Alexandra Cavazos, PhD, focuses her practice on patent prosecution and intellectual property in the life sciences, using her expertise in biochemistry and molecular biology to help companies maximize the value of their US and international IP portfolios.

Alexandra also has significant Hatch-Waxman litigation experience in the small molecule space, as well as PTAB litigation experience relating to large molecules. This litigation experience informs her patent prosecution strategies, allowing her to draft claims that are broad enough to encompass competitors’ products while also being strong enough to survive legal scrutiny.

Alexandra earned her JD from the University of California at Los Angeles and her PhD from the University of California at Berkeley, where she successfully determined the three-dimensional structure of a membrane-bound signalling molecule involved in the pathogenesis of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the bacterium responsible for causing tuberculosis in humans.

• Successfully prosecuted patent application relating to tunable fluid flow in carbon nanotubes*
• Assessed target IP for venture capital firms in connection with opinions on patentability, validity, freedom to operate and infringement*
• Assisted with business transactions and in-licensing opportunities through investor-side and defensive due diligence*
• Drafted patent infringement claim charts relating to lentiviral vectors for gene therapy for two patent litigations in federal district court*
• Helped defend the small molecule patent portfolio of a global biotech firm in one of the largest Hatch-Waxman cases filed in 2019*

*Matter handled prior to joining McDermott

• Received Pro Bono Service Award from the ACLU in 2021 for helping to reunite immigrant families separated at the US/Mexico border

Education
University of California at Berkeley, PhD, 2012
San Francisco State University, BS, 2006
UCLA School of Law, JD, 1998
Harvard University, BA, 1992

Bar Admissions
California

Courts/Agencies
United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
United States Patent and Trademark Office, Reg. No. 69,568

Languages
English
Spanish