M. Sharon Webb M.D., Ph.D. – of counsel

M. Sharon Webb M.D., Ph.D., is a registered patent attorney, of counsel with Vantage Counsel. Dr. Webb’s practice focuses on business-related patent issues in the life sciences, including investor-side due diligence, M&A due diligence, and patent evaluation and counseling in industries ranging from medical devices to biotechnology to pharmaceuticals. She works with a broad spectrum of clients, including venture capitalists and institutional investors, large-cap and small-cap companies, universities and start-ups. Her clients’ technologies have included drugs, devices and diagnostics for applications such as cardiology, neurology, urology, orthopedics, vascular surgery, oncology, hematology, infectious diseases and transplant surgery.

Before relocating to Honolulu with her family, Dr. Webb practiced law in Massachusetts, where she was a partner in the Life Sciences practice at Goodwin Procter LLP. Before joining Goodwin Procter, she was a member of the intellectual property practice group at Foley Hoag LLP. Prior to entering the legal field, Dr. Webb was a practicing surgeon in Boston, specializing in reconstructive surgery as part of an interdisciplinary breast cancer team. She continued her practice of surgery during law school, and was a technology specialist at Foley Hoag at the same time. During her training in general surgery, microvascular surgery and plastic and reconstructive surgery, she gained subspecialty experience in vascular, microvascular, cardiac, thoracic, orthopedic, urologic, gynecologic, pediatric, trauma and transplant surgery. Her postgraduate surgical training included residencies, fellowships and research experience at Massachusetts General Hospital and the University of Pennsylvania.

Dr. Webb has published and lectured extensively in the legal field and in the field of medicine. Recent publications and presentations have targeted patent issues of interest to investors. Other representative publications and presentations have addressed business, patent and licensing problems faced by young companies in the life sciences. Dr. Webb is also a trained bioethicist, presenting on topics pertaining to legal and ethical issues that affect life sciences companies. In addition, Dr. Webb was an expert witness during the silicone implant litigation, and she has worked as a risk management educator for medical specialty organizations. She started a video production company in the medical education field, and has provided technology consulting services about drugs and medical devices to institutional investors. While a practicing surgeon, Dr. Webb published and presented work relating to her clinical and laboratory research in the fields of breast surgery, breast cancer, vascular biology and biomedical engineering. She has held faculty positions in surgery at Harvard University, University of Pennsylvania, and Tufts University.