Preeminent Patent Prosecutor Hogene Choi Joins Morrison & Foerster’s Market-Leading Life Sciences Team

PALO ALTO, CA (August 24, 2021) – Morrison & Foerster, a leading global law firm, is pleased to announce the arrival of Hogene Choi as a partner in its Patent Strategy + Prosecution Group. Ms. Choi brings over 20 years of combined experience in technical software engineering, data analytics, machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI), patent prosecution, and litigation to the firm.

Ms. Choi’s arrival responds to increased client demand for expertise in technologies used in life sciences and healthcare industries, while building on the firm’s core strengths in these areas. It also underscores Morrison & Foerster’s commitment to further building out its market-leading Life Sciences + Healthcare practice, which includes launching its Boston office to secure a foothold in a primary epicenter for life sciences and technology research. Additionally, Ms. Choi’s presence addresses growing client needs in the life sciences sector that are focused on the application of AI, machine learning, and data analytics to drug discovery and the development of new methods of diagnosis and medical devices, among others.

Ms. Choi’s arrival follows the recent addition of several highly experienced life sciences and technology industry specialists to the firm, including Stacy Cline Amin, former FDA Chief Counsel and current co-lead of the firm’s FDA Regulatory and Compliance practice, who joined the firm in June, as well as the additions of Technology Transactions partner Matt Karlyn in Boston, and Bethany Hills, co-lead of the FDA Regulatory & Compliance practice in New York in the last two years. Ms. Choi’s arrival also underscores the continued expansion of the firm’s Palo Alto office, following the arrival of Global Tax partner Babak Nikravesh at the firm last month.

“Hogene’s computer science background and her breadth of knowledge in patent prosecution and litigation in the application of software, data analytics, machine learning, and AI, across the healthcare, life sciences, and technology industries are tremendous assets to our Patent and Life Sciences practices and to our firm, and align perfectly with the areas where we are seeing extraordinary client demand across our global offices,” said Michael Ward, head of Morrison & Foerster’s Life Sciences + Healthcare and Patent practices. “Her deep knowledge of data analytics in areas such as biotechnology, healthcare, global networking service, and cloud-computing, among others, coupled with the team of experts we have recently added to our global Life Sciences team, enables us to offer unrivaled counsel to our clients.”

Ms. Choi focuses her practice on working with clients at the forefront of technological development on a wide range of intellectual property matters, including patent prosecution, transactions, and counseling. She also has significant patent litigation experience.

“Morrison & Foerster is a global life sciences industry leader with an impeccable track record and reputation, but I was equally drawn to the firm for its well-known culture of collaboration,” said Ms. Choi. “I am excited to work with my new colleagues and leverage my computer science background and patent prosecution skills to expand my practice here in Palo Alto, while helping our clients across the firm’s global offices, particularly those at the cutting edge of innovation in life sciences, healthcare, and technology sectors, tackle their most advanced legal business challenges.”

Ms. Choi holds a computer science degree in addition to her law degree and is considered a thought leader in her field. She has received recognition for her work, written extensively, and participated in numerous speaking engagements on topics related to IP protection and patents for startups and AI and robotics in manufacturing. She serves on multiple committees in the IP sector, including the U.S. Department of Justice Section of IP Law (Online Data, Transactions, & Security), the Software and Cloud Computing Committee, and the Computer Program and New Technology Committee. She was also actively involved in Diversity & Inclusion efforts at her previous firm and served for several years on the firm’s diversity committee and the Global Women’s Forum Committee. She is currently treasurer of the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (2020–2021) and a member of the Council of Korean Americans. She is also a current board member of the Asian Pacific American Bar Association of Silicon Valley (2014–2021), and was president of the association from 2016 to 2017.

Ms. Choi joins Morrison & Foerster from another prominent global law firm, where she served as co-chair of its Patent Counseling & Strategic Portfolio Development Practice Group. Prior to this, Ms. Choi was an attorney at three other prominent law firms, two of which were IP-focused. Earlier in her career, she honed her technical skills in software engineering positions at three companies in the technology sector. Ms. Choi earned her B.A. in computer science from the University of California at Berkeley, and her J.D. from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law. She is admitted to the State Bar of California and a member of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.