R. Lee Strasburger, Jr.

Lee Strasburger is a registered patent attorney and classically-trained violist who represents life sciences and AgTech companies in complex, mission-critical transactions. From cell and gene therapies to high-protein soybeans and seedless blackberries, Lee orchestrates business arrangements to support the discovery, development, and commercialization of agricultural biotechnologies, pharmaceuticals, diagnostics and medical devices. His forte is problem-solving and crafting creative, practical solutions to maximize his clients’ intellectual property assets and align with their strategic goals.  

To bring biotechnologies out of the lab so that they can have a tangible impact in the real world, Lee counsels businesses on a wide range of agreements, including options, licenses, sponsored research, material transfers, joint ventures, and collaboration and partnering agreements. Additionally, he assists with technology and asset acquisitions, drug discovery, strategic alliances, clinical trials, manufacturing and supply/distribution arrangements and marketing/promotion deals.

Lee serves as a member of the Duke University Health System’s Institutional Review Board, where he helps ensure the safety of the human subjects in the clinical trials conducted at DUHS. This role gives Lee a unique perspective into the challenges his clients face getting into the clinic, which allows him to harmonize competing priorities when negotiating on their behalf.   

Outside the office, Lee is passionate about cooking, board games and skiing (on any phase of water), on which his wife and kids wish he spent more time, instead of badgering them with dad jokes.

Recognition

• Pro Bono All-Star, Georgia Bar Journal (2015, 2018)
• Pro Bono Medal, Emory University School of Law
• Articles Editor, Emory International Law Review
• TI:GER Program Certificate in Intellectual Property, Emory University School of Law
• Forever Duke Award Winner, Duke University (2010)

Clerkships

• Law Clerk to the Honorable M. Cindy Morris, Superior Courts of Georgia

Education

• Emory University School of Law, J.D., with honors, 2013
  • Order of the Coif
• Duke University, B.A. in Chemistry and English, with distinction, 2010
  • Alumni Endowed Undergraduate Scholar

Bar & Court Admissions

• Member, Duke Health Institutional Review Board
• Volunteer, Legal Aid of North Carolina, NC Pro Bono Resource Center, and NC Bar Foundation Patent Pro Bono Program
• Interviewer (past director, Atlanta Metro West), Duke Alumni Admissions Advisory Counci

Since joining Smith Anderson, Lee:

• Assisted a global specialty products company in its purchase of a marketed biologic, with over $100M in annual sales.
• Represented a crop health company in its global supply and distribution agreement with a European-based agricultural technology company.
• Counseled a biotech manufacturing company on its acquisition of a publicly-traded CDMO (valued at over $100M).
• Led negotiation of LG Chem’s $305M global, exclusive license to Rhythm Pharmaceuticals of a small molecule, genetic obesity drug.
• Represented a publicly-traded seed company in its sale, and license back, of a CRISPR-related patent family.
• Guided a publicly-traded company’s divestiture of its cell therapy business and related licenses of its cell therapy candidates, valued at over $500M across the transactions.
• Advised a publicly-traded company on its amendment and restatement of its commercialization agreement for the territory of Japan.
• Guided a cutting-edge crop protection and crop health company in the renegotiation of its joint venture with a global agricultural chemicals company.
• Assisted a medical device company in its technology license to a European, multinational pharmaceutical company.
• Advised a gene therapy company on its acquisition of two gene therapy candidates from a publicly-traded ophthalmic-focused pharmaceutical company.
• Represented Precision BioSciences in its almost $1.5B collaboration with Novartis Pharma to develop gene therapies for inherited blood disorders, such as sickle cell disease.
• Counseled a global pharmaceutical company in its license of a monoclonal antibody (mAb).
• Advised a drug discovery company, headquartered in Asia, in an over $2B collaboration.
• Provided advice to a private equity company in its portfolio company investments, spanning industries/technologies from medical devices to clinical trial software.
• Negotiated license agreements from companies, such as Life Technologies, to support drug development.
• Negotiated service and supply agreements opposite manufacturers and service providers such as National Resilience, Charles River Laboratories, Recipharm, and WuXi AppTec.
• Negotiated clinical trial agreements, on behalf of sponsors, for clinical trials (including investigator-initiated clinical trials) at private and academic clinical sites across the United States.
• Extracted technologies from the federal government and dozens of universities on behalf of emerging companies through negotiation of practical and workable patent and technology licenses and other agreements.

Prior to joining Smith Anderson, Lee:

• Advised a global generics company on its $750M acquisition of an injectables portfolio in Europe.
• Guided a cancer therapeutics company on its $160M collaboration with a global pharmaceutical company.
• Assisted a gene therapy company in the restructuring of its API supply chain.
• Counseled a publicly-traded wearables company on its $18M collaboration with a global technology company.
• Facilitated the $40M divestiture of a topical veterinary pharmaceutical.
• Drafted and negotiated agreements to facilitate research and development of technologies such as biologics, small-molecule drugs, and vaccines.
• Negotiated a COVID-19 test kit supply and collaboration agreement between two leading testing and laboratory equipment companies to help bring testing to households nationwide.
• Prosecuted trademark and patent applications.
• Provided advice and assistance with respect to the $60M sale of a cancer-diagnostic platform by a public research and diagnostics company.