Tamsen Valoir, Ph.D.

Practice Areas

Intellectual Property

Practice Focus

Patent prosecution, opinions, due diligence, licensing and counseling in the life sciences and oil and gas

Practice Description

Dr. Valoir focuses her practice on patents in the life sciences and oil & gas, but she also has experience in copyright and trademark. Her work includes patent prosecution, infringement and patentability opinion work, licensing, due diligence, FDA patent term extensions and data exclusivities, as well as litigation related to copyright, trademark and patent infringement.

In addition to patent prosecution, Dr. Valoir’s practice has worked on intellectual property due diligence, regulatory due diligence, clinical trial agreements, as well as various licensing agreements, including those to migrate intellectual property to low tax jurisdictions.

She has also focused on freedom to operate (FTO) work in the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and agricultural industries, as well as in the oil and gas industry. She has assisted a major pharmaceutical company to address FTO issues in its biotechnology research group in a cost effective and timely manner and helped them to develop policies and procedures for addressing such issues.

Dr. Valoir’s biotechnology experience has included extensive work in the area of cytokines, map kinases, nuclear receptors, ion channels, oncogenes, pharmaceuticals, medical devices and diagnostics. Other experience includes antibodies, transgenic technologies, and bioinformatics. Her oil and gas work includes downhole tooling, shale oil development, refining processes, LNG, seismic surveying, reservoir modeling, MOF crystals and clean energy.

Representative Clients, Cases or Matters

Dr. Valoir has worked with a variety of biotechnology companies including a DNA paternity testing laboratory, diagnostic and medical device companies, a cattle cloning joint venture, and various Universities. She also has done considerable work for mid-sized and large pharmaceutical companies, as well as Fortune 500 oil and gas and oilfield service companies.

Professional Affiliations

• Texas State Bar Association
• Houston Intellectual Property Law Association (HIPLA)
• American Intellectual Property Law Association (AIPLA)
• Licensing Executive Society (LES)
• Intellectual Property Organization (IPO)
• Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO)
• Food and Drug Law Institute (FDLI)

Education

• B.S., Biochemistry, McGill University (1982)
• Ph.D., Biochemistry/Molecular Biology, Rice University (1989)
• J.D., magna cum laude, University of Houston (1995)
• L.L.M., Intellectual Property, University of Houston (1999)

Bar Admittance

• Texas
• United States Patent and Trademark Office
• United States Supreme Court
• Fed. Cir.

