Philip J. Hamzik, PhD

Overview

Phil Hamzik helps clients build and maintain US and international patent portfolios in the areas of pharmaceuticals and biotechnology. He regularly secures comprehensive patent protection on behalf of clients, including patents to compounds (including clinical stage drug candidates), pharmaceutical compositions, methods of treatment, combination therapies, and synthetic methods. Phil has extensive knowledge and experience in the areas of medicinal chemistry and small-molecule drug discovery, organic synthesis, protein and polypeptide therapeutics, oligonucleotides and lipid nanoparticle (LNP) technology, polymer chemistry, and more. 

Phil counsels clients on all aspects of their intellectual property. In addition to patent prosecution and portfolio management, he provides clients with strategic advice and counseling related to patentability, freedom to operate, validity and invalidity, due diligence matters, licensing, and agreements. Phil works with a diverse range of clients, including small to large pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, universities, and research institutes.

Prior to joining Wolf Greenfield, Phil obtained his PhD in Organic Chemistry from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. His doctoral research focused on the development of new cycloaddition strategies for the synthesis of highly substituted nitrogen heterocycles. Phil completed his undergraduate studies at Northeastern University, where he obtained a BS in Chemistry and Philosophy. 

Phil also brings industry experience to his practice, having worked for two leading pharmaceutical companies. As an intern at Merck Research Laboratories in Boston, Phil developed new synthetic methods for the preparation of important molecular scaffolds. At Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research in Cambridge, he worked as a medicinal chemistry intern in the area of infectious diseases.

Experience

• Prepared and prosecuted US and foreign patent applications relating to a wide range of technologies in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology spaces
• Managed large global patent portfolios including those covering clinical stage drug candidates 
• Obtained key composition of matter patents for clients covering drug products and drug substances, and advised on secondary pharmaceutical patent protection and evergreening strategies including coverage of pharmaceutical formulations, solid forms, dosage regimens, combination therapies, and process methods
• Worked with early-stage pharmaceutical/biotechnology companies and start-ups to develop and execute IP strategies, including building patent portfolios from the ground up and protecting key platform technologies
• Conducted patentability, freedom-to-operate (FTO), and landscape analyses and counseled clients regarding same
• Developed an invalidity position for a client with respect to a competitor’s patent in a high-profile contested matter
• Conducted IP due diligence on complex patent portfolios in support of large transactions, including recent diligence investigations resulting in $125M and $650M secured loans
• Advised clients on licensing and other agreements, including material transfer and evaluation agreements (MTAs)

Activities

• Leadership Council on Legal Diversity (LCLD) 2022 Pathfinder
• Greater Boston Legal Services (GBLS) Associates Fund Drive Co-Captain (2021, 2022)
• Boston Intellectual Property Law Association (BIPLA)
• Massachusetts LGBTQ Bar Association
• The National LGBTQ+ Bar Association

Recognition

• Suffolk University Law School Recognition for Outstanding Performance in Legal Writing
• MIT Department of Chemistry Award for Continued Excellence in Teaching
• American Chemical Society POLYED Award for Outstanding Achievement in Organic Chemistry
• Northeastern University Excellence in Writing Award