Janet Xiao is a corporate partner in MoFo's Palo Alto office. Her practice focuses on worldwide patent procurement, patent portfolio management, and strategic planning for life sciences companies. She is the head of firm's China Life Sciences Group and is among the very few IP attorneys in the world equipped with solid skills in both global strategic IP management and IP issues unique to China and Chinese clients.
Janet has been the go-to counsel for IP issues in U.S./China cross-border transactions and operations in China. She has also been actively involved in the leadership team of the Chinese-American Biopharmaceutical Society (CABS), a nonprofit organization dedicated to bridging the life sciences communities in the U.S. and China, and is a member of BayHelix, a nonprofit organization of Chinese heritage leaders in the global life sciences and healthcare fields.
In two to three sentences, describe your
practice.
I help life sciences companies build robust patent portfolios to
protect their technologies and products. I work with companies and
investors in performing IP due diligence reviews in the contexts of
VC investments, technology transactions, mergers and acquisitions,
and marketing and manufacturing clearance for biopharmaceutical and
medical device products. As one of the few IP attorneys in the
world who is both equipped with solid skills in global strategic IP
management and knowledgeable about IP issues unique to China and
Chinese clients, I frequently advise clients on IP issues relating
to U.S./China cross-border transactions and operations in
China.
Why did you choose to make MoFo your professional
home?
I started at MoFo due to its renowned patent prosecution practice.
I am fortunate to have grown in such a nurturing environment, which
has allowed me to develop solid legal skills and gain valuable
experience in complex business settings. MoFo's emphasis on
collaborative culture and diversity strongly resonates with my own
personal values, and its effects have been instrumental to my
career growth. Work at MoFo has been tremendously enjoyable to me
over the years because of colleagues who are both passionate about
providing excellent service to clients and collaborative in all
aspects. Colleagues who understand and welcome diverse points of
view have served as sounding boards for me and helped me broaden my
perspectives, making me a better, well-rounded attorney. In
addition, MoFo's fully integrated cross-practice life sciences
group enables me to present the firm as a one-stop shop for life
sciences clients facing a broad spectrum of legal issues and
challenges.
How do clients benefit from having diverse teams of
lawyers working for them?
Diverse legal teams consist of professionals from different
backgrounds, technical skills, and ways of thinking who can bring a
variety of perspectives to the table. As patent attorneys, we
frequently work with clients to think through their innovations and
business strategies. As such, having a wide variety of voices at
the table enables us to provide the best support to our clients.
I believe that diversity and inclusion are highly important
to our team, as they provide our clients with access to
professionals who can add differentiated value.