Publications, Presentations & Articles

• Valoir, T., Engagement Letters, Disengagement Letters, Non-engagement Letters Annual Institute on Intellectual Property, Galveston 2023
• Fletcher, M., Valoir, T., Van Densen, M., Claim Drafting For Litigation, Annual Institute on Intellectual Property, Galveston 2018
• Valoir, The 101 Two-Step: Dancing Diagnostic, Natural Product & Discovery Patents Out The Front Door…, Annual Institute on Intellectual Property, Galveston 2017
• Patent Eligibility, Annual Institute on Intellectual Property, Galveston 2015
• Guest Lecturer for the Global Commercialization Group technology transfer seminars at University of Texas at Austin (2011-2013).
• Bio2010: “Licensing And Bankruptcy,” Panel Chair
• Bio2009: “Global Intellectual Property Due Diligence,” Panel Chair
• Valoir T., “DNA Fragments Lack Utility: In re Fisher” Int. Prop. & Tech. L.J. 17(11): 7-10 (2005).
• Israel, S.A., Rocha, J.E., Valoir, T., The Importance Of Following The Inventorship Trail And Avoiding The Inventorship Trial, 16th Annual Intellectual Property Law Course, Austin 2003
• Valoir, Tamsen, “Who Will Finance Drug Development If Natural Products Are No Longer Patentable?”, Intellectual Property & Technology Law Journal, Vol. 28, No. 6, 3-9 (2016)
• Breast Cancer, Politics, and Patents, AIPLA Quarterly Journal, Vol. 44, No. 1; Page 63, Winter 2016.
• Valoir, Tamsen, “Discoveries Not Patentable: Isn’t That Unconstitutional?”, Intellectual Property & Technology Law Journal, 27(7); 16-18 (2015)
• Valoir, Tamsen and Ellison, Sparkle T., “The Duty of Candor Under the AIA.” 29th Annual Intellectual Property Law Institute, Sponsored by the Houston Intellectual Property Law Association, Galveston, Texas, 2013.
• • Valoir T., Mayo v. Prometheus: Natural Law or Mental Step?, Int. Prop. & Tech. L.J. 24(12): 3-8 (2012).
• Valoir T., PhD & Ghosh S., PhD, FDA Preemption Of Drug And Device Labeling: Who Should Decide What Goes On A Drug Label? Health Matrix 21: 555-598 (2011).
• Valoir, T., US Patent Basics, 7th Ed. (2012).
• Valoir, T., Mining an Intellectual Property Portfolio: Ten Steps to Increasing Revenue, Intellectual Property Today, 2-3 (2011).
• Valoir, T., Paradiso, Linda J., Patent Strategy for Medical Products, Intellectual Property & Technology Law Journal, Vol. 23, No. 9, 8-13 (2011).
• Valoir, T., Ramey, W., Bayh-Dole and the Statement of Government Support, Intellectual Property & Technology Law Journal, Vol. 23, No. 2, 9-14 (2011).
• Valoir, T. PhD and Nijhof, M.G., Tax-Speak for Intellectual Property Counsel, Intellectual Property Today, at 30-34 (2010).
• Todd Brandt, PhD, Sergio Legorreta-Gonzalez, Ling Wong and Tamsen Valoir, PhD, IP due diligence in the NAFTA free trade zone, in PLC Cross-border IP in Business Transactions Handbook 2009/10 (2009), available online at http://uk.practicallaw.com/
• Valoir T., Dai, M., “M&A: Effective Global Intellectual Property Due Diligence,” Intellectual Property & Technology Law Journal 20(4): 1-8 (April 2008).
• Valoir, T., Ramey, W., “The Exponential Burden of McKesson,” IP Today (April 2008).
• Valoir, T., “Ten Tips for Navigating from the Laboratory to the Market Place,” online publication at Resources-for-Entrepreneurs at Gaebler.com (2008).
• Valoir T. Jones J. “ScholAthelete’s Survival Guide: Essential Study Skills for the Scholar Athlete” (2008) by Booklocker.
• Valoir T., Dai, M., Effective Global Intellectual Property Due Diligence, in Mergers & Acquisitions and Intellectual Property, p. 7-11 (2008), published by BNA International Inc.Valoir, T., “Doing Business with the US Government,”IAM, pg. 9 (March, 2007).
• Valoir, T., “Intellectual Property: Overlapping Types,” Wiglaf Journal (2007).
• Valoir, T., Abdon, R., & Wong, L., “Calculating Patent Term: A Tricky Business,” Intellectual Property & Technology Law Journal 19(4):15-19 (2007).
• Valoir T., Hricik D., “Patents and Trademarks: The Duty of Good Faith,” J. Patent & Trademark Office Society89(4): 287-300 (2007).
• Valoir, T., “Ten Due Diligence Steps for IP Buyers,” Managing IP, p. 39-42 (2007).
• Valoir, T., “Exploring the Intersection Between Tax and Intellectual Property,” The Tax Magazine, p. 19-22 (2007).
• Valoir T., Hricik D., “Patents Compared to Trademarks: The Duty of Candor/The Avoidance of Fraud,” The Trademark Reporter 97(6): 1317-1331 (2007). Valoir, T., “Six Ways to Preserve Market Exclusivity,” Intellectual Property Today, (July, 2006).
