Alumni Profile:
Where there are breakthroughs in science, there are legal concerns.
Gabe Gross, who joined the M.S. program’s first class in 2002, earned three degrees from UW-Madison, including a bachelor’s degree, law degree and a master of science in biotechnology. After 13 years in Madison, Gross was recruited to work with the law firm Quinn Emanuel Urquhart Oliver & Hedges, LLP in California’s Silicon Valley following completion of his M.S. in Biotechnology degree. He continues to work today in the San Francisco area as a business trail lawyer and Partner at Latham & Watkins specializing in patent infringement cases and other intellectual property disputes.
Impacting biotechnology with a legal lens.
His time at UW-Madison allowed him to participate in national discussions regarding complex topics in biotechnology. In 2002, he wrote an article for the Law Review on the regulations of stem cell research. “I was at a press conference with Orrin Hatch and he cited Gabe’s research,” recalls Alta Charo, Professor in the Law School and M.S in Biotechnology Program. Charo notes that while Gross, who graduated from the Master of Science in Biotechnology Program in 2004, moved to California to practice law, “the seeds for success were planted in Wisconsin.”
A global vision locally grown.
Gross joined the M.S. program because he wanted to speak the language of the biotech industry and better understand the issues of science, law and business. And as biotech expands, he notes, “So do intellectual property needs. When there are breakthroughs in science, there are primary legal concerns including patent infringements.” he says.
Gross says the work ahead of him, which may include high profile intellectual property disputes, will be exciting.
“The seeds for these opportunities were planted in Madison. When you are competing with lawyers for a position that focuses on intellectual property and biotechnology, you need a level playing field. The M.S. Biotechnology Program leveled the playing field for me.”
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Questions about the M.S. in Biotechnology Program?
Contact Bryan
“I specialize in helping prospective students understand the degree, how it fits their career goals and how to apply for admission.
Please contact me. You’ll receive a prompt response.”
Bryan Husk, Assistant Director
(608) 265-0773 office
bthusk@wisc.edu
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About the M.S. in Biotechnology, UW-Madison
Established in 2002, the Master of Science in Biotechnology at UW-Madison is a two-year cross-disciplinary program for scientists, technical professionals, business strategists and attorneys seeking to advance their career in the biotechnology industry without having to put their career on hold.
The project-based curriculum focuses on the development and commercialization of new technologies and provides a diverse mix of science, business, bioethics, regulatory policy and patent law.
Students are instructed by world-renowned scholars and leading industry professionals in the biotechnology field. Graduates join a powerful professional network of over 350 alumni.
