Director, Co-Chair Patent Prosecution Practice

1101 K St. NW, 10th Floor, Washington DC
DC, 20005, United States

+1(202)772-8619

Patent star 2025

Korean


Practice areas:

Intellectual property
Patent
Patent prosecution

Industry sectors:

Biotechnology
Life sciences
Pharmaceutical


Carla Ji-Eun Kim is a director in Sterne Kessler’s Biotechnology & Chemical Practice Group. She also serves as a co-chair of the firm’s Patent Prosecution Practice. Carla advises a diverse group of biotechnology companies on building worldwide exclusivities around their products. In her practice, Carla focuses on finding and creating innovative ways to extend exclusivities that are well integrated with her clients’ technological and business objectives. For example, Carla counsels her clients on the preparation, prosecution, and management of complex worldwide patent portfolios in areas of biotechnology such as therapeutic antibody, therapeutic fusion protein, antisense technology, personalized medicine, vaccine, gene therapy, cell therapy, formulation, bioinformatics, and upstream and/or downstream protein manufacturing process.

Carla also has extensive experience in IP due diligence investigations and freedom to operate studies, and she prepares patentability, validity, and noninfringement opinions in connection with licensing, acquisition, and investment.

Carla received her J.D. from the University of Minnesota Law School, cum laude, her M.S. in pharmacology from the University of Minnesota and her M.S. in cell and molecular biology from the University of Pennsylvania. Carla’s graduate research focused on molecular genetic mechanisms of DNA repair in mammalian cancer cells and developing an anti-angiogenic approach to cancer therapy and treatment. She earned her B.A. in biology, magna cum laude, from the University of Wisconsin, Stevens Point.

  • J.D., University of Minnesota Law School, cum laude
  • M.S., University of Minnesota
  • M.S., University of Pennsylvania
  • B.A., University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point, magna cum laude

  • District of Columbia