Emily Miao

Emily Miao, Ph.D. is a partner with McDonnell Boehnen Hulbert & Berghoff LLP and serves as Chair of the firm’s Startups & Entrepreneurs Practice Group. Dr. Miao has over 20 years of experience in all aspects of intellectual property practice, including patent, trademark and copyright procurement and portfolio management; client counseling on validity, infringement, freedom-to-operate (FTO), due diligence reviews, and patent strategy matters; and licensing/secrecy agreements. She represents many companies, both large and small, and universities and is particularly experienced in representing entrepreneurs, start-ups, and early stage companies in prosecution, counseling, licensing and IP portfolio management. Her recent cases have involved industrial catalytic processes, semiconductor devices, sensors, materials, medical devices, nanotechnology, biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, diagnostic systems, molecular biology, drug delivery systems, organic chemistry, and purification processes.

Dr. Miao serves as speaker, moderator, or panelist at industry events relating to intellectual property matters. She also serves as a judge at the Northwestern University’s Venture Challenge and Entrepreneur Idol events. Dr. Miao has been a mentor at Chicago Innovation Mentors (CIM) and CIM at MATTER Chicago for over six years, where she had worked with over 14 startups and early stage companies, including three companies where she served as the mentor team leader. She has also conducted numerous IP workshops at MATTER Chicago related to sponsored research agreements, trade secrets and the patenting process. Dr. Miao is also a member of Group Genius of SmartHealth Activator, an incubator supporting and promoting University spinoff ventures in North Chicago and the Midwest region. As a mentor, she frequently works with businesses on intellectual property matters including issues related to protection of IP-related assets and IP-related agreements including licensing and research agreements. She is also actively involved Women in Bio (WIB), a national organization committed to promoting careers, leadership and entrepreneurship for women in the life sciences, and serves on the WIB Chicago Chapter’s Advisory Board of Directors. Dr. Miao also serves as a member of the Board of Advisors at the Chicago-Kent College of Law Patent Hub.