← Upcoming WebinarsIntellectual Property · Life Sciences · Patents

Protecting Innovation Early: IP Mistakes, Scientific Writing Risks, and Building Durable Patent Portfolios

Thursday, October 22, 2026

12:00 – 1:00 PM ET

Virtual · Free

45-minute panel discussion + 15-minute Q&A

Life sciences founders spend years perfecting the science behind their company. Few spend enough time to help protect future potential issues. A publication released too early, an offhand line in a lab notebook, or a patent portfolio initially built without fully considering the breadth of claims and future inventive pathways can quietly influence what a company is worth, or whether it survives a legal challenge at all. These gaps rarely surface until a financing round, an acquisition, or a lawsuit forces the issue.

Join Donna M. Haynes, David Molfa, and Nao Takada for a practical panel on protecting innovation from day one. The discussion moves deliberately: from the IP mistakes founders make early, to how a scientist's own writing can become evidence, to building a portfolio and framing the science in terms investors understand.

Briefing Agenda

What You Will Learn

What the most common IP mistakes look like, and why founders rarely see them coming
Why publishing or presenting research too early can forfeit patent rights before a company ever files
How the language scientists use in notebooks, emails, and internal documents can become evidence in litigation
What it takes to build a patent portfolio designed for long-term exclusivity, not just a single filing
How to frame an invention as investable biology that speaks to investors, not only to fellow scientists
Why the progression from startup behavior to scientist behavior to legal strategy determines whether IP holds up under scrutiny

Audience

Who Should Attend

Founders of biotech, pharma, and life sciences startups preparing to file or expand patents
Scientists and researchers whose notebooks, reports, or publications could affect IP rights or future litigation
Academic researchers preparing to commercialize a discovery or spin out a company
In-house counsel and IP managers supporting life sciences companies
Investors evaluating life sciences deals who need to assess the strength of a company's IP position
Founders who have filed one patent but have not yet built a long-term portfolio strategy

Meet the Speakers

Speakers

Donna M. Haynes

Partner, Cogent Law

Donna M. Haynes is a Partner at Cogent Law with more than 15 years of experience building global patent portfolios across life sciences, biotechnology, and chemical technologies. Before practicing law, she worked directly in the biomedical and biotechnology industries, giving her firsthand insight into how research decisions shape patent strategy.

David Molfa

Partner, Cogent Law

David Molfa is a Partner and USPTO-registered patent agent at Cogent Law, with a dual background in life sciences and litigation. He prepares and prosecutes patents for clients in artificial intelligence, biotechnology, and pharmaceuticals, and represents clients in USPTO proceedings including inter partes review.

Nao Takada

Partner, Cogent Law

Nao Takada is a Partner at Cogent Law and a Ph.D. scientist who advises litigation teams and life sciences companies on matters where complex science influences the legal outcome. Her work spans analyzing scientific evidence for litigation, IP diligence and licensing for life sciences assets, and cross-border U.S.-Japan legal matters.

Event Details

Thursday, October 22, 2026

12:00 – 1:00 PM ET · 45-minute panel discussion + 15-minute Q&A

Virtual Event – Free to Attend