Kenley Hoover

Dr. Hoover is a partner in the law firm of Nixon & Vanderhye, P.C., based in Arlington, Virginia. With over 20 years of experience representing pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, Dr. Hoover provides L.E.A.F. with the benefit of his deep knowledge and insight as an intellectual property attorney. His experience includes all aspects of IP law, including patent prosecution, litigation, opinions, interferences, oppositions, licensing and complex technology driven transactions.

As a thought leader in the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and life science industries, Dr. Hoover provides in-depth strategic counseling and support on all matters relating to the development, transfer, and strategic management of patents and other intellectual property assets for biopharmaceutical companies in all stages – from nascent start-ups to multi-billion dollar international conglomerates. Dr. Hoover also regularly provides counsel on IP matters relating to all phases and aspects of drug development, from early research and development, through clinical trials, and commercialization.

Dr. Hoover has extensive patent prosecution experience having directed the preparation and prosecution of more than 10,000 domestic and international patent applications and he has prosecuted more than 1,000 drug-based U.S. patents to issuance. He also regularly advises on intellectual due diligence, infringement and validity issues.

Dr. Hoover’s in-house experience extends from a tenure of more than a decade at Human Genome Sciences Inc. (now part of GlaxoSmithKline), during which he led the IP Group and oversaw all aspects of HGSI’s intellectual property including IP strategy, prosecution, inter partes matters, and technology transfer. In this capacity, he served as intellectual property strategist, business tactician, and technical expert for assessing intellectual property, implementing portfolio management strategies, structuring technology driven agreements, and evaluating freedom to operate and risk management. Dr. Hoover held positions including Associate General Counsel, Intellectual Property; Executive Director of Technology Assessment and Licensing; and Executive Director of Scientific Assessment. Kenley was an integral member of HGSI’s cross-departmental teams responsible for characterizing the company’s lead targets and he contributed to the preclinical and clinical development of over 30 therapeutics including the approved drugs raxibacumab and BENLYSTA™ (belimumab).

Dr. Hoover received a B.S. from Duke University, an M.S. in cell biology from the University of Michigan, a Ph.D. in Development Biology from The Johns Hopkins University, and a J.D. from the University of Maryland School of Law.