Title: Trusted IP and Transactional Life Science Strategist
Company: Adler Pollock & Sheehan PC
Location: Boxborough, Massachusetts, United States
Michel Morency, PhD, JD, Trusted IP and Transactional Life Science Strategist at Adler Pollock & Sheehan PC, has been recognized by Marquis Who’s Who Top Lawyers for dedication, achievements and leadership in Intellectual Property Law.
Dr. Morency is a trusted intellectual property and transactional life science strategist with over 30 years of experience as a respected attorney. Since 2017, he has been serving as a member of the intellectual property group and the life sciences practice at Adler Pollock & Sheehan PC in Boston. His role encompasses assisting clients with the creation and development of cost-effective, strategic intellectual property portfolios and supporting the commercialization of intellectual property.
As an expert in his field, Dr. Morency negotiates and drafts transactional agreements for the transfer of intellectual property rights, including licenses, material transfer agreements, strategic collaborations, and mergers and acquisitions. He also conducts due diligence related to various financings and transactions. Dr. Morency is particularly dedicated to serving clients focused on rare disorders or areas of unmet medical need, including early-stage companies, universities and nonprofit research hospitals.
A recent highlight in Dr. Morency’s career was his representation of an early-stage specialty pharmaceutical company between 2020 and 2024. The company developed VIGAFYDE™, an oral solution for treating infantile spasms, a severe pediatric epilepsy affecting over 1,200 infants annually in the U.S. Standard treatment required a complex preparation process that often resulted in inaccurate dosing and significant risk to patients. Dr. Morency played a pivotal role in licensing a patent application for the new formulation and collaborated on obtaining trademark protection and branding for VIGAFYDE™. With approval as an orphan drug by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, it became the first and only ready-to-use vigabatrin oral solution, with its issued patent listed in the FDA’s Orange Book. Dr. Morency subsequently guided the company through a successful acquisition by a multinational biopharmaceutical corporation.
Before joining Adler Pollock & Sheehan PC, Dr. Morency served as a partner and Boston office chair of the intellectual property department at Foley & Lardner LLP from 2005 to 2016. Earlier, he excelled as a shareholder and partner at Greenberg Traurig in Boston, a role he upheld between 2003 and 2004. Dr. Morency was also a member and partner at Mintz Levin in Boston, after gaining foundation expertise at Testa, Hurwitz & Thibeault LLP in Boston and Macera & Jarzya LLP in Canada, dating back to 1994.
Dr. Morency is highly educated, having earned a Bachelor of Science in life sciences, with honors, from Queen’s University in 1984, a Doctor of Philosophy in medical sciences/neurosciences from McMaster University in 1992, and, with the assistance of a Ciba-Geigy scholarship offered by the Medical Research Council of Canada, a Doctor of Jurisprudence, cum laude, from the University of Ottawa in 1994. Dr. Morency notably received more than 20 scholarships, fellowships, and academic awards during his postgraduate studies. He was admitted to practice by the Massachusetts Bar Association and speaks fluent English and French.
Committed to his field, Dr. Morency has maintained a long-standing membership with the American Intellectual Property Law Association since 1998. His contributions to advancing education and innovation have been recognized through his mentoring of entrepreneurs at North Shore InnoVentures since 2010 and his role as a guest lecturer on “The Importance of Intellectual Property in Biotechnology” at Brown University since 2016. Furthermore, Dr. Morency has co-authored notable publications throughout his career and regularly contributes short articles to legal publications and scientific journals.
Throughout his career, Dr. Morency has demonstrated expertise in intellectual property law and transactional work for life science clients. He is recognized for his ability to combine scientific knowledge with legal acumen, an achievement reflected by his status as a registered patent attorney. Dr. Morency has secured several patents in 2021 and 2022 for an access port system in the U.S. and for topical compositions and methods for managing pain and dermatological conditions and disorders in Canada.
Dr. Morency’s passion for helping life science companies protect and commercialize technologies that address significant medical needs has been central to his success. Looking ahead, he intends to continue serving as a trusted adviser to both emerging ventures and multinational corporations within the life sciences sector. Dr. Morency’s background in neuroscience, combined with his commitment to advancing human health, keeps him engaged with technologies targeting central nervous system disorders, neurodegenerative diseases and regenerative medicine, ensuring that innovations are both protected and translated into transformative solutions worldwide.
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