• Valoir, T., “Patent Term Extensions and Other means of Preserving Market Exclusivity,” Intellectual Property Today, at 30-32 (2006).
• Valoir, T., “Intellectual Property Due Diligence—A Cautionary Tale,” BNA International: Intellectual Property & Technology Programme (2006).
• O’Connor D.J. & Valoir T., “The Supreme Court Tilts Toward Drug Developers: Drug Discovery After Merck v. Integra” Chicago-Kent Journal of Intellectual Property Law 5(2): 124-140 (2006).
• Valoir, T., “Law School Survival Guide” (2005) by Booklocker.
• Valoir, T., “Look Before You Leap: Investing in a Freedom-to-Operate Review,” Executive Legal Adviser, p. 20, Jan. 2005.
• Valoir, T., “Restriction Versus Election of Species,” Intellectual Property Today, p. 30 (April 2005).
• “Practical Patent Prosecution Training for New Lawyers: How to Manual” (AIPLA, Valoir & Albin, Eds. 2005).
• Valoir, T., “IP Due Diligence: Top Ten Tasks” The M&A Lawyer, p. 20 (June 2005).
• Valoir, T. “Deposition Transcripts: Subject to Copyright Protection?” Intellectual Property & Technology Law Journal, 17(7): 1-5 (2005).
• Valoir, T., “Drug Discovery After v. Merck” Intellectual Property & Technology Law Journal, 17(10): 1-4 (2005).
• Valoir T., Intellectual Property & Technology Law Journal 17(11): 7-10 (2005).
• Valoir T., “For the Taking: The Supreme Court extended the power of eminent domain. Now states want to issue compulsory licenses under the same principle to control drug prices,” Pharmaceutical Executive, p. 44 (Nov. 2005).
• Valoir, T., “Generic Treatment Claims: One District Court Decides They are Invalid,” John Marshall Law School Center for Intellectual Property Law News Source, 4(3): 15-17 (2003).
• Valoir, T., “Generic Treatment Claims: Do They Hold Water?,” Pharmaceutical Executive, p. 60 (April 2003).
• Hunziker, R. & Valoir, T., “Government Venture Capitalism Often Overlooked In Biotech Area,” Houston Business Journal, July 26, 2002.
• Valoir, T., “The Duty Of Candor In Patent Applications: What It Is And How To Comply With It,” Intellectual Property & Technology L. J., 14(3): 9-13 (2002).
• Valoir, T., “The Bayh-Dole Act: Eight Points That Every Technology Company Should Know,” Intellectual Property Today, at 36 -37 (Nov. 2001).
• Valoir, T., “Government Funded Inventions; The Bayh-Dole Act and the Hopkins v. CellPro March-In Rights Controversy,” Texas Intellectual Property Law Journal 82(2): 211 (2000).
• Boulware, M. A. & Valoir T., “Inequitable Conduct: A Nonstatutory Defense,” in Patent Litigation 1999, at 1155 (Practicing Law Institute, 1999).
• Valoir, T., “The Obviousness of Cloning,” Intellectual Prop. Law J., 9(3): 349-375 (1995).
• Brewster, J., Valoir, T., Dwyer, N., Martin E., Gustin, M., “An osmo-sensitive signal transduction pathway in yeast growth and osmolarity regulation by two protein kinases,” Science, 259: 1760-63 (1993).
• Valoir, T., Tucker, M.A., Belikoff, E.J., Camp, L.A., and Beckingham, K., “A second maternally expressed Drosophila gene encodes a “DEAD box” protein,” P.N.A.S., 88: 2113-2117 (1991).
• Rubacha, A., Tucker, M.A., Valoir, T., Belikoff, E.J., and Beckingham, K., “Oogenesis specific genes of Calliphora erythrocephala,” Develop. Biol., 129: 449-463 (1988).
• Valoir, T., Belikoff, E., Rubacha, A., Tucker, M., and Beckingham, K., “Studies of an oogenesis-specific, germline expressed gene which is conserved in Calliphora erythrocephala and Drosophila melanogaster,” (Abstract for Lost Pines Molecular Biology Conference), Oct. 1987.
• Tucker, M.A., Valoir, T., Belikoff, E., and Beckingham, K., “Characterization of germ-line transcribed oogenesis-specific genes,” (Abstract for 28th Annual National Drosophila Research Conference), May 1987.
• Tucker, M.A., Belikoff, E.J., Rubacha, A., Valoir, T., and Beckingham, K., “Isolation of oogenesis-specific genes from Dipteran Calliphora erythrocephala,” (Abstract for Lost Pines Molecular Biology Conference), Oct. 1986.
• Carter, R., Schroeter, J., and Valoir, T., “Economic measures for the U.S. penal system,” J.I.R., 31: 2-3 (1985).
• Trudel, M., Van Genechten [Valoir], T., and Meuth, M., “Biochemical characterization of the hamster Thy-mutator gene and its revertants,” J. Biol Chem., 259: 2355-2359 (1984).