Jeff W. Childers, J.D., Ph.D.

Jeff Childers has more than fifteen years of experience preparing and prosecuting U.S and foreign patent applications in pharmaceuticals, specialty chemicals, molecular diagnostics, biosensors, textiles, material sciences, medical devices, and related areas. He also provides clients with due diligence analyses, including patentability, freedom-to-operate, and infringement/non-infringement opinions; provides guidance and counseling on the intellectual property aspects of licensing and business transactions; and provides strategic advice and management of patent portfolios.

Dr. Childers also has significant experience with university technology transfer, including serving as in-house patent counsel with Johns Hopkins Technology Transfer and completing an externship with the University of North Carolina Office of Technology Development.

Professional Experience

Shareholder, Casimir Jones S.C., 2018-present
Partner, Michael Best & Friedrich LLP, 2017-2018
Attorney, Ward and Smith, P.A., 2011-2017
Patent Counsel, Johns Hopkins Technology Transfer, 2010-2011
Associate, Alston+Bird LLP, 2006-2009
Adjunct Instructor, Research, Reasoning, Writing, and Advocacy (RRWA) Program, University of North Carolina School of Law, 2006-2009
Associate, Jenkins, Wilson, Taylor and Hunt, P.A. 2003-2006

Education

University of North Carolina School of Law, J.D. (with honors), 2003
Duke University, Ph.D., Chemistry, 1985
West Virginia Wesleyan College, B.S., Chemistry, 1980

Admitted

State Bar of North Carolina
U.S. Supreme Court
United States Patent and Trademark Office

Professional Affiliations

American Intellectual Property Law Association (AIPLA)
Association of University Technology Managers (AUTM)
North Carolina Bar Association (NCBA): Intellectual Property Law Section
Past co-chair: NCBA Biotech/Chemical Patent Committee
Past co-chair: NCBA CLE Committee
Current committee member of NCBA Outreach and Biotech/Chemical Patent Committees

Honors and Distinctions

“Legal Elite,” Business North Carolina, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017
Articles Editor, North Carolina Law Review, 2002-2003
Staff Member, North Carolina Law Review, 2001-2002
Departmental Fellowship for Outstanding Graduate Students, Duke University, 1983
Outstanding Chemistry Student, Central WV American Chemical Society, West Virginia Wesleyan College, 1979

Legal Publications and Presentations

Intellectual Property in Drug Discovery, Training in Neurotherapeutics Discovery and Development for Academic Scientists, March 7, 2018
Intellectual Property, Introduction to Drug Discovery, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, 2012-2018
New Patent Office Initiative Provides a Boost to Cancer Immunotherapy Patent Applications, JD Supra, July 2016;
2013 Dramatically Altered the Landscape of The U.S. Patent System…So What’s Next In 2014? WRAL TechWire, March 5, 2014;
IP Protection and Enforcement in Canada: Overview for US Business and IP Practitioners, North Carolina Technology Association, March 7, 2013;
So You Want To Patent Your Idea? Legal Currents, August 29, 2013;
Exelixis, Inc. v. Kappos: Miscalculation of the Patent Term Adjustment, North Carolina Bar Association IP Section, Patent Law Committee, January 29, 2013;
Proposed Patent Fees Under the Leahy-Smith America Invents Act: Be Prepared for Sticker Shock, WRAL TechWire, March 28, 2012;
State Sovereign Immunity and the Protection of Intellectual Property: Do Recent Congressional Attempts to “Level the Playing Field” Run Afoul of Current Eleventh Amendment Jurisprudence and Other Constitutional Doctrines? 82 N.C. L. REV. 1069 (2004);
Kyllo v. United States: A Temporary Reprieve from Technology-Enhanced Surveillance of the Home, 81 N.C. L. REV. 728 (2003);
Hendricks v. Sanks: One Small Step for the Continued Parental Support of Disabled Children Beyond the Age of Majority in North Carolina, 80 N.C. L. REV. 2094 (2002) (cited in N.C. Gen. Stat. § 50-13.4).