Steven Highlander, previously with the Austin office of Arnold White & Durkee, joined Fulbright & Jaworski L.L.P.'s Austin office in 2000. As a partner in the firm's Intellectual Property & Technology Department, Dr. Highlander's practice focuses on all aspects of biotechnology and chemical patenting. Preparation and filing of patent applications, as well as prosecution of these cases, makes up the bulk of his docket. In addition, Dr. Highlander is involved in biotech- and chemical-related interference practice, and provides infringement, validity, patentability, and freedom-to-operate opinions. Licensing, confidentiality, cooperative research, and materials transfer agreements are other areas in which he has experience.

Included in the diverse subject matters with which Dr. Highlander is familiar are organic chemistry, gene therapy, viral delivery systems, immunoassays, food science, PCR technology, chemotherapy, drug screening and targeting, animal and plant breeding programs, cancer diagnosis, monoclonal antibodies, radio-therapy and radio-imaging, medical devices, tumor suppressors, and lymphokines.

Dr. Highlander's graduate work involved structure-function studies on herpesviral surface proteins. As such, he is familiar with such disciplines as cell biology, protein biochemistry, molecular biology (including recombinant DNA work), gene regulation, genetics, immunology (including immunodiagnostics and immunotherapy), pharmacology, medicine, and viral pathology.

• American Bar Association
• Federal Circuit Association
• American Intellectual Property Law Association
• Austin Intellectual Property Law Association
• Travis County Bar Association
• Association of University Technology Managers
• University of Texas School of Law, adjunct professor of patent prosecution

• The Best Lawyers in America, Biotechnology Law, Intellectual Property Law (2010)

1992 - J.D., cum laude, University of Michigan Law School
1988 - Ph.D., with honors, University of Michigan
1983 - B.A., summa cum laude, Central Missouri State University

Dr. Highlander is a member of the Texas, Virginia, and District of Columbia bars and is admitted to practice before the Federal Circuit and the United States Patent Office.