Amy L. Toro

Amy Toro specializes in technology transactions, with particular emphasis on life science arrangements, such as collaboration and license agreements. Her clients include pharmaceutical companies, biotechnology clients, and non-profit organizations.  She also has experience with advising high technology clients on matters relating to the development and licensing of standardized technologies as well as their participation in standard-setting organizations in both the litigation context and on the transactional side.

She received her J.D. from the Boalt Hall School of Law, University of California, Berkeley in 1994, and a Ph.D. in Jurisprudence and Social Policy in 2000.

Ms. Toro has clerked for the Hon. Stephen F. Williams of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit from 1996 to 1997.  She has also served as a visiting professor of law at Northwestern University School of Law and at the University of California, Davis.

She is admitted to the California Bar.

REPRESENTATIVE MATTERS

• Representing a start-up company in possible spin-out license from a large pharmaceutical company.
• Representing Amyris, Inc., a biotechnology company focused on biofuels, in joint venture and other commercial transactions with Total and other strategic collaboration partners.
• Represented Gilead Sciences, Inc., in negotiating multiple agreements with Tibotec Pharmaceuticals for the development and commercialization of three different combination products for the treatment of HIV.
• Represented sanofi-aventis U.S. in multiple license and collaboration agreements, including an out-license agreement of a nasal inhalant product for the treatment of allergies.
• Represented AstraZeneca in negotiating an in-license agreement with Nektar Therapeutics to develop and commercialize a pegylated opioid product, including for the treatment of opioid-induced constipation.
• Represented Lilly in negotiating certain manufacturing arrangements relating to its agreement with Evonik for the sale of its Tippecanoe facility.
• Represented Boehringer-Ingelheim in negotiating certain manufacturing arrangements relating to its purchase of animal health assets from Pfizer, Inc..
• Advised Novartis regarding a vaccine technology transfer agreement with a government-owned Brazilian pharmaceutical company. 
• Represented Gilead Sciences, Inc., in negotiation of a various agreements with BMS and Merck relating to the commercialization of Atripla, a triple combination product for the treatment of HIV.

PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE

• Northwestern University School of Law, Visiting Assistant Professor of Law (1998)
• University of California, Davis, Visiting Professor (1999)

HONORS AND RANKINGS

• Chambers USA, Life Sciences: Corporate/Commercial (2011-2012)
• IAM Patent 1000 - The World's Leading Patent Practitioners (2012)
• Northern California Rising Stars, Intellectual Property (2009-2010)