IP Discussion with Vera Nackovic of Mayer Brown (Part 1 of 2)

January 25, 2024

BioUtah President & CEO Kelvyn Cullimore interviews Vera Nackovic, patent attorney for Mayer Brown, in the first of a two-part series to discuss intellectual property issues faced by life sciences companies.

Vera Nackovic Bio
A Registered Patent Attorney, Vera Nackovic advises clients on pharmaceutical, biologics, medical devices, nutraceuticals, and chemical patent matters—particularly intellectual property transactions, strategic development of global patent portfolios, and patent litigation.

Commercial transactions: Vera evaluates, structures and manages the IP and regulatory assessments of commercial transactions, including IP due diligence for stock and asset acquisitions, divestitures, mergers, and strategic alliances involving US, foreign and multinational corporations. She also drafts and negotiates patent licenses, joint venture and collaboration agreements, and product distribution agreements.

Patent disputes and investigations: Innovator pharmaceutical companies turn to Vera for help settling patent litigations, including those brought under the Hatch-Waxman and Public Health Services (biologics) Acts. Vera also defends clients in investigations brought by the Federal Trade Commission involving alleged “reverse payment” settlements. Further, Vera represents companies in IP licensing disputes and handles arbitrations from pre-case strategies through hearing, award and enforcement.

Lifecycle management: Vera develops global patent and lifecycle management strategies for prescription and OTC drugs, medical devices and biologics. She also renders opinions on freedom-to-operate, validity and patentability issues and works with clients to align their IP and regulatory strategies to maximize the value and exclusivity of their products.

Prior to joining Mayer Brown, Vera worked for the Honorable Kenneth Ripple of the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit.