Dr. Matthew Pavao

Matthew is chair of Cooley’s globally recognized patent counseling and prosecution practice. Matt has more than two decades of experience as a trusted business adviser to biotechnology, pharmaceutical and medical device companies. He advises public and private companies, including early- and mid-stage organizations, on complex intellectual property (IP) matters and market exclusivity strategies to maximize their revenue and meet their business objectives. He deftly represents his clients in connection with venture financings, initial public offerings (IPOs) and other capital markets transactions, M&A transactions, and licensing and partnering opportunities. Matt is recognized for his proactive and forward-focused approach to developing IP and risk mitigation strategies that provide efficient, creative, and business-oriented solutions for his clients.

Matt’s practice focuses on pragmatic and cost-effective patent prosecution and strategic counseling, with an emphasis on worldwide patent procurement, the development and management of comprehensive patent portfolios, and IP value creation. He collaborates closely with his clients to formulate and execute dynamic patent portfolio strategies that maximize the breadth and length of patent exclusivity to help his clients leverage their IP as valuable business assets. Matt has significant experience counseling disruptive startup companies on how to maximize resources to develop robust patent strategies that favorably position them for capital transactions, partnerships, acquisition or successful commercial launch.

Matt has extensive experience leading investor-side and company-side IP due diligence, including in connection with licensing transactions, venture capital financings, public offerings, M&A transactions, and licensing and partnering opportunities. His deep diligence experience and understanding of his clients’ businesses allow him to anticipate and mitigate IP risks and provide valuable strategic insights. Matt also thoughtfully negotiates agreements to further clients’ collaborative research and development strategies.

Matt excels at advising clients in regard to third-party IP rights. In particular, he focuses on assessing patent landscapes, analyzing third-party patents, maintaining periodic patent watches on competitors, and preparing patentability, freedom to operate, non-infringement and invalidity opinions. Matt has substantial experience developing and implementing counteroffensive patent strategies, as well as leading post-grant review proceedings before the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and opposition proceedings before the European Patent Office (EPO). In patent litigation, he works closely with litigation counsel to identify and advance creative and business-oriented solutions.

Matt counsels companies in a wide spectrum of technological fields, including cell-based therapeutics, nucleic acid and peptide therapeutics, stem cell therapeutics, gene therapy, genome editing, next-generation sequencing, small molecule pharmaceuticals, drug design, pharmaceutical formulations, drug repurposing, polymorphs, drug conjugates, drug delivery, polymers, nanoparticles, liposomes, RNA interference, microRNA (miRNA) technologies, cosmetics, dietary supplements, microarray technologies, microfluidics and medical devices. He has particularly deep experience with CAR-T and T cell receptor (TCR) cell therapies, gene therapies based on the adeno-associated viruses (AAVs), CRISPR gene editing, antibody-based biologics, antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), lipid nanoparticle drug delivery systems, single-cell sequencing and imaging, liquid biopsy methods, molecular diagnostics, biomarker discovery, and oncology therapeutics.

Matt is named a leading patent lawyer by Chambers, with the publication stating that “Matt is regularly called upon by established and emerging life sciences companies to advise on patent transactions, prosecution and portfolio management.” Clients praise Matt as “a very well-rounded IP lawyer in the biotech and pharmaceutical space,” noting that “he is a pleasure to interact with and has a no-nonsense approach to complex issues.” Matt also is recognized by Massachusetts Super Lawyers for his experience in IP law.

Matt holds a PhD in biochemistry from Boston University School of Medicine, where his scientific research was directed to identifying novel biomarkers and their use in diagnostic assays for advanced breast cancer. The author of numerous scientific and legal articles, Matt is frequently invited to speak at conferences on complex IP issues facing the life sciences industry.