Hemmie Chang, head of the firm’s newly launched Boston office, is a leading lawyer in the life sciences industry. She regularly advises life sciences companies on high-profile intellectual property transactions, finding creative solutions for their complex needs, and helping them navigate the legal landscape as they develop their innovative IP and look to commercialize it globally.
Hemmie is recognized by clients and within the legal community as an experienced advisor with a keen and strategic business sense, deep substantive knowledge and sharp strategic business perspective and legal acumen, developed more than two decades of experience representing innovators and investors in the biopharmaceutical, medical device, diagnostics, gene and cell therapy, and genomics sectors. She advises both established and emerging companies on a wide variety of licensing matters — from development to marketing deals — all of which involve a broad range of intellectual property assets, including patents, trade secrets, brand names, and copyright.
In recent years, Hemmie has closed more than $20 billion in deals across diverse therapeutic areas on behalf of such clients as Alexion*, Daewoong, Dicerna*, Genevant*, HiFiBiO*, H.I.G. Capital*, LegoChem Biosciences, and Tiger Management*. She also has an active pro bono practice, including work for the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund and Franklin Square House Foundation, which serves homeless women and children in the Greater Boston area.
Experience
- LegoChem Biosciences (LCB) as counsel in its exclusive, worldwide license agreement with Janssen on LCB84, a Trop2 directed antibody drug conjugate. LCB and Janssen will collaborate during the ongoing Phase 1/2 clinical trial for LCB84, and then Janssen will be responsible for clinical development and commercialization of LCB84. LCB is eligible for up to $1.7 billion -- an upfront payment of $100 million, an option exercise payment of $200 million, and other milestone payments. LCB will also receive tiered royalties on any net sales.
- Phenomic AI as counsel in its announced collaboration with Boehringer Ingelheim, for up to $509 million plus royalties. The collaboration will focus on identifying targets within the tumor stroma for the development of potentially innovative cancer therapies.
- Phenomic AI as counsel in a prior collaboration with Astellas, which will involve the development of an antibody for an identified tumor stroma target.*
- Transactions counsel to AcuraStem, a California biotech, in connection with its exclusive, worldwide license agreement with Takeda for its PIKFYVE program. If the agreed upon clinical, regulatory, and commercial milestones are met, AcuraStem will receive a total of US$580 million from Takeda in upfront and milestone payments. AcuraStem will also receive tiered royalties on any net sales.*
- Leading South Korea-based pharmaceutical company in multiple transactions, including an exclusive licensing agreement for a first-in-class PRS inhibitor in the Greater China region.*
- Multinational clinical stage biotherapeutics company with expertise in immune modulation and single cell science in an exclusive licensing agreement for its Galectin-9 program, and in granting an exclusive option to its CXCR5 and CCR8 programs to a biopharmaceutical company.*
- Biopharmaceutical company in numerous agreements, including a global collaboration and license agreement in excess of US$1.67 billion in upfront and milestone payments plus royalties to develop and commercialize a treatment for chronic Hepatitis B.*
- Ireland-based life sciences company in its 15-year partnership with a multinational pharmaceutical company and a genomic information company to conduct population genomics research in Ireland and examine potential genetic triggers for major chronic diseases.*
- Leading life sciences investors in a $52 million Series B Financing in a digital therapeutics company.
- Developer of auto-injectors and drug delivery devices in its $39 million Series B-1 equity financing, a strategic partnership with a Danish allergy immunotherapy biotech to commercialize its epinephrine autoinjector, and a Series A financing.*
- Clinical stage biotechnology company and a life sciences-focused venture capital fund in the $15.6 million Series D financing of an emerging medical device company targeting the early detection of Alzheimer’s disease.*
- Biotechnology company in a collaboration and license agreement in excess of €1.1 billion in upfront and milestone payments, plus royalties, with a leading biopharmaceutical company to develop an autotoxin inhibitor for fibrosing interstitial lung diseases.*
*Reflects experience at previous employer.
Perspectives
Recognition
Credentials
Education
- J.D., Harvard Law School, 1984
- A.B., Princeton University, 1981, Phi Beta Kappa
Admissions
- Massachusetts
- District of Columbia
- Law Society, England and Wales
Clerkships
- U.S. District Court, District of Massachusetts, The Honorable David S. Nelson
Activities
- Board Member and Secretary, South Cove Manor, Nursing & Rehabilitation Center Inc., and South Cove Nursing Facilities Foundation
- Board Member, Franklin Square House Foundation
- National Asian Pacific Bar Association
- Founding Director, Asian American Lawyers Association of Massachusetts
- Founding Director, Asian Task Force Against Domestic Violence