Tara Nealey, Ph.D., Biotechnology & Life Sciences Patent Prosecution Chair, Polsinelli
Dr. Tara Nealey chairs the Biotechnology and Life Sciences Patent Prosecution practice group at Polsinelli. Bringing a background in academic physiology research, she focuses her practice on clients with intellectual property questions relating to the full range of life science technologies. Her experience encompasses over two decades of IP counsel to clients of all sizes, including individual inventors, public and private universities and research institutions, start-up companies, mid-size firms and Fortune 500 companies. Tara has extensive experience guiding clients through development of robust patent portfolios; guiding international patenting strategy; analyzing patent landscapes and key competitors’ patents; preparing freedom-to-operate (non-infringement) and patent invalidity opinions; analyzing strengths and weaknesses of patent portfolios, and handling IP due diligence in mergers and acquisitions; and analyzing in- and out-licenses of patented technologies. She routinely assists early stage companies with understanding the relevant patent landscape and securing the IP protection necessary for successful rounds of funding. Important aspects of Tara’s practice also include advising on legal aspects of licensing and commercialization strategies, and reviewing technology and “know-how” licenses, confidentiality agreements, and material transfer agreements. She also counsels clients on trade secret protection and unfair competition, and related copyright and trademark issues.

Michael Gaba, Food & Drug Vice Chair, Polsinelli
Michael Gaba is the Vice Chair of Polsinelli’s Food and Drug practice. He provides strategic FDA regulatory, Medicare policy, and federal relations counsel to an array of companies developing a variety of products in the life sciences space, whether traditional medical devices, digital health-based products, biotechnologies, biologic-device combinations, or pharmaceuticals. His primary goal is to bring companies to market and then help them remain there in the most efficient and effective manner possible. Michael draws on nearly 30 years of experience to navigate the FDA pre-market regulatory pathways, counsel companies on FDA post-market compliance matters, and resolve Medicare coverage, coding, and reimbursement disputes with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. By using his FDA and CMS experience during the product development phase, Michael is able to help maximize companies’ opportunities to be appropriately compensated in the proper treatment venues, whether a physician’s office, hospital outpatient or inpatient departments, ambulatory surgical centers or home care.

Kat Holliday, Sr. Associate Director of Technology Transactions, Harvard’s Office of Technology Development
Kat Holliday has been Senior Associate Director for Technology Transactions in Harvard’s Office of Technology Development for the last seven years where her responsibilities include contracts for industry sponsored research, as well as license and equity arrangements for start-up companies commercializing Harvard innovations, including those developed at Harvard Medical School, the Harvard Faculty of Arts and Sciences, the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Prior to OTD, Kat represented VionX Energy Corporation, a flow-battery, energy storage portfolio company of VantagePoint Capital Partners and Starwood Energy Group. She was previously a senior attorney in both the life sciences and clean energy practice groups at Mintz Levin in Boston, representing venture-backed companies and investors. She is a graduate of Harvard College and Harvard Law School.