Dr. Gladys H. Monroy has specialized in intellectual property strategy in the field of Life Sciences since 1986. Her practice has included structuring and maintaining complex patent portfolios for companies ranging in size from start-up to large corporations, patent litigation, trade secret litigation, freedom of operation opinions and validity opinions, due diligence analysis of intellectual property portfolios for mergers, acquisitions, and financing including IPOs.
Dr. Monroy joined Morrison & Foerster LLP (MoFo) as a partner in 1990. She was a founder of the Patent Law Group at the firm and was Chair of the Patent Group from 1997 to 2006. She retired from her position of Senior Partner in 2015.
Dr. Monroy has served as the President of the Silicon Valley Intellectual Property Law Association, and on the Board of the Intellectual Property Committee of the CA State Bar. She has received recognition and many awards for her legal work. These include:
- The Patent Hall of Fame
- Best Lawyers in America
- Who’s Who in Law
- Top Rating in Chambers USA
- Chambers USA Women in Law Award: Intellectual Property Lawyer of the Year (2012)
Dr. Monroy received her B.A. in Chemistry from Hunter College, an M.S. in Biology from N.Y.U., and a Ph.D. in Biochemistry from N.Y.U. Medical School. She was a Post-Doctoral Fellow in Molecular Biology and Cancer at Albert Einstein School of Medicine, and an Assistant Professor of Microbiology at N.Y. Medical College. She was also a Research Associate at U.C.S.F. Dr. Monroy received her J.D. from U.S.F.
Dr. Monroy’s Bar Admissions include:
- State Bar of California
- United States Patent and Trademark Office
- Court of Appeals of the Federal Circuit
- United States Supreme Court
Dr. Monroy serves on several non-profit Boards. She is on the Board of Cancer Commons, and is a Trustee of the American Association for Cancer Research. Her work with the Weizmann Institute of Science includes the following: she is Regional Co-chair of the Bay Area for the American Committee for the Weizmann Institute (ACWIS), is a member of the Executive Committee of ACWIS, is a member of the International Board of the Weizmann Institute, and has been chosen to be the President of ACWIS in 2020.