Zimmerman, Sommer

Sommer S. Zimmerman is a member of the Ballard Spahr Patent Group’s Life Sciences team. Her practice focuses on various aspects of patent prosecution, due diligence, and freedom to operate analysis, working primarily with clients in the life sciences, pharmaceutical, chemical, and food and beverage industries.

 Sommer has over a decade of experience in domestic and international patent prosecution. She also has significant experience providing strategic patent counseling to life sciences companies, universities, and research institutions, leveraging complex structures searches to guide them through key stages of drug development. In addition, Sommer has worked closely on several due diligence projects, which have successfully culminated in multi-million dollar license agreements.  Representative technologies include small molecule therapeutics, drug and chemical formulations, organic synthesis, catalysts, polymers, plastics, agrochemicals, nutritional and food chemistry, targeted delivery and controlled release vehicles, diagnostics, and screening assays.

 Sommer is also co-Editor-in-Chief of the AIPLA Chemical Practice newsletter and on the Eastern Region Planning Committee for the Association of University Technology Management (AUTM).