When the founders of OPX Biotechnologies were formulating the company, they turned to Vern Norviel for help. A patent lawyer who specializes in life science companies and the development of their IP programs, Norviel has been integral in helping launch CU-based startups such as OPX Bio, Click, Suvica, AmideBio and BiOptix. He has also endowed a department professorship and is a mentor in the ChBE Mentor Program.
After graduating from CU with a B.S. in chemical engineering in 1981, Norviel received a Masters from the University of Santa Clara and then attended the University of San Francisco School of Law. Now a Partner at Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, Norviel leads the patents and innovation counseling practice and has been named a Northern California Super Lawyer and honored among the “Top 25 Intellectual Property Portfolio Managers” in California the past 3 years. He shared some thoughts on his field and beyond.
On a typical day: Almost all of my work is in helping young, entrepreneurial life science companies. My legal focus is on patents, but ultimately most everything I do is in helping the company get financed, get their products on the market, and get them sold. Many of these companies have real treatments or diagnostics for things like cancer, Parkinson’s and other vexing health care problems. I spend almost all my days helping extremely smart scientists get these things going.
On working with ChBE start-ups: I believe my first company was OPX Bio, which was started by Professor Ryan Gill. That was an easy company, as Ryan visited two big name venture capitalists (VCs) and got term sheets immediately from both. In general the people at CU have a little tougher time because the VCs are so often located in Boston and San Francisco. But, the school has remarkable science and charismatic faculty. As the life science industry has more success in Boulder, it will become increasingly easy to get the process underway.
On endowing a ChBE professorship: It was an easy decision for me. I was relatively poor when I was growing up, and I received a number of scholarships that paid almost all of my bills in college. This support made my entire life possible. Someone helped me then, so it is obvious I owe a lot back. Hopefully the things I do will help young professors and students in the same way.
On swinging for the fences: Never ever undersell yourself. As a relatively poor student, I often felt impeded by money. I probably could have done even more, such as going to a top tier law school, if there was someone in my life telling me to just swing for the fence even if it meant getting loans.
On being an engineer in law: After getting through a chemical engineering program, I had the ability to analyze problems and apply rules. These skills made law school pretty easy. Other engineers I know who went to law school feel similarly.
On not overanalyzing the future: It is so hard to be oriented to the world when you are a student. The most frequent thing I see is students over-analyzing things. It is impossible to plan for your life 35 years from now. The job I do now and the industry I am in did not exist when I was in college; I couldn’t have planned this. And, I believe change occurs even more rapidly now. So, do things that are interesting to you, and do them well. The rest will sort out for a smart person.