Christopher D. Southgate, Ph.D., Esq. is a senior patent attorney with more than two decades of experience helping biotechnology companies, research institutions, and innovators protect groundbreaking life sciences technologies. His practice focuses on patent strategy, patent procurement, portfolio management, freedom-to-operate analyses, due diligence, and intellectual property counseling for biotechnology and pharmaceutical clients.
Dr. Southgate brings a distinctive combination of scientific and legal experience to every client matter. Before practicing law, he spent approximately 10 years conducting molecular biology research at leading institutions, including Harvard University, Harvard Medical School, Tufts University School of Medicine, and the University of Massachusetts Medical School. He earned a Ph.D. in Molecular Biology from the University of Zürich before later obtaining his J.D. from the Washington College of Law at American University.
Throughout his legal career, Dr. Southgate has advised multinational pharmaceutical companies, biotechnology startups, universities, and research organizations on complex intellectual property matters. He has served in senior in-house patent counsel roles with biotechnology companies developing gene therapies, antisense technologies, RNA therapeutics, and regenerative medicine platforms, where he led intellectual property strategy for cutting-edge research programs and collaborated closely with scientists, business development teams, and executive leadership.
His technical experience spans a wide range of advanced life sciences technologies, including gene editing, CRISPR-based systems, AAV gene therapies, antibody engineering, stem cell therapies, RNA therapeutics, cancer immunotherapies, tissue engineering, and molecular diagnostics. He has drafted and prosecuted patent applications across the United States and internationally while providing strategic guidance on licensing, trade secret protection, patentability, competitive intelligence, and freedom-to-operate assessments.
In addition to his in-house experience, Dr. Southgate has represented clients in private practice, counseling emerging biotechnology companies and established organizations on building and strengthening their intellectual property portfolios. He has managed worldwide patent portfolios, coordinated international patent prosecution, conducted due diligence for licensing and acquisition opportunities, and helped clients align their patent strategies with broader business objectives.
Dr. Southgate is admitted to practice in Massachusetts, the District of Columbia, and before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. He is a member of several professional organizations, including the American Intellectual Property Law Association, the Boston Intellectual Property Law Association, the Association of University Technology Managers, and the American Society of Gene and Cell Therapy. He is also fluent in French.