Michele Gauger, Ph.D., is an associate in the Litigation Department in Weil’s Silicon Valley office. Dr. Gauger practices in the area of patent litigation, with a focus on the biotechnology and life science industries. Dr. Gauger, who holds a Ph.D. in biochemistry, has practiced on both the plaintiff and defendant side in cases relating to noninvasive fetal diagnostics and DNA sequencing technology. She has also assisted pro bono clients with matters related to housing issues, advanced health care directives, and deferred action for childhood arrivals.
Dr. Gauger received her law degree in 2010 from Harvard Law School, where she concentrated her studies on intellectual property and the impact of technology on the law. Prior to attending law school, Dr. Gauger graduated from Clarkson University with a bachelor’s degree in Chemistry and Biomolecular Science in 2001. She went on to earn her Ph.D. in Biochemistry and Biophysics at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, where she was awarded a Department of Defense Breast Cancer Research Program Fellowship. Dr. Gauger earned her doctorate in 2007 and her dissertation focused on the effect of circadian rhythm disruption on tumorigenesis and cancer susceptibility. While at the University of North Carolina, Dr. Gauger gained valuable experience in many aspects of molecular biology, including cell culture, nucleic acid analysis, and protein purification, and she continues to use this experience in her patent litigation practice. She is also the author of a peer-reviewed scientific publication based on her dissertation work.