemical Engineering – Pharmaceuticals, drug delivery systems, separation technology, macromolecular materials, inorganic chemistry, organic chemistry, nanotechnology, bioengineering, Agro-chemical, Electrochemical and electronic materials, and process engineering.
• Business Methods – computer-aided business methods.

Education

• J.D. (Doctor of Jurisprudence), University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill (1999)
• M.B.A., Georgia State University (1999)
• M.P.A., Master in Professional Accountancy, Georgia State University (1997); CPA, Certified Public Accountant, Maryland.
• M.S. Chemical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology (1997)
• M.S. Biotechnology (with distinction), Imperial College of Science and Technology, London, UK (1986)
• B.S. Biochemistry, University of Nigeria (1983)

Bar Admissions

• United States Patent and Trademark Office
• District of Columbia
• New York
• Maryland
• Virginia
• United States Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims
• United States Tax Court
• United States District Courts (DC, MD)
• Federal Circuit Court of Appeals
• Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals
• United States Supreme Court

Professional Affiliations

• District of Columbia Bar Association
• Maryland State Bar Association
• American Bar Association (IP Section)
• American Intellectual Property Law Association
• American Chemical Society
• Maryland Association of Certified Public Accountants
• National Association of Patent Practitioners

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This website is not intended to constitute advertising or solicitation. Dobe Law Group does not wish to represent any person or entity seeking representation based on viewing this website in any jurisdiction where this website fails to comply with all laws, regulations and ethical rules of that jurisdiction.
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For an initial consultation, call us today at (301) 982-0152 or e-mail us below

Christopher Aniedobe – chris@dobelawgroup.com

Kez Gabriel - Kez@dobelawgroup.com

Christopher Onuaku – Chris.Onuaku@dobelawgroup.com

Retford Berko – Retford@dobelawgroup.com

Dobe Law Group, LLC
7207 Hanover Parkway, Suite C/D
Greenbelt, MD 20770

Office: (301) 982-0152
Fax: (301) 982 0154
E-mail: info@dobelawgroup.com

Get a Map

Directions:

From the Beltway (I – 495):

Take I – 495 Capital Beltway toward EXIT 22A, the Baltimore/Parkway North, merge onto MD – 295N (0.5 mi), take the MD – 193 E exit toward NASA GODDARD/GLEN DALE (0.2 mi), turn left onto Greenbelt Road (0.1 mi), turn slight right onto Hanover Parkway (0.5 mi). End at 7202 Hanover Parkway, Suite C/D, Greenbelt, MD 20770-2015

From Greenbelt Metro Train Station

Go East on Branchville Road toward Greenbelt RD/MD – 193 W (0.3 mi) then Left onto Greenbelt RD/MD – 193E (2.2 mi) Turn Right onto Hanover Parkway (0.5 mi). End at 7207 Hanover Parkway, Suite C/D Greenbelt, MD 20770-2015

From Washington D.C.

Take Pennsylvania Avenue SE and merge onto DC-295 N via the ramp on the left toward DC – 295 N (Crossing into Maryland) (10.2 mi). Take MD 193 E exit toward NASA GODDARD/GLEN DALE (0.2 mi) Turn Left onto Greenbelt RD/MD – 193 E (0.1 mi) Turn slight Right onto Hanover Parkway (0.5 mi). End at 7207 Hanover Pkwy Suite C/D Greenbelt, MD 20770-2015

From Northern Virginia

Take MD EXIT 22A off I – 95/495 (0.3 mi) and merge onto MD – 295 N (0.5 mi) the take MD – 193 E exit toward NASA GODDARD/GLEN DALE (0.2 mi), then Left onto Greenbelt Rd/ MD -193 E (0.1 mi) and then slight right onto Hanover Pkwy ( 0.5 mi). End at 7207 Hanover Pkwy Ste. C/D Greenbelt MD 20770-2015

From Baltimore Washington International Airport (I- 195 W)

Take I- 195 W and merge unto MD – 295 S via EXIT 2B toward Washington (18 mi). Take the exit toward MD – 193/Greenbelt/NASA GODDARD (0.2 mi), then, take the ramp toward MD – 193/College Park/Univ. of MD/Glen Dale/NASA and turn left onto Southway (0.2 mi). Turn Left onto MD -193 E/Greenbelt Road (0.4 mi) then slight right onto Hanover Pkwy (0.5 mi). End at 7207 Hanover Parkway, Suite C/D Greenbelt, MD 20770-2015

High quality, and cost-effective service

Intellectual Property Protection can be prohibitively costly. We are committed to providing our clients with the highest quality service in a very cost-effective manner and we take pride in personally communicating with every client.

Technological expertise and experience

Our attorneys have formal and industry training in diversified technological backgrounds.

Strategies that fit

Effective counseling on business issues requires an understanding of the strength of a client’s intellectual property. Our business is understanding our client’s business so that the strategies we propose will fit our client’s overall business plan. We put special focus in providing management teams of emerging technology ventures with practical and effective strategies to building valuable Intellectual Property portfolios, as well as minimizing legal risk of infringing the Intellectual Property rights of other entities.

Strategic Assistance to Start-up Companies

We are available to provide startup companies, in certain situations, strategic business assistance and hands-on consultation regarding technology and marketing plan definition, early-stage seed funding, and initial management team recruiting, in addition to Intellectual Property counseling services. Occasionally, we may assume a more active advisory role, for example, by participating in the company’s Advisory Committee.

