Kyoryo (橋梁), "bridge" in Japanese.
Senior biotech counsel.
A 10- to 200-person company shouldn't have to carry big-firm hourly rates for ongoing work, and may not be ready for a full-time general counsel. What it needs is a senior lawyer who knows the lifecycle, can sit in the room with the inventors and the business teams, and acts as a real partner without being additional headcount.
The practice of law requires specialization. I focused on patent law at the firm. Then I went in-house, because you have to be in the role to understand the business. I never could have imagined the volume or the speed, or how quickly soft skills come to the front. At Regeneron I had three distinct roles: patent and trade secret strategy for manufacturing, R&D contracting, and commercial law working alongside regulatory teams. Now I can quickly translate the issues and give you strategic advice across the lifecycle. Then go double-check my advice with a bigger firm. You haven't lost much, and you may gain valuable perspective.
My work stands between two worlds: BigLaw and in-house, science and law, big-firm-grade counsel and small-biotech budgets. The combination is what makes the bridge real.
Counseling only. No patent prosecution and no docketing. Filings are referred to partner boutiques I trust, so the strategy work is the work. Active focus on the legal questions raised by AI and digital health.
Arnold & Porter
CDAs, MTAs, license agreements, collaboration and R&D agreements, service agreements, and capital-equipment purchases. Negotiated with the instincts of someone who has sat on the in-house side of the table.
Working alongside regulatory teams at Regeneron gave me real familiarity with the landscape: advertising and promotion review, advisory committee considerations, REMS, privacy, and commercial compliance, including marketing materials, fraud and abuse, and speaker programs. I am not a regulatory submissions attorney, but I can help you think through the strategy and know when to bring in a specialist.
I treat your work and your science with the same care I would want for my own. You get honest advice, even when it is not what you hoped to hear.
Counseling, not memos to wave around. Direct answers to the question in front of you, from someone who has been on both sides of the table.
Legal issues come from anywhere. The value is a senior person who already knows your business, your science, and your risk tolerance.
A flat-fee menu for standard items. One quick question should never have to flinch at a senior hourly rate.
I built my career on both sides of the bridge between science and law, and I started Kyoryo Legal to put all of it to work for the companies that need it most.
I came to law as a scientist, and the PhD has always been a real advantage in biotech: I can sit with your inventors, understand the work, and protect it properly. At Arnold & Porter I built a biotech IP practice, made partner, and trained a generation of associates, many of whom still reach out years later. That is the achievement I am proudest of.
At Regeneron I pushed into three different roles across nearly a decade, in IP, contracts, and commercial law working alongside regulatory teams, because I kept wanting more of the lifecycle. Kyoryo Legal is the practice that lets me use all of it, on my own terms, with people I respect.
Start with a scoping call. A short conversation to understand the company, the stage, and the question in front of you. No charge.
Get a clear outcome and cost. For standard items, a flat fee. For ongoing work, a retainer or arrangement that fits how you actually operate.
Work together, on your terms. Virtually available at a moment's notice, or sitting in your office when it helps. In-person visits are billed with travel expenses covered by the client.
Mission-driven nonprofits are welcome to ask about free speaking engagements and reduced-rate arrangements for legal work.