Roberg-Perez, Sharon E.
Robins Kaplan, LLP | Partner
Sharon Roberg-Perez is a partner in the Intellectual Property and Technology Litigation Group. She is an M.I.T-trained Ph.D. who leverages over a decade of experience working as a molecular biologist in her legal practice. She serves on the firm’s diversity committee and has been an instructor in the firm’s Exceptional Advocate Training Program. She has been recognized for her professional accomplishments and leadership, being named an “Up and Coming Attorney” by Minnesota Lawyer, a “Super Lawyer” by Super Lawyers, and a 2014 fellow of the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity.
Dr. Roberg-Perez’s practice focuses on intellectual property disputes involving biotechnology, medical devices, and/or digital health. She represents clients of all sizes, ranging from start-up companies to one of the world’s largest medical device manufacturers. By virtue of her earlier career as a research scientist, including at biotechnology and genomics start-up companies, she is well versed at explaining complicated, innovative concepts to varied audiences. She has been trial counsel in hard-fought, multimillion-dollar patent cases between competitors, and has handled cases involving technologies such as genotyping, DNA fingerprinting, cell-based assays, proteases, transcatheter heart valves, ICDs, spinal implants, minimally invasive knee arthroplasty techniques, and capacitive touchscreens. She is also registered to practice before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
In addition to her intellectual property practice, Dr. Roberg-Perez has experience representing pro bono clients, most recently representing clients as part of Project Corazon, which was created to help reunite families separated by the current immigration policies, and serving as co-counsel with Lambda Legal in successfully representing an incarcerated transgender woman who had been denied necessary medical care under an unconstitutional, Missouri Department of Corrections’ policy.
She also is involved in the broader, Twin Cities community serving as a board member of multiple, non-profit organizations:
- Epilepsy Foundation of Minnesota
- The Isthmus Foundation
- Twin Cities Board of Directors, American Heart Association
Dr. Roberg-Perez earned her J.D., summa cum laude, from the University of St. Thomas School of Law, where she was the Notes and Comments Editor for the St. Thomas Law Journal. She earned her Bachelor’s Degree, magna cum laude, in Biological Chemistry from Wellesley College. Following her graduate work at M.I.T., which focused on the developing optic lobe of the Drosophila visual system, she completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Caltech, where she researched the molecular genetics of developing sensory neurons. Over the course of her academic career, she authored several scientific publications and received research fellowships from the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, and the American Psychological Association.