Dr. Smitha B. Uthaman represents clients in complex patent litigation matters, with a particular focus on pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and life sciences companies.
Smitha has experience handling various aspects of pre-suit investigations, fact and expert discovery, drafting dispositive motions and briefs, preparing witnesses for depositions, and preparing for trial.
In addition to patent litigation experience, Smitha has extensive patent prosecution experience before the US Patent and Trademark Office related to obtaining patents in various fields in the life sciences, including:
- Genome engineering
- Immunology
- Virology
- Vaccines
- Stem cells
- Modified enzymes
- Personalized medicine
- Agricultural plant varieties
Smitha has also worked on due diligence, freedom to operate, validity, and counselling matters.
Prior to joining Latham, Smitha represented clients before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board in ex parte reexaminations, interferences, and inter partes reviews and also assisted with submissions in proceedings before the European Patent Office and the Japanese Patent Office.
Smitha maintains an active pro bono practice representing asylum applicants before the Chicago Immigration Court.
During law school, Smitha served as the submissions editor of The Federal Circuit Bar Journal.
As a result of her graduate research, Smitha co-authored several scientific publications and a book chapter. Smitha also co-authored several legal articles published in the Intellectual Property & Technology Law Journal, Journal of Commercial Biotechnology, and Pharmaceutical Patent Analyst. Prior to attending graduate school, Smitha was a junior field engineer working on oilfield exploration and characterization with the Wireline segment of Schlumberger Ltd.