10 April 2026NewsAmericasMarisa Woutersen

LSPN Awards USA: Meet the judges

The panel has been chosen. With judges from Amgen, Pfizer, Eli Lilly, Takeda, Regeneron and law firms such as White & Case and Arnold & Porter, here’s who will be deciding this year’s winners.

LSIPR’s Life Sciences Patent Network (LSPN) Awards USA 2026 judging panel is made up of some of the most experienced IP professionals working in life sciences today.

Between them, they cover the full spectrum of the industry, from in-house counsel at major companies to partners at leading law firms, as well as academics, consultants, and everything in between.

Whether their expertise lies in patent litigation, portfolio strategy, licensing, or transactions, each of them brings experience that makes them ideally placed to assess this year’s entries.

Ahead of this year’s awards, we’re taking a moment to introduce the judges behind the process. Here’s a closer look at the individuals.

Cambria Alpha-Cobb
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Vice president, head of IP and AGC   Airna  
Melissa Brand
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Executive director, corporate counsel and head of IP   Radius Health  
Jennifer Burdman
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Managing director   Sauvegarder Investment Management  
Kathleen Carr
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Forward director   Fennemore Law  
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Partner   ARNOLD & PORTER  
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Senior Counsel, IP & litigation   AMGEN INC.  
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Senior vice president, litigation and dispute resolution   Regeneron  
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Senior director, assistant general counsel, global patent litigation   Regeneron  
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Lead counsel, IP   Takeda Pharmaceuticals  
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Partner   Duane Morris  
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Senior director, IP   Seaport Therapeutics  
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General counsel   Seaport Therapeutics  
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Shareholder   Adler Pollock & Sheehan  
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Senior vice president and chief IP counsel   Ipsen  
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Associate general counsel, IP   Eisai  
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Senior corporate counsel   PFIZER INC.  
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IP strategy and general legal consulting   Independent  
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Partner   MBHB  
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Vice president, IP   BlueRock Therapeutics  
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Vice President, IP   Inari  
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IP counsel   Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard  
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IP counsel   Beam Therapeutics  
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Of counsel   Day Pitney  
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Senior director-patent counsel, Genetics Medicines   Eli Lilly  
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Partner   White & Case  
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Vice president, IP and legal   Ventus Therapeutics  
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Partner   WilmerHale  
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Associate vice chancellor-transactions   UMass Chan Medical School  
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Senior corporate counsel   Sumitomo Pharma America  

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More on this story

Americas
2 March 2026   Law firms, companies and individuals have been shortlisted across a range of categories, which this year include new awards for excellence in PTAB, trade secrets and medical device work.
Americas
3 February 2026   Nominations are open for the Life Sciences Patent Network's 2026 awards in Boston, including six new categories and winners selected by leading industry experts.
Americas
8 May 2025   Wilson Sonsini, Desmarais, and Wolf Greenfield were among the winners at the inaugural LSPN Awards USA 2025 in Boston, which celebrated excellence in life sciences IP across 20 categories.

More on this story

Americas
2 March 2026   Law firms, companies and individuals have been shortlisted across a range of categories, which this year include new awards for excellence in PTAB, trade secrets and medical device work.
Americas
3 February 2026   Nominations are open for the Life Sciences Patent Network's 2026 awards in Boston, including six new categories and winners selected by leading industry experts.
Americas
8 May 2025   Wilson Sonsini, Desmarais, and Wolf Greenfield were among the winners at the inaugural LSPN Awards USA 2025 in Boston, which celebrated excellence in life sciences IP across 20 categories.