Haynes and Boone, LLP is delighted to announce the addition of Counsel Sharon E. Crane, Ph.D. to the firm’s Washington D.C. office and Life Sciences Practice Group. Sharon works in intellectual property, advising clients primarily in the biotech and pharmaceutical fields on drafting and prosecuting patent applications, providing validity and freedom-to-operate opinions, challenging competitor patents, and defending against infringement claims.
Sharon comes to Haynes Boone from Rothwell, Figg, Ernst & Manbeck, P.C., where she spent the last 14 years as a partner at the firm. She obtained a Ph.D. in molecular biology and genetics from the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine before turning to George Washington University Law School soon thereafter.
"Haynes Boone is a wonderfully congenial and organized firm with a terrific Life Sciences Practice,” Sharon said. “They are also highly respected for their PTAB and Litigation Practices. Moreover, they have tremendous core values that align with mine, including their stances on diversity and inclusion, wellness and the environment. I am thrilled to bring my abilities and client base to the firm."
Sharon’s decision to go into patent law rather than continue pursuing laboratory research was based on her desire to witness innovation’s transformation from idea to market, effecting real-world improvements in people’s lives. One invention she is particularly proud to have been able to protect and defend is a non-invasive test for fetal abnormalities, such as aneuploidy. This blood test is now an industry standard for women to use during pregnancy to test for genetic defects, such as Down syndrome, without the need for invasive and potentially harmful procedures, such as chorionic villus sampling and amniocentesis.
“With an extensive technology background and years of experience practicing within the life sciences, Sharon will enhance our practice and broaden our technology platform,” Haynes Boone Partner Vincent K. Shier, Ph.D. said. “Sharon’s addition continues the momentum that our Life Sciences Practice has been accumulating, and we are so excited to welcome her to our team.”
Haynes Boone’s Life Sciences Practice Group has robust experience in medical and surgical devices, drug delivery, biotechnology and biosimilar arts, Food and Drug Administration law and regulations, and intellectual property, representing a wide array of emerging growth, middle-stage and Fortune 100 companies in the biotechnology, consumer medical products and medical technology industries.
About Haynes Boone
Founded in 1970, Haynes and Boone, LLP provides a full spectrum of legal services across multiple sectors, including energy, financial services, private equity and technology. The firm’s nearly 700 lawyers practice in 19 offices in California, Colorado, Illinois, New York, North Carolina, Texas, Virginia and Washington, D.C., as well as London, Mexico City and Shanghai. Haynes Boone was recognized in the 2022 BTI Consulting Group’s A-Team report, which identified firms commended by in-house counsel for superior client service, and it was ranked 21st in The American Lawyer’s 2023 Diversity Scorecard, which evaluated 228 participating firms by the diversity of their attorney populations. For more information, visit haynesboone.com.
