Former Finnegan attorneys return to expand IP transactions practice with in-house experience

Finnegan is pleased to announce that alumni Nishla Keiser, Ph.D., and Malcolm Meeks have rejoined the firm, bringing extensive in-house insight to enhance Finnegan’s services, and expand the growing IP transactions practice. They each bring valuable experience from their various corporate and entrepreneurial roles at multinational corporations as well as startup ventures.

“We are thrilled to have Nishla and Malcolm rejoin the firm. They are both very seasoned practitioners with a wealth of in-house experience, and we look forward to working with them to continue expanding our IP transactions practice,” said Brian Kacedon, leader of Finnegan’s mechanical practice group and a recognized authority on IP transactions. He added, “Both Nishla and Malcolm spent about eight years at Finnegan, so we are always excited when alumni return; it is quite a testament to the firm’s culture.”

Nishla, who will be resident in Finnegan’s Boston office, focuses on strategic intellectual property counseling and litigation in the biotechnology, pharmaceutical, and chemical areas. She has extensive experience providing analysis for due diligence, freedom-to-operate, and patentability opinions on topics including biologic and small molecule therapeutics, gene editing and gene therapy, vaccines, drug delivery, diagnostics, and analytical methods. Prior to rejoining Finnegan, Nishla held executive roles as chief legal and strategy officer at Orna Therapeutics, Inc., and previously as senior vice president, deputy general counsel at Intellia Therapeutics, Inc. During her time at those organizations, Nishla led in-house legal preparations for multiple financings, negotiated complex collaboration and licensing deals, and advised on overall legal and IP strategy.

Malcolm, based in the firm’s Washington, DC office, focuses on complex litigation, portfolio management, and licensing in the telecommunications, semiconductor, aerospace, cybersecurity, energy, consumer goods, and automotive industries. Prior to rejoining Finnegan, Malcolm co-founded and served as the president director general of a Paris-based investment and consulting company focused on working with young (pre-seed and seed stage) French startup companies whose patentable technologies served as their business differentiator. Malcolm advised these companies both on their IP strategies to attract additional venture capital investment and on joint development agreements with larger corporations interested in their technologies. Prior to this, Malcolm served as Patent Director at France Brevets in Paris, France and Director, Corporate Patent at Infineon Technologies in Munich, Germany. Through living in Germany and France and serving as in-house patent counsel for German and French corporations, Malcolm has exceptional insights into international implications of intellectual property strategy as well as an understanding of IP’s impact on corporate risk planning, product development, and overall business strategy.

Finnegan handles IP transactions ranging from simple licenses to complex strategic alliances. The firm advises on every aspect of IP transactions, ranging from the initial confidential evaluation agreement, performing due diligence, negotiating and drafting agreements, and management of executed agreements. Our size, technical background, and experience allow us to assemble and mobilize a well-matched team that understands the technology at issue, quickly identifies key issues, and outlines a strategy for strengthening the client’s bargaining position. Our attorneys also have extensive industry experience allowing them to help clients achieve their business goals and realize their full revenue potential. As business relationships evolve, Finnegan is there to assist in enforcing or amending obligations in those agreements.

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