Eric K. Steffe is a director in Sterne Kessler’s Biotechnology & Chemical Practice Group. Eric’s practice involves providing strategic counsel to his clients in various areas of patent law, with special emphasis on therapeutic antibodies, gene therapies, CRISPR, vaccines, diagnostics, antisense technologies, personalized medicine, and cell culturing/bioprocessing methods.
Eric has extensive expertise in inter partes review proceedings, patent reexaminations, managing complicated multi-family patent portfolios protecting pipeline and FDA-approved biotech products, preserving freedom to operate, interferences, and the IP issues arising out of industry collaborations and ongoing research. Additionally, his practice includes providing strategic advice to numerous companies seeking to launch products. Eric has published and lectured extensively in the field, testified before Congress as a legal expert regarding the Cooperative Research and Technology Enhancement (CREATE) Act.
The Legal 500 has recognized Eric five times as a “Leading Lawyer” in the U.S. for his patent prosecution work; a distinction awarded to only ten other attorneys in the entire country. He was awarded the LMG Life Sciences, “Patent Strategy & Management Attorney of the Year – District of Columbia” in 2018 and has been an LMG Life Sciences Star since 2017. Further recognition includes being named an IAM Patent 1000 leading practitioner for patent prosecution since 2014 and rankings in the Who’s Who Legal guide for patents since 2016.
Eric was previously the chairperson of the firm’s Patent Prosecution Practice and developed the concept for the firm’s popular publication the “Patent Prosecution Toolkit” for which he was the inaugural editor and author of several chapters.
Eric received his J.D. from George Mason University School of Law, his M.S. in molecular genetics, and his B.S. in physics from the University of Georgia.
- IAM Patent 1000, “Washington, D.C.: Recommended – Patent Prosecution” (2024 – 2014)
- Who’s Who Legal, “IP – Patents” (2023 – 2016)
- LMG Life Sciences, “Life Sciences Star” (2023 – 2017)
- The Legal 500, “Leading Lawyer in Intellectual Property – Patent Prosecution: Utility and Design Patents” (2019 – 2015)
- Managing IP, “IP Star” (2024 – 2019)
- LMG Life Sciences, “Patent Strategy & Management Attorney of the Year – District of Columbia” (2018)
- LMG Life Sciences, “Finalist – Patent Strategy & Management Attorney of the Year – District of Columbia” (2019)
- J.D., George Mason University Antonin Scalia Law School
- M.S., Molecular Genetics, University of Georgia
- B.S., Physics, University of Georgia
- District of Columbia
- United States Patent & Trademark Office
- American Association for the Advancement of Science
BIO IP & Diagnostics Symposium
July 22, 2013
BIO IPCC 2012 Pre-Conference Workshop
November 12, 2012
Managing Intellectual Property’s US Patent Reform Forum 2012
March 27, 2012