HGF hires former Roivant Sciences VP
HGF has strengthened its Basel, Switzerland office with the addition of Leena Contarino as a partner.
Before joining HGF, Contarino served as vice president of IP at Basel-based Roivant Sciences, a company that in-licenses late-stage drug candidates and develops them through subsidiaries, between April 2017 and July 2018.
At Roivant Sciences, Contarino managed multiple patent portfolios related to drugs to be repurposed or refocused, and conducted due diligence on assets under consideration to be bought or licensed.
Contarino has experience in inventions related to proteins, nucleic acids, diagnostics using biomolecules, and cells.
She focuses her practice on IP due diligence, strategic patent portfolio review and management, and preparing and prosecuting patent applications. In addition, Contarino advises clients on protecting inventions mainly in the areas of DNA, RNA, peptides and proteins, such as antibodies and enzymes.
Mike Nelson, partner at HGF, said: “Leena’s appointment is an exciting development in HGF’s expansion across mainland Europe. We are delighted to welcome Leena to HGF and the experience and expertise she brings to our life science and pharmaceutical team in the Basel office.”
Did you enjoy reading this story? Sign up to our free newsletters and get stories like this sent straight to your inbox.
