Procopio Intellectual Property Partner Xiaofan “Frank” Yang, PhD, has been elected by the partnership to join the firm’s Management Committee. He assumes the seat previously held by Partner John Cleary, who was elected to the Committee in 2018. John will continue with his corporate law practice. Frank has been at Procopio since October 2019, when he joined the firm as a Partner from Wilson Sonsini.

“Frank has been a model of success at Procopio and has made quite an impression on his fellow partners,” said Managing Partner John Alessio. “His work ethic is second to none and capability top notch. Frank has shown a real capability to make pragmatic decisions with a long-term vision.”

Frank provides comprehensive IP strategic counseling to public and private biotechnology, pharmaceutical, digital health and medical device companies. His patent counseling and prosecution experience creates and protects IP assets as primary value propositions for growth enterprises in all stages of business, from proof of concept to clinical development, regulatory approval and product launch. Frank is also experienced in conducting due diligence in complex venture financings, public offerings, partnering/licensing transactions, and mergers and acquisitions. He has a global client base, including companies and investors in U.S., Europe, and Asia.

After obtaining his B.S. in polymer chemistry and PhD in organic synthesis, Frank worked as a medicinal chemist in the pharmaceutical industry for more than four years before becoming a patent practitioner in 2006. Frank was recently featured in Procopio’s attorney profile series, where among other details of his life he revealed it was middle school field trips to the Giant Panda Bases and Sanctuaries near his home in Chengdu, China, that inspired his passion for science and later patent law.

“I am honored and humbled by the trust and confidence my colleagues have shown in electing me to this important role on the firm’s Management Committee,” Frank said. “Procopio is a firm with a long history and rich culture, and at the same time always ready to adapt and evolve to meet the constant changes of our business environment and client needs. As we look into the future, I am committed to working with everyone at the firm to continue advancing our collaboration, synergy and growth in the years to come, while preserving the firm’s wonderful legacy and tradition along the way.”

Continuing their service on the Management Committee are Managing Partner John Alessio, Partners Enrique Hernandez-Pulido, Marie Burke Kenny, S. Todd Neal, and Craig Ramseyer, and Chief Operating Officer and Chief Compliance Officer James Perkins.