Link Categories

United States Government
Statutes and Regulations
Legislative
Judicial
Executive

Non Government
IP Professional Organizations
Commercial Sites for IP Information
Foreign Law

United States Government

Statutes and Regulations

United States Code (USC)
United States Code of Federal Regulations
37 CFR
35 USC

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Legislative

United States Senate
United States House of Representatives
United States Congressional Record
Testimony before the House Judiciary IP Committee
United States Library of Congress

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Judicial

All Federal Courts
United States Supreme Court
S.CT Rules
United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit

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Secondary Sites

http://www.law.emory.edu/fedcircuit
http://www.ll.georgetown.edu/federal/judicial/cafed.cfm
Federal Rules of Civil Procedure
Federal Rules of Evidence
Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit Rules
Recent CAFC precedential opinions
Summary of CAFC decisions (IPO Members Only)
Federal Court Records
USPTO Collections Search Engine

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Executive

United States White House
United States Copyright Office
United States Federal Register
United States Patent and Trademark Office
Advanced USPTO Web Site Search

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Non Government

IP Professional Organizations

American Bar Association
American Intellectual Property Law Association
European Communities Trademark Association
Intellectual Property Owners Association
Intellectual Federation of Intellectual Property Attorneys (FICPI)
International Association for the Protection of Intellectual Property (AIPPI)
International Association for the Protection of Intellectual Property of Japan
International Trademark Association
Patent Information Users Group
The Federal Circuit Bar Association

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Commercial Sites for IP Information

Delphion
Lexis
National Law Library
Westlaw
G&B Interference Index

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Foreign Law

EPC Generally
EPC Articles
EPC Rules
EPC Decisions
British and Irish Legal Information Institute

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Dobe Law Group offers full intellectual property services in patent and trademark prosecution, patent and trademark opinions, patent litigation and litigation support services, patent searches, licensing and IP portfolio management.

Our lawyers practice exclusively in the intellectual property field and allied areas, and have expertise in a technical discipline such as pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, or chemistry.

We handle all aspects of prosecution with respect to patents and trademarks in both the United States and have an extensive network of Foreign Associates who work with us in International Patent Prosecution in PCT member countries. We also handle patent and trademark opinions, patent and trademark litigation, trademark oppositions and cancellations, due diligence studies, portfolio management, technology transfers, and licensing. Please click on the links below for more information.

Patent Prosecution

• Biotechnology Patents
• Pharmaceutical Patents
• Chemical Patents
• Combinatorial Chemistry
• Nanotechnology
• Mechanical, Biomechanical and Medical Devices
• Business Methods

Patent Opinions

• Patentability Opinions
• Validity Opinions
• Freedom-To-Operate Opinions

Patent Litigation
Patent Search

Trademark Services

• Trademark Prosecution
• Oppositions
• Trademark Licensing
• Trademark Portfolio Development
• Trademark Search

IP Portfolio Management

• Patent Portfolio Development
• Investing in Intellectual Property
• Transfer of Technology
• Patent Licensing

Dobe Law Group is dedicated to protecting the ideas, brand, and innovations at the heart of business enterprises. To do that, we handle United States and International filing and prosecution of Patent and Trademark Applications for our clients; provide expert intellectual property opinions, analysis, advice and execution for established and emerging growth companies, educational and research facilities, and individuals.

A substantial part of our practice involves advising and obtaining patent protection in the pharmaceutical and chemical arts, biotechnology, nanotechnology, medical devices, bioinformatics, and the mechanical arts. We are experienced in all substantive areas of law connected with intellectual property procurement, protection, enforcement and licensing.

Our practice includes all aspects of patent prosecution, patent litigation, patent interference practice, patent reexaminations and reissues, trademark litigation, trademark registration, trademark oppositions, trademark cancellation, copyright registration, copyright litigation, counseling and opinions concerning all aspects of intellectual property, patentability and infringement studies, due diligence analyses, IP portfolio management, licensing, technology transfer and trade secret protection.

Dobe Law Group is located in Greenbelt, Maryland, near the Patent & Trademark Office and other government agencies in the DC Metro area. Our strategic location provides us with quick access to patent examiners, PTO staff attorneys, and other key personnel as your case progresses. We serve clients across the United States as well as clients in Europe, Asia, and Australia.

Our approach to client service is to deliver the highest quality representation in a most efficient and cost-effective manner. Our professional staff have degrees in diversified technological backgrounds, have worked at leading US law firms, have experience with cutting-edge technologies, and take pride in providing error-free service at a price that our clients find very reasonable.

An intellectual property attorney at Dobe Law Group in the Washington, DC metropolitan area can guide you through the patent or trademark registration process. Our patent attorneys are familiar with international filing procedures, patent drafting, filing and prosecution of utility patent applications, US national phase entry patent applications and design patent applications in the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and chemical arts.

Dobe Law Group can counsel you on protecting your valuable intellectual property rights. Click on the attorney profile below for more biographical information.

Christopher E. Aniedobe 

Lambert C. M. Ngoka, PhD

Kez U. Gabriel, PhD, Esq.

Christopher O. Onuaku

Daniel Andrews-Wilberforce

Kimberley A. Kluge

DOBE LAW GROUP is an intellectual property law firm conveniently located twenty miles of the United States Patent and Trademark Office. We practice in all areas of intellectual property law including patents, trademarks, copyrights, unfair competition, and trade secrets. Our practice covers a wide spectrum of intellectual property services including, applying for patent and trademark protection, litigation, appeals, interferences, alternative dispute resolution, licensing, opinions, corporate transactions and due diligence.

Our attorneys have superior legal qualifications, hold scientific degrees, and have significant industry experience.

Our clients represent a wide range of industries including pharmaceuticals, chemicals, biotechnology, energy, nanotechnology, medical devices, and e-commerce. We are committed to delivering the highest quality legal services and we take pride in working closely with our clients to develop strategies for protecting and enforcing their intellectual property rights.

For more information on how we can help to secure and protect your intellectual property rights, contact Dobe Law Group, LLC at (301) 982-0152 to speak with an Intellectual Property Attorney today. Disclaimer