Dr. Wenhua Yu (Jocelyn) is a seasoned intellectual property (IP) attorney focusing in the life sciences industry. With more than 12 years of practice, she assists clients — ranging from biotech start-ups to multinational pharmaceutical companies — in maximizing IP protection and leveraging IP rights to strengthen business strategies and transactions. Jocelyn's experience spans global patent strategy and portfolio development, IP due diligence, and partnership negotiations.
Jocelyn focuses on crafting tailored IP and patent strategies, working closely with scientific teams to align patenting efforts with therapeutic pipeline development. Her deep technical knowledge covers immunotherapies, gene and cell therapies, vaccines, small-molecule therapeutics, conjugated therapeutics (e.g., ADCs, AOCs, radionuclide conjugates), manufacturing, and delivery technologies (e.g., vectors, LNPs). She has conducted extensive due diligence investigations and provided legal opinions to support R&D, IP, and business strategies for industry leaders, such as BMS/Celgene, Merck & Co., and Johnson & Johnson, and has worked on several commercial products.
Alongside her patent practice, Jocelyn has more than eight years experience advising clients on technology transaction and partnership strategies, including structuring, negotiating, and preparing licensing and collaboration agreements for biotech and pharmaceutical companies. She also counsels clients on post-execution relationship management, investigation, and resolution of IP-related disputes. Jocelyn has represented clients in cross-border transactions between the United States and Asian markets, working with organizations such as Incyte Corporation, Shanghai Junshi, Shanghai Jemincare, and Inmagene Biopharmaceuticals.
Jocelyn co-chairs the IP & Patent Law Committee for Biocom California. Jocelyn serves on the board of directors for SoCal Association for Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Advancements (SABPA), leading the Entrepreneur & Partnering Committee.
Experiencia
- October 27, 2022
Practical Considerations in Continuation/Divisional Patent Application Practice - September 28, 2022
Key topics for negotiation in Cross-the-Border Out-Licensing of Pharmaceutical Assets and Case Studies (Presentation in Mandarin) - January 25, 2022
Key Topics For Negotiation in Life Science Licensing Transactions - November 7, 2018
Licensing Fundamentals for Business Executives and Startups
- Northwestern University (J.D. 2016); Pennsylvania State University (Ph.D. in Genetics 2010); Wuhan University, China (B.S. in Pharmacology 2004)
- California and registered to practice before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
- Mandarin