Akhiezer

Alexander Akhiezer, Ph.D.

Partner
Registered Patent Attorney
Boston

I am a patent attorney practicing at the intersection of science and law.

Alex Akhiezer's practice focuses on emergent technologies that require a multidisciplinary approach. He works with leading universities, startup companies, venture capital investors, and public companies on technology commercialization, including patent protection and licensing matters as well as patent life cycle management, IP portfolio development and strategies. Alex participates in corporate acquisitions, drafting and negotiating portfolio license agreements, and preparation of opinions to counsel on matters of infringement and validity.


Alex holds an undergraduate degree in Theoretical Physics from Kharkiv University, Ukraine, and a doctorate in Biological and Computational Chemistry from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. At MIT, his research focused on dissecting protein kinase-mediated signal transduction pathways using small molecules and developing novel structure-based rational drug design methods.

Before beginning his graduate studies, Alex was a scientist in the Protein Chemistry Department at ImClone Systems, Inc. in New York. Alex's research, educational and professional background provides him with a deep understanding of emergent technologies that operate at the intersection of chemistry, biology, and physics, such as:

PHYSICS

  • Quantum computing hardware
  • Photonics
    • Photonic integrated circuits
    • Electro-optical devices
  • Optics
    • LIDAR signal processing and mechanical engineering
  • Nuclear Fusion
  • Chemical Information Storage
  • Medical Imaging
  • Computational Chemistry
    • Molecular modeling
  • Batteries
  • Fuel Cells

CHEMISTRY and LIFE SCIENCES

  • Medicinal chemistry: small molecules, drug discovery, formulations
  • Polymer materials: biodegradable polymers, conducting organic polymers
  • Physical chemistry and computational methods: organic light-emitting molecules, molecular modeling, and structural biology

Education

  • Kharkov University, Ukraine, Diploma, Theoretical Physics, with distinction
  • Suffolk University Law School, J.D., cum laude
  • Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Ph.D., Computational Chemistry
  • New York University, B.A., Biochemistry, summa cum laude

Bar and Court Admissions

BAR ADMISSIONS
  • Massachusetts
  • U.S. Patent & Trademark Office (Agency)
COURT ADMISSIONS
  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
  • U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts

Experience Overview

  • Patent prosecution counsel for a research university for licensed portfolio related to quantum computers implemented in neutral atom-based qubits.
  • Patent prosecution counsel for a research university for silicon photonics portfolio.
  • Patent prosecution counsel for a company developing a thermodynamic computer.
  • Patent prosecution counsel for drug discovery company for portfolio related to AI-based diagnostic tools.
  • Patent prosecution counsel for a company developing fuel cell membranes.
  • Patent prosecution counsel for a company developing clean hydrogen production technology.
  • Patent prosecution counsel for a company developing novel fusion technology.
  • IP counsel for a multinational company in an acquisition of a biotechnology startup.
  • Advised a research university on deconflicting sponsor-research agreements.

Other Publications

  • “An Exactly Solvable System of Coupled Non-Linear Schrodinger Equations,” Physics Letters A 182 (1993) 44-48
  • “Total Synthesis and Immunosuppressive Activity of Pateamine A and Related Compounds,” J. Am. Chem. Soc. 120 (1998) 12237-12254MAS
  • “Optimization of Molecular Shape and Charge in Rational Drug Design" (doctoral thesis)

Honors & Involvement

  • Best Lawyers: Patent Law (2023-2027)
  • Recipient of The Paul and Daisy Soros Fellowship for New Americans, a 3-year national grant established to provide opportunities for accomplished first-generation Americans who have shown creativity and persistence in achieving leadership in their chosen fields

Other Events

  • "Birds of a Feather, " IEEE International Conference (September 2024)
  • "Patent Enforcement," Ukraine Global Faculty Lecture Series (April 2024)
  • "International Patent System: Patent Process and Requirements," Ukraine Global Faculty Lecture Series (January 2024)
  • "Introduction to the US System of Intellectual Property," Ukraine Global Faculty (August 2023)
  • “Quantum Computing Primer,” USPTO Annual Technology Fair (May 2023)