Pankaj N. Desai, Ph.D., is an associate of Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough LLP in the Firm’s Boston office and a member of the intellectual property group. Dr. Desai's practice includes procuring and protecting intellectual property in the areas of chemicals, pharmaceuticals, and life sciences. He also has considerable patent prosecution experience in the medical devices and cleantech areas.

Dr. Desai assists clients with the strategic development, protection, and management of U.S. and international patent portfolios. He has broad research training in synthetic organic chemistry, including development of new methodologies and total synthesis of alkaloids and peptide based natural products.

His notable experience includes:

• Preparation and prosecution of U.S. and foreign utility and design patent applications.
• Conducting due diligence, analysis and assessment of patentability, validity, freedom to operate, infringement and product clearance issues.
• Assisting litigation teams with substantive technical analysis involving claim construction, validity or infringement issues.

His recent publications and speaking engagements include:

• “Reactions of Cyclopropanone Acetals with Alkyl Azides: Carbonyl Addition versus Ring-Opening Pathways,” J. Org. Chem., 72(25):9439-9447. (2007)
• “Synthesis of the Chlorofusin Cyclic Peptide: Assignment of the Asparagine Stereochemistry,” Org. Lett., 5:5047-5050. (2003)
• “Ring Expansive Routes to Quinolizidine Alkaloids: Formal Synthesis of (-)-Lasubine II,” Org. Lett., 5:4999-5001. (2003)
• “Reactions of Alkyl Azides and Ketones as Mediated by Lewis Acids: Schmidt and Mannich Reactions using Azide Precursors,” J. Am. Chem. Soc., 122:7226-7232. (2000)
• “Synthesis of a-Amino-a- Diazomethyl Ketones via Ring Opening of Substituted Cyclopropanones with Alkyl Azides. A Facile Route to N-Substituted 3-Azetidinones,” Org. Lett., 2:1657-1659. (2000)
• “Alkyl Azides as Precursors to Schmidt and Mannich Reactions,” ACS National Meeting, San Francisco, California, March 26-30, 2000.
• “New Dimensions in Ring Expansion Chemistry,” ACS National Medicinal Chemistry Symposium, Kansas City, Missouri, June 13-17, 2000.

Dr. Desai is a member of the Massachusetts Bar and is admitted to practice before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Dr. Desai is also a member of the American Chemical Society, the American Intellectual Property Law Association, the Boston Patent Law Association, and TiE Boston.

In 2010, Dr. Desai earned his Juris Doctor from Suffolk University Law School.  Prior to his law career, Dr. Desai was a post-doctoral research associate at The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA. He earned his Ph.D. in Chemistry from the University of Kansas in 2002. From the University of Bombay, India, he earned his Master of Science in Organic Chemistry in 1993 and Bachelor of Science in Chemistry in 1991.