Mark Williams focuses his practice on all services relating to biotechnology and life sciences patents, including patent application drafting and prosecution, patent counseling and strategic planning, and opinions on patentability, validity, noninfringement, and freedom to operate. Mark has a technical background in cell and molecular biology, genetics, cell signaling, cancer biology, and transgenic organisms, including animal models of human disease. Mark has specific technical experience in CRISPR/Cas-based genome editing technologies, drug discovery, and cancer prevention and treatment, with broader skills that cover immunotherapies, gene therapies, and diagnostics. Mark merges his skills with the team of Alston & Bird experts that manage extensive domestic and international patent portfolios for leading biopharmaceutical companies, biotechnology companies, and universities.
Before law school, Mark received his Ph.D. in cell and molecular biology from Michigan State University, where he was awarded the Van Andel Research Institute Fellowship and invited to join the Integrative Pharmacological Sciences Training Program, sponsored by a T32 Grant from the National Institutes of Health. Mark complemented his studies as a graduate research assistant and teaching assistant in physiology, including laboratory research studying genetic function and liver cancer. He completed his B.S., summa cum laude, in cell and molecular biology from Cedarville University.