Leonor is one of the founding partners of magellan IP and the head of the firm’s patent practice. Prior to founding magellan IP, Leonor was an associate and a partner at renowned Brazilian intellectual property firms. Leonor has over twenty years of experience in the field of intellectual property representing domestic and international clients, ranging from academic institutions to multinational corporations.

Leonor regularly presents to audiences worldwide on a variety of topics regarding Brazilian patent law and practice. She has gained much respect in the IP profession as past chair of the Biotechnology Committee of the ABPI and current chair of the IP & Green Technology Standing Committee of AIPPI. Leonor is also an active volunteer for intellectual property matters at Endeavor, a global NGO that promotes entrepreneurship.

Practice Areas

• Patent Prosecution & Portfolio Management

• International Portfolio Management

• Oppositions

• Appeal proceedings

• Pre-litigation & Litigation support

• Freedom to operate

• Technology Licensing and Transfer Negotiations

• IP Audit & Valuation

• Acquisition of IP Rights & Strategy

Areas of Expertise

• Biotechnology

• Enzymology

• Antibodies

• Immunotherapy

• Molecular Biology

• Cell Biology

• Biomarkers

• Diagnostics

• Pharmaceutical products

• Cosmetics

• Chemistry

• Access to Genetic Patrimony

Education

• Bachelor of Science (BSc) in Biochemistry (First Class Honors), Imperial College of Science Technology and Medicine, University of London.

• Doctorate degree (PhD) in Biochemistry, University of São Paulo.

Presentations 

• Full Disclosure: Impact of Clinical Trials on Pharmaceutical Patenting, International Association for the Protection of Intellectual Property, AIPPI World Congress, 2022.

• Incentivizing Green Technology Inventions and Innovation - A Global Review, American Intellectual Property Law Association, AIPLA Spring Meeting, New Orleans, LA, 2022.

• A Colorful Discussion on Patents, International Association for the Protection of Intellectual Property, AIPPI World Congress (Online), 2021.

• Spurring Innovation in Green Technologies, International Association for the Protection of Intellectual Property, AIPPI World Congress (Online), 2021.

• WIPO Sequence Listing Standard ST. 26: what you need to know, International Association for the Protection of Intellectual Property, AIPPI World Congress (Online), 2021.

• Accelerated examination and licensing of Covid-19-related patents in Brazil, Europe, the United States and Asia, Brazilian Intellectual Property Association, ABPI 40th Congress (Online), 2020.

• The Coronavirus Pandemic and Its Impact on Pharma Patent Prosecution Issues, including Patent Prosecution Highways and Compulsory Licensing, International Association for the Protection of Intellectual Property, AIPPI World Congress (Online), 2020.

• Working with patent professionals from South America, Institute of Professional Representatives before the European Patent Office, EPI Event, Eindhoven, The Netherlands, 2019.

• Patent Term Changes and Pharma Patentability in Brazil, AIPLA Mid-Winter Institute, Ft. Lauderdale, FL, 2017.

• An Update on ANVISA's Examination of Patent Applications in Brazil, BIO Intellectual Property Counsels Committee Conference, Nashville, 2014.

• Never a Boring Day: The IP and Regulatory Roller-Coaster in Latin America (Moderator), AIPLA Annual Meeting, Washington, DC, 2014.

• Compulsory licensing and compliance with TRIPS: the Brazilian case, BIO International Convention, San Diego, 2014.

• Overview of the patentability of biotechnological inventions in Brazil, AIPLA Spring Meeting, Seattle, 2013.

• Patent & regulatory protection in Brazil, Washington Biotechnology and Biomedical Association, Seattle, 2012.

• Protecting life science innovations in South America, Chartered Institute of Patent Attorneys Life Sciences Conference, Warwickshire, 2011.

• Protecting biotechnology and pharmaceutical inventions in Brazil: challenges and opportunities. BIO Intellectual Property Counsels Committee Conference, Seattle, 2011.

Recognitions

• IAM Patent 1000 (2016 - 2022)

• IAM Patent 300 (2017 - 2022)

• Who's Who Legal • Patents (2016 - 2022)

Admissions

• Brazilian Patent Attorney, Brazilian Patent and Trademark Office (INPI).

• Brazilian Association of Industrial Property Agents (ABAPI).

• Association Internationale pour la Protection de la Propriété Intellectuelle – AIPPI - Vice-Chair IP & Green Technology Standing Committee (2022); Chair IP & Green Technology Standing Committee (2022-); Member Biotechnology Committee, (2021-); Brazilian Delegate (2017-2019; 2022);

• American Intellectual Property Law Association (AIPLA).

• Brazilian Intellectual Property Association (ABPI) – Co-Chair, Biotechnology Committee, (2004-2009 and 2012-2017).

• Information Council on Biotechnology (CIB-Brazil) – Counselor ( 2007-2012).

• Biotechnology, BioLaw and Bioethics Committee of the Brazilian Bar Association (2004-2008).

• Endeavor Mentor for intellectual property matters.

• Royal College of Science, UK.

• European Federation for Biotechnology (EFB).

• National Association of Biochemists (Portugal).

• Brazilian Biochemical Society (SBBq).

Publications

• Patent Term Extension in Brazil. AIPLA Biotech Buzz, 2013. [PDF]

• Are compulsory licenses a necessary measure, or a threat to innovation? We ask international experts for their opinions. Chemistry World, 2013. [PDF]

• Compulsory pharmaceutical patent licensing in Brazil: the controversy of public interest. Pharmaceutical Patent Analyst, 2013. [PDF]

• Anteprojeto de Lei de Acesso a recursos Genéticos e repartição de Benefícios ("Bill proposal of the law regarding access to genetic resources and benefit sharing"). Boletim da ABPI, 91:3, 2008. [PDF excerpt]

• Doctoral Thesis - Estudos estruturais de proteínas de Xanthomonas axonopodis pv citri por Ressonância Magnética Nuclear ("Structural studies of proteins from Xanthomonas axonopodis pv citri by Nuclear Magnetic Ressonance"). University of São Paulo, 2007. [PDF]

• Expression, crystallization and preliminary crystallographic analysis of SufE (XAC2355) from Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. citri. Acta Cryst. F62, 268-270, 2006. [PDF]

• Expression, purification, crystallization and preliminary X-ray analysis of YaeQ (XAC2396) from Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. citri. Acta Cryst. F61, 493-495, 2005. [PDF]

• High-throughput screening of structural proteomics targets using NMR. FEBS Letters 552. 207-213, 2003. [PDF]

Languages

Portuguese, English, French and Spanish.