Vicki G. Norton, Ph.D., practices in the area of intellectual property law with a focus on biotechnology and chemical patent litigation and counseling. Dr. Norton has advised clients on all facets of litigation involving technologies including biopharmaceuticals, transgenic organisms, small molecules and nanotechnology. She also advises clients on worldwide patent strategy, including identifying patent coverage issues, auditing technology portfolios to assist clients in transactions and venture opportunities and formulating strategic objectives for prosecution. She has handled patent matters in a variety of industries, including biopharmaceuticals and small molecule pharmaceuticals, stem cell technologies, molecular biology, nanotechnology, immunology, combinatorial chemistry, probe amplification assays, diagnostics, nutraceuticals, microbiology, and therapeutic drugs and devices for physical therapy.

Prior to attending law school, Dr. Norton served as a research and teaching assistant at the University of California, Davis, where she conducted research on histone acetylation and chromatin structure for her doctoral thesis.

Dr. Norton is a 1994 graduate of the University of California, Los Angeles School of Law, where she was managing editor of the UCLA Law Review and elected to the Order of the Coif, and a graduate of the University of California, Davis (Ph.D., Biochemistry and Biophysics; B.S., summa cum laude, Biochemistry).

Areas Of Practice

Intellectual Property Law and Litigation

Professional Activities

San Diego Intellectual Property Law Association
- Member of Amicus Committee of the SDIPLA
- Board Member, 2000-2006
- President, 2004-2005
Intellectual Property Owners BIO
- Member
BIO IP Counsel Committee, Member
California State Bar
- Committee for the Administration of Justice, 2006-present

Admissions

California
U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
U.S. District Court for the Central, Northern and Southern Districts of California
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
U.S. Supreme Court

Education

University of California, Los Angeles School of Law, J.D., 1994

UCLA Law Review

University of California, Davis, Ph.D., 1990
University of California, Davis, B.S., summa cum laude, 1981

Experience

Duane Morris LLP
- Partner, 2008-present
Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati PC
- Partner, 2004-2008
Pillsbury Winthrop LLP
- Partner, 2003-2004
Brobeck, Phleger & Harrison LLP
- Partner, 2002-2003
- Associate, 2000-2001
Lyon & Lyon
- Associate, 1994-2000

Honors and Awards

Voted by peers as one of San Diego's Top IP Attorneys, 2005

Selected Publications

Author, "Managing Multi-Party Patent Cases: Avoiding Too Many Cooks in the Courtroom, 19(1) IPL Newsletter (Fall 2007)
Co-author, "Effect of the Proposed PTO Rule Changes on Biotechnology Patents", cited in IP360 article, "New Study Supports Biotech Fears Over USPTO Changes," IP360 (July 13, 2006)
Author, "IP Issues for Microarrays," Biochips As Pathways to Drug Discovery, Andrew Carmen and Gary Hardiman, eds., 2006
Author, "What Nanotechnology Means for IP," Managing Intellectual Property, June 1, 2003
Co-author, "Protecting Intellectual Property Overseas," San Diego Daily Transcript, August 1, 2002
Author, "Unnatural Selection: Preimplantation Genetic Screening and Proposed Regulation," 41 UCLA L. Rev. 1581-1650 (1994), reprinted in Reproductive Technologies, Carol Wekesser, Ed., 1996
Co-author, "Histone Acetylation Reduces Nucleosome Core Particle Linking Number," 57 Cell 449-459 (1989)
Co-author, "Nucleosome Linking Number Change Controlled By Acetylation of Histone H3 and H4," 265 J. Biol. Chem. 19848-19852 (1990)

Selected Speaking Engagements

Panelist, "Intellectual Property Management & Technology Licensing," NanoEquity Asia 2008, Singapore, May 28-29, 2008
Panelist, "Nanotech IP and Licensing," NanoBioNexus, April 2007
Chaired Panel Discussion, "From Bench to Bench" Chemistry and the Law Session, ACS Meeting, San Francisco, September 2006
Chaired Panel Discussion, "The Convergence of IT and Biotechnology," FWE Meeting, September 2002
Chaired Panel Discussion, "The Status of Nanotechnology," Nanotech Venture Fair, September 2002
Panelist, "Patented Medicines: Bringing Life-Saving Drugs to the Developing World," April 19, 2002