MLA Places James Olesen as Head of Intellectual Property at eGenesis, Inc.

Hanover, MD (October 1, 2020) — Major, Lindsey & Africa (MLA), the world’s leading legal search firm, today announced the placement of James Olesen as head of intellectual property at eGenesis, Inc. in Cambridge, Mass. The search was conducted by Amy Katz and Nancy Reiner, both managing directors in MLA’s In-House Counsel Recruiting group in Boston.

Founded in 2015, eGenesis is a a biotechnology company using breakthrough gene editing technologies for the development of safe and effective human-compatible organs, tissues, and cells to address the global organ shortage crisis, to advance the field of transplantation and to make available safe and reliable organs, tissues, and cells to patients in need. eGenesis uses gene editing technology such as CRISPR to directly address the key virology and immunology hurdles that have impeded xenotransplantation to date. eGenesis is advancing an initial product toward the clinic for kidney transplant, with the longer-term potential of addressing a broader organ recipient population and expanding the applicability of xenotransplantation into other areas such as cell therapy.

In his new role as head of intellectual property, James will manage all intellectual property matters including patent portfolio development, strategy and management. He will also provide counsel to senior business leaders and the research and development organization, manage IP disputes, and handle IP competitive intelligence and due diligence in support of business transactions. He will also collaborate with eGenesis scientists, management and external counsel to secure IP protection for eGenesis.

“Jim is a highly accomplished and strategic IP attorney with a strong science background, outstanding track record and exceptional dynamic range partnering with management and scientific leadership to protect intellectual property across cutting-edge technologies,” said Amy Katz. “We expect that Jim will be an ideal addition to the eGenesis legal team as he is passionate about forwarding the eGenesis mission to advance the field of transplantation and to increase the availability of safe and reliable organs for patients in need,” added Nancy Reiner.

James comes to eGenesis with 20-plus years of intellectual property and related law firm and in-house legal experience. Most recently, James served as senior intellectual property counsel at The Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, managing large existing patent estate, including oversight of prosecution and post-grant proceedings, as well as business development and associated licensing matters. He previously served as vice president, intellectual property and legal affairs for Voyager Therapeutics, Inc., and as assistant general counsel for GlaxoSmithKline, LLC. James began his career as an attorney with Foley Hoag LLP. He earned his J.D. from Suffolk Law School, his Ph.D. in Biochemistry from MIT and his B.S. from University of Wisconsin.