About Jeffrey Schmidt

Dr. Jeff Schmidt is a member of the firm’s Patent Group. His practice focuses on patent prosecution in the areas of life sciences, biotechnology, and pharmaceuticals, which includes the preparation and prosecution of patent applications in domestic and international jurisdictions, as well as strategic counseling and global portfolio management.  Jeff also counsels clients on issues including patentability, enforceability, validity, freedom-to-operate, IP due diligence, and IP landscape analysis, and assists with patent litigation in U.S. district court.

Jeff has research experience in the fields of genetics, biochemistry, cell and molecular biology, cancer biology, and immunology. He was awarded a Department of Defense predoctoral fellowship to investigate, using cell and animal models, the role that certain cytokine signaling pathways play in the development and progression of breast cancer, and to identify novel strategies for prevention and treatment.

Prior to joining Morrison & Foerster, Jeff was a corporate counsel extern for the Whirlpool Corporation, a legal intern for the University of Notre Dame’s Intellectual Property and Entrepreneurship Clinic, and a summer associate with Morrison & Foerster for two summers. He also externed as a patent examiner for the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), and interned in the technology transfer office at the University of Nebraska Medical Center.

Jeff earned his J.D. summa cum laude from the University of Notre Dame Law School, where he was the Executive Articles Editor for the Notre Dame Law Review, and a member of the Moot Court Board. He received his Ph.D. in Cancer Research from the University of Nebraska Medical Center, his M.B.A. from the University of Nebraska at Omaha, and his B.A. in Biology from Saint John’s University.

Jeff is admitted to practice before the United States Patent & Trademark Office.