Nishla Keiser – LES USA-Canada 2024 New Orleans

Partner, Finnegan, Henderson, Farabow, Garrett & Dunner, LLP

Nishla Keiser, Ph.D., focuses on strategic intellectual property counseling, patent litigation, and transactions in the biotechnology, pharmaceutical, and chemical areas. She brings extensive in-house experience to her counseling and transactions practice through her more than eight years spent at small and mid-stage biotechnology companies in various roles, including executive leadership positions. Nishla advises clients on complex IP matters and has a deep understanding of how IP impacts overall business risk, transactions, fundraising, and decision-making.

Prior to rejoining Finnegan in 2023, Nishla was chief legal and strategy officer for a pre-clinical biotechnology company focused on developing circular RNA therapeutics. She also served as senior vice president, deputy general counsel at a leading genome editing company, where she oversaw all legal functions and was a member of the executive leadership team. In these roles, Nishla led legal preparations and diligence for multiple rounds of private and public financing events, helped negotiate complex licensing and collaboration deals, and advised all corporate functions on legal and IP risks. Working at these platform technology companies in crowded competitive landscapes has given Nishla a distinct perspective on how IP and other legal considerations fit into corporate planning and decisions.

While an associate at Finnegan, Nishla focused on due diligence, freedom-to-operate, and patentability opinions on topics including biologic and small molecule therapeutics, gene editing, gene therapy, vaccines, drug delivery, diagnostics, and analytical methods. She also spent significant time working on US district court litigations, with experience that included discovery, claim construction, working with expert and fact witnesses for depositions and trial, and post-trial briefing. Nishla’s practice extended to preparing and prosecuting patent applications and providing guidance on domestic and international portfolio management.

With a doctorate in bioengineering, Nishla has a wide range of laboratory experience. Her background includes developing analytical techniques to study the biological roles of complex carbohydrates, developing controlled-release drug delivery microchips, and studying the genetic regulation of hormones and hormone receptors.