Profile
Dr. Melissa Hunter-Ensor is Co-Chair of Greenberg Traurig's Global Patent Prosecution Group. Melissa focuses her practice on the intellectual property and commercial needs of clients in the life science industry, encompassing pharmaceutical, biotechnology, chemical agricultural, diagnostics and medical device companies. Melissa has experience representing clients throughout the business cycle, from start-ups and universities to global pharmaceutical companies, with patent portfolio management and strategic alliances, as well as litigation and pre-litigation strategy. She also assists venture capital firms and other investors in assessing the IP risks of target investments and conducts IP patent and licensing due diligence in connection with life science technology transactions.
Before becoming a lawyer, Melissa earned a Ph.D. in neuroscience from the University of Pennsylvania and her thesis research resulted in a first author paper in Cell. She followed this accomplishment with a four-year post-doctoral fellowship at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology laboratory of Nobel laureate H. Robert Horvitz where she was a Jane Coffin Childs fellow.
Concentrations
- Patent portfolio management and strategic counseling
- Technology transactions and licensing
- Litigation and pre-litigation strategy
Capabilities
Experience
- Devised a strategy for protecting and licensing a novel nucleic acid amplification method resulting in patent grant in the U.S. and numerous international jurisdictions in under two years.°
- Developed a worldwide IP portfolio for a privately held company for a biologic agent that was granted an emergency exemption by the Environmental Protection Agency for use in 17 states.°
- Developed a world-wide IP portfolio prosecution strategy for a public company that resulted in patent protection for Alzheimer’s disease, lung cancer, ovarian cancer and peripheral artery disease diagnostics.°
- Crafted an international strategy resulting in granted patents for a local drug delivery device that is in clinical use.°
- A key member of a team assisting a Japanese pharmaceutical company with IP Iicensing due diligence that formed the basis for a multi-billion dollar acquisition of a publicly held biotechnology company.°
- Conducted a patent landscape analysis on behalf of multiple university clients that informed their licensing negotiations with venture capital investors resulting in the successful formation of a university-licensed start-up.°
- Advised an international pharmaceutical company in licensing exclusive, worldwide rights for research, development, manufacturing and commercialization of a polynucleotide-based therapeutic. °
- Advised a publicly held pharmaceutical company in evaluating whether internet sales of a small molecule pharmaceutical product were exempt from infringement under the “safe harbor” provided by U.S.C. § 271(e)(1).°
- Represented the General Hospital Corporation in an inventorship dispute that resulted in summary judgment for the hospital, which was affirmed by the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.°
- Represented a university in an inventorship dispute that involved undergraduate research.°
- Worked with the university’s general counsel to revise the institution’s Intellectual Property Policy with regard to undergraduate researchers.°
°The above representations were handled by Dr. Hunter-Ensor prior to her joining Greenberg Traurig, LLP.
Recognition & Leadership
- Shortlisted, Euromoney, "Women in Business Awards - Life Sciences Lawyer of the Year," 2024
- Listed, The Legal 500 United States, Life Sciences, 2023
- Listed, The Best Lawyers in America, Patent Law, 2023-2024
- Listed, Managing IP Magazine's World IP Handbook and Survey, "IP Stars: Boston Patent Stars," 2017-2023
- Shortlisted, Euromoney, "Women in Business Awards - Best in Patents," 2020 and 2022
- Listed, Euromoney's Expert Guides: "Women in Business Law," 2022
- Selected, Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly, “Massachusetts Go To Lawyers: Life Sciences/Healthcare,” 2022
- Listed, Boston magazine, "Top Lawyers - Intellectual Property Rights," 2022-2023
- Team Member, a U.S. News - Best Lawyers® "Law Firm of the Year" in Trademark Law, 2020
- Listed, IAM magazine, "IAM Patent 1000," Prosecution, 2019-2023
- Listed, LMG Life Sciences, "Life Science Star," 2016-2023
- Shortlisted, "Intellectual Property: Patent Strategy Attorney of the Year – Massachusetts," 2023
- Listed, Super Lawyers magazine, Massachusetts Super Lawyers, “Rising Stars,” 2017-2018
- "Massachusetts Women's Edition, Rising Stars" 2018
- Selected, "Top Women of Law," Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly, 2015
- Board Member, Terry’s Foundation for Muscular Dystrophy
- Member, Association of University Technology Managers
- Member, Public Policy Committee
- Member, Licensing Executives Society (LES)
- Member, Boston Patent Law Association
- Member, Boston Emerging Leaders Group
- Member, MIT Enterprise Forum
- Member, Life Science Circle
- Advisor, de la Femme
Credentials
- J.D., cum laude, Suffolk University Law School
- Ph.D., University of Pennsylvania
- B.A., Smith College
- Massachusetts
- Supreme Court of the United States
- U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
- U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts