Can Cui PhD, JD

Dr. Can Cui is a partner in Goodwin’s Life Sciences group and a co-leader of the firm’s Life Sciences practice in Asia. His practice focuses on technology transactions and investment in the life sciences industry, especially those transactions related to China, including cross-border technology licensing and acquisition, collaboration and strategic partnership, joint venture (JV), and other forms of investment.

Dr. Cui has extensive experience representing both licensors and licensees in US-China life sciences licensing transactions. In private equity and venture capital transactions, he regularly represents institutional and individual investors, established life sciences companies and startups in intellectual property (IP) due diligence and the negotiation and drafting of related investment documentation. He also advises clients on IP aspects of mergers and acquisitions.

Dr. Cui has deep knowledge of China’s increasingly complex regulatory landscape, including not only the IP laws, but also laws and regulations governing cross-border transactions, such as technology import and export regulations, regulations of human genetic resources, and data privacy laws and regulations. He also has rich experiences in corporate matters, patent prosecution and IP dispute resolution, which, together with his scientific background, make him a go-to person for advice in various legal matters life sciences companies may have.

In addition to his legal services to the life sciences industry, Dr. Cui is also an active participant in a wide variety of pro bono matters.

Dr. Cui has recently advised the following companies in the following transactions and matters:

• A start-up focused on the discovery and development of transformative therapies for the unmet medical needs of cancer patients: IP, licensing and corporate matters
• 3E Bioventures Capital: 200 million RMB preB+ investment in Biosion Inc.
• A biopharmaceutical company dedicated to the development of innovative anti-cancer metastasis and antiviral drugs: IP and corporate matters
• A company developing novel therapeutics based on gene editing, RNA editing, and delivery technology: IP and technology transactions
• ACROBiosystems Inc.: various licensing, collaboration, sales, distribution, consulting and investment transactions, and IP and regulatory matters
• A biotech venture capital positioned to rapidly translate scientific discoveries into innovative new medicines: China licensing matters
• AfaSci, Inc.: IP, licensing and financing matters
• A company pioneering transformation of cancer treatment by enabling CAR-T cancer therapies to work more effectively: various licensing and collaboration matters
• A medical device company dedicated to ending obesity: China collaboration
• A clinical-stage immuno-oncology company focused on the discovery and development of potential best-in-class antibody therapies for the treatment of patients with solid tumors and hematologic malignancies: China IP matters
• A biotechnology company developing antibody drug conjugates: China licensing dispute resolution
• A privately owned medical device company based in Silicon Valley, CA, USA: China licensing matters
• A clinical stage, programmable cell therapy company focused on solid tumor cell therapies to defeat cancer: licensing dispute resolution
• ARTBIO, Inc.: China licensing and various development, manufacture and logistics agreements, including those with Eckert & Ziegler Strahlen- und Medizintechnik AG, SpectronRx and PharmaLogic Holdings Corp.
• A world leader in executing complex cell edits: various licensing transactions
• A company developing drugs that specifically target the tumor blood vessels of most solid tumors: Corporate restructuring and China licensing matters
• Base Therapeutics: various licensing transactions, including university licensing and out-licensing of its proprietary base editing technology to a leading international biopharmaceutical company
• A global, science-driven biotechnology company focused on developing innovative and affordable medicines to improve treatment outcomes and access for patients worldwide: various technology transactions
• The only biotech company in China with publicly declared focus to develop Treg immune therapy: patent, corporate and technology transactions matters
• A preclinical stage biotherapeutics company developing cost-effective, non-invasive, and easily accessible technologies to cure lung disease and repair damaged lung tissue: sponsored research agreements
• A company discovering life-changing medicines and cures for people with viral and liver diseases: various technology transactions
• A medical device company committed to improving the experience of both patients and surgeons through innovative technologies: patent matters
• A biomedical company working to advance a deep pipeline of precision therapies, designed to allow patients to live longer, healthier lives: China collaboration
• An innovative drug research and development company that focuses on the field of cellular immunotherapy: various licensing matters
• A family-owned medical device company that works with physicians to develop devices that are less invasive for patients: China strategies
• A company developing and manufacturing proprietary interventional liquid nitrogen spray cryotherapy systems: financing from China
• A company developing energy devices for various aesthetic and dermatology treatments: China regulatory matters
• A developer of novel, coordinated immunotherapy solutions for patients: various licensing transactions
• A developer of custom diagnostic solutions with a focus on large-scale, global diagnostic needs including antibody, molecular, and antigen tests in traditional and non-traditional settings: China supply matters
• Eluminex Biosciences: various licensing and collaboration transactions, including:
  • global exclusive license agreement with FibroGen, Inc. on biosynthetic cornea and other recombinant human collagen products
  • acquisition of Zuretinol assets from Retinagenix Holdings
• A leader in OLED microdisplay technology for the next generation of computing and imaging devices: China distribution matters
• A discovery research company developing revolutionary treatments for patients with genetic disorders: general corporate, asset transfer, financing, and licensing and services agreements
• EQRx: China licensing and collaboration matters
• Evive Biotechnology (Shanghai) Ltd.: various licensing and collaboration transactions, including with the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, and patent applications
• A developer of EV charging software and hardware for forward-thinking companies around the world: development services agreement
• A consumer health and wellness products platform focused on better-for-you consumer health & personal care brands and products: China patent and regulatory matters
• A biotech company that drives drug discovery on with AI: IP matters
• A pioneering vaccine company dedicated to developing innovative solutions for global health challenges: general corporate matters
• A medical research company to improve reproductive health care: China supply matters
• A biotechnology company developing innovative gene therapies and cell therapies that are affordable and therapeutically effective: various patent and licensing matters
• A developer of a differentiated pipeline of innovative antibody therapeutics that will potentially transform how cancers are treated: general corporate, IP, tax, cybersecurity, licensing and dispute resolution matters
• The first company in China to use induced-pluripotent stem cells and mesenchymal stem cell technology to develop a new generation of universal cell therapy products to treat clinically incurable diseases: licensing and collaboration matters
• A global biopharmaceutical company with a focus on oncology, autoimmune diseases, and ophthalmic diseases: licensing and collaboration matters
• A medical device company capturing, promoting, and advancing the category of abdominal wall and pelvic floor health, using a multi-faceted, gender-specific approach: consulting agreement and various collaboration matters
• A biopharmaceutical company engaged in discovery and development of novel cell therapies and biologics for oncology and autoimmune diseases: contract dispute resolution
• A biomedical research technology company dedicated to the development and application of tumor immunotherapy technology: licensing and collaboration matters
• A cancer therapeutics biotechnology company, located at LabCentral in Cambridge, Massachusetts: China collaboration
• A developer of mobile phototherapy systems: general corporate, regulatory and trademark matters
• A global mRNA CDMO company headquartered in United States: patent strategies
• A pharmaceutical company developing innovative products of low regulatory risks and high market potentials: financing and regulatory matters
• A leading eClinical provider: China human genetic resources regulatory advice
• Moderna, Inc.: various license and collaboration transactions in the field of genetic medicines, including license and collaboration agreements with Metagenomi, Inc., Life Edit Therapeutics, and Generation Bio Co.
• Myrobalan Therapeutics, Inc.: general corporate, employment, financing (including $24 million Series A financing), IP, and technology transactions and related dispute resolution
• A bio-pharma company spun out from Stanford University and focusing on developing new therapeutics based on innovative drug delivery technologies to address unmet medical needs of human and companion animals: IP and technology transactions
• A biotechnology company specializing in the development of advanced therapeutic antibodies, particularly focused on neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease: general corporate matters
• A next-generation biotech company specializing in computational drug design for innovative therapeutics: IP and licensing matters
• A company that has nearly $10 billion in public equities, primarily in the technology sector: China IP due diligence
• A pharmaceutical company using cutting-edge tools to make therapeutic progress against the most challenging of targets: sale of a subsidiary
• Olink: various technology transactions, US regulatory advice and acquisition by Thermo Fisher Scientific
• A strategy software provider: IP matters
• Palleon Pharmaceuticals: various license and collaboration transactions, including strategic collaboration with Henlius to develop bifunctional sialidase therapies
• A private, Canada-based biotech company focused on neuroscience therapeutics: technology transactions
• A high-tech biopharmaceutical enterprise that is dedicated to advancing global innovation in the discovery of new peptide drugs: various collaborations
• Qilu Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.:
  • various collaboration and licensing transactions, including Greater China exclusive license and collaboration agreement with Arbutus Biopharma Corporation on Hepatitis B RNAi therapeutics
  • investment transactions
  • licensing disputes
  • ANDA litigation
• A company developing non-degrading molecular glues to tackle difficult drug targets to improve patient outcomes: various collaborations
• A biotechnology company headquartered in China’s Eye Valley: various licensing and collaboration matters
• A healthcare company pioneering the field of integrated diagnostics: China contract dispute resolution and subsidiary China data transfer matters
• A leading Chinese company in gene therapies based on gene editing: IP, licensing and financing matters
• A company specializing in international investment and financing, market access consulting, import-export trade, market promotion, sales, production outsourcing, and global procurement services in the biopharmaceutical and medical device industries: general corporate matters
• A company that pioneers innovative therapies for cancer, genetic diseases, and autoimmune diseases: IP and various licensing and collaboration matters
• A leading antibody discovery service provider with a pioneering platform that can accelerate the process and capture all available data: general corporate and IP matters
• A pioneer in discovering the mRNA-dependent DNA repair pathway and developing next-gen treatment for cancer treatment: general corporate, financing and collaboration matters
• A provider of a single integrated cloud-based management console: China IP dispute resolution matters
• A China-based, global-oriented R&D company focusing on innovative drugs for diseases in the field of nervous system and autoimmunity: various licensing and collaboration matters
• A high-tech biotechnology company co-founded by overseas experts, returnee scientists and local Chinese pharmaceutical entrepreneurs: various licensing, collaboration and financing matters, including collaboration with and investment by a global, science-led, patient-focused pharmaceutical company
• A privately held, clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company dedicated to the development of an in situ platform therapy optimized for metastatic solid tumor cancers that aims to achieve high response rates with potentially improved survival:  general corporate, IP and licensing matters
• A biologically-targeted radiation therapy company focused on developing novel treatment to improve the lives of patients with difficult-to-treat cancers: various distribution, license, and collaboration transactions, including with South Korean and Japanese collaborators
• A rapidly developing company primarily engaged in the production of heat sinks, fans, and related products: IP matters
• A company engaged in research, development, therapeutic trials, creation, production, operation, marketing, distribution of therapeutic products for the treatment of cancer: general corporate and collaboration matters
• A company developing a technology that combines the noninvasive diffuse reflectance spectroscopy with patented algorithms for detecting various skin properties and body health condition: various licensing transactions
• A company active in the field of research, development, therapeutic trials, creation, production, operation, marketing, distribution of therapeutic products for the treatment of cancer: general corporate and licensing matters
• A company developing multiple new medical technologies to treat various metabolic diseases, such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, and nonalcoholic fatty liver: collaboration matters
• Triastek, Inc.: employee and consultant IP matters and various collaboration and services transactions, including collaborations with Ely Lilly and Company, Boehringer Ingelheim, and Merck
• uBriGene (Boston) Biosciences Inc.: transaction with Mustang Bio, Inc.
• Vazyme Biotech Co., Ltd: IP transactions and product distribution matters
• Warburg Pincus Asia LLC
  • freedom-to-operate and other China IP due diligence matters
  • $1.2 billion Series B financing of Haihe Pharmaceutical*
  • $123 million Series D financing of Abbisko Therapeutics*
• A company focused on R&D of innovative mRNA drugs and adjuvants: patent, technology transactions and global trade matters
• A company building computer aided diagnosis algorithms and systems in clinical imaging to improve diagnostic accuracy and effectiveness: various distribution and collaboration matters
• A technology innovator with an integrated platform that accelerates biopharmaceutical research: collaboration matters
• A provider of new drug candidates through structure-based de novo drug design to accelerate drug discovery: various licensing and collaboration matters
• A Chinese national high-tech enterprise specializing in the research and industrialization of innovative drugs: various IP and technology transactions matters

*Denotes experience prior to joining Goodwin

Dr. Cui is a member of American Bar Association, New York State Bar Association, Bar Association of San Francisco, San Francisco Intellectual Property Law Association, State Bar of Texas, and The BayHelix Group, and a lifetime member of the Chinese Bioscience Association and the Sino-American Pharmaceutical Professionals Association.

Dr. Cui is a frequent guest lecturer and panelist at top universities and law schools in the United States and in China on IP protection and technology transactions in the life sciences industry. He is an advisor to startup companies on H7 BioCapital’s global venture platform, and also served multiple times as a mentor in the Career Advisory Network program of Chinese-American Bio/Pharmaceutical Society.

Prior to joining Goodwin, Dr. Cui was an associate in the IP and Technology Transactions Groups of Morrison & Foerster LLP (“MoFo”), where he was a key member of the firm’s China Life Sciences practice. During his four-year residency in the firm’s Hong Kong office, he managed, in addition to cross-border licensing and investment transactions, patent dispute matters in China on behalf of MoFo’s US clients, and gained extensive experience in IP dispute resolution in China. During his subsequent five-year residency in MoFo’s San Francisco office, he continued to represent clients in both China and the US in their cross-border technology transactions and investments, and played a leading role in those transactions in the life sciences industry.

While working in MoFo’s Hong Kong office, Dr. Cui was an adjunct faculty member at The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK). During his three-year tenure at CUHK Faculty of Law, he taught the Principles of Intellectual Property course, and established CUHK’s Chinese IP Law course.

Prior to and while attending law school, Dr. Cui worked as a US patent agent in the Boston and New York offices of Ropes & Gray LLP, where he was a member of the Fish & Neave IP Group.

As a graduate student at Harvard, Dr. Cui conceived, established, and maintained a major long-term collaborative project among Harvard Medical School, the University of California, San Diego, and the Chinese Academy of Sciences. His identification of a viral microRNA was featured in the “Spotlight” section of Journal of Virology as an article of significant interest selected by the editors.

Dr. Cui has been selected for inclusion in The Legal 500 US 2022 and 2023 and in 2024 Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in America for his expertise in Technology Law. Dr. Cui is recognized by Berkeley Center for Law & Technology as one of the “leading practitioners in biotech and life sciences."

Dr. Cui’s publications include:

• Author, “Draft Implementing Rules of China’s Human Genetic Resources Regulations as Applied to Foreign Persons,” Goodwin Client Alert, March 24, 2022
• Author, “China Updates Technology Import Restrictions, Simplifies Import Technology Catalog,” Goodwin Client Alert, November 12, 2021
• Author, “China Technology Export Update: Amendment of the Export Technology Catalog,” JDSupra, September 30, 2020
• Author, “China Patent Linkage Update: Codification and Rulemaking,” JDSupra, September 24, 2020
• Author, “China to Criminalize Human Genetic Resources Violations,” Life Sciences Blog, July 22, 2020
• Author, “China’s Biosecurity Law Will Cover Human Genetic Resources,” Life Sciences Blog, July 10, 2020
• Co-Author, “Crossing Borders,” Intellectual Property Magazine, December 1, 2019
• Contributor, “China Patent Eligibility Update: Human Embryonic Stem Cells,” Mondaq, October 21, 2019
• Author, “China’s New Administrative Regulations on Human Genetic Resources as Applied to Foreign Persons,” Life Sciences Blog, July 23, 2019

Dr. Cui’s speaking engagements include:

• “Select Legal Issues in Sino-U.S. Biomedical Intellectual Property Protection and Cross-Border Technology Transactions,” SAPA-China 2024 Pharmaceutical Industry Summit, October 18, 2024
• “How to Tell a Success Story,” the 26th Annual Conference of the Chinese Bioscience Association, September 28, 2024
• “Select Legal Issues in Sino-U.S. Biomedical Intellectual Property Protection and Cross-Border Technology Transactions,” 2024 China-US Cooperative Innovation Conference, June 27, 2024
• “Select Legal Issues for Pharmaceutical Companies Going Global,” Chiatai Tianqing Pharma, June 19, 2024
• “Common Legal Issues for Pharmaceutical Companies Going Global,” 2024 Global Collaboration Summit on Innovative Medicines, June 2, 2024
• “IP Issues all Startup Founders Should Know,” MYBIO Medical and Healthcare Entrepreneurship Talks, April 17, 2024
• “IP Issues all Startup Founders Should Know,” Tsinghua Alumni in Boston Talks, April 7, 2024
• “Rules of Engagement: Navigating the Medical AI Regulations,” Artificial Intelligence in Medicine Symposium 2023, November 12, 2023
• "Select IP and Regulatory Issues in U.S.-China Cross-Border Life Sciences Transactions,” Massachusetts Institute of Technology, October 14, 2023
• “Issues with Investing in Companies in China,” Silicon Valley Leadership Community, October 11, 2023
• “Future Investment Trends in Healthcare AI,” the 25th Annual Conference of the Chinese Bioscience Association, September 30, 2023
• “Select Legal and Business Issues in Life Sciences Licensing Transactions,” H7 Healthcare Accelerator 2023, September 29, 2023
• "IP Protection and Transaction in China,” Santa Clara University, September 27, 2023
• “Select Legal and Business Issues in Cross-Border Life Sciences Licensing Transactions,” Zhuhai Huajin Innovation Investment Co., Ltd., April 23, 2023
• “Law Careers Panel: Corporate, IP, Dispute/Maritime, General Practice, Legal Entrepreneurship,” Peking University School of Transnational Law, April 21, 2023
• "Recent Developments in Healthcare Investments,” JPM 2023 Goodwin + Peking University Alumni Investor Forum, January 10, 2023
• "Recent Developments in Healthcare Investments,” M7 Accelerator Demo Day 2022, December 9, 2022
• “Select Issues in Biomedical Intellectual Property Transactions,” Tsinghua University-Peking University Mixer, December 4, 2022
• “Select Legal and Business Issues in Cross-Border Life Sciences Licensing Transactions,” Hanhai BioTalk, November 27, 2022
• "Full Life-Cycle Legal Services Needs by Life Sciences Companies,” University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, November 5, 2022
• “Investment in Life Sciences Entrepreneurship,” the 24th Annual Conference of the Chinese Bioscience Association, October 8, 2022
• “IP Protection and Licensing in China,” Santa Clara University, October 6, 2022
• “Licensing, Structuring, and Fundraising Strategies for Life Science Companies Entering the US Market,” Enterprise Singapore, June 28, 2022
• “Select Legal and Business Issues in Cross-Border Life Sciences Licensing Transactions,” MyBioGate, June 8, 2022
• “From Scientist to Partner at International BigLaw,” Chinese American Lawyers’ Forum, March 29, 2022
• “Select Legal and Business Issues in Cross-Border Life Sciences Licensing Transactions,” inxmed, February 25, 2022
• “Intellectual Property Legal Workshop for Startups,” University of Southern California Viterbi School of Engineering, January 21, 2021
• “The New Patent Law in China – Significance for Life Sciences,” Berkeley Center for Law & Technology, November 17, 2020
• “From Scientist to Technology Transactions Lawyer – Top Things to Consider in a Career Change,” Peking University Northern California Alumni Association, July 26, 2020
• “Recent Topics on IP and Life Sciences,” Berkeley Center for Law & Technology, July 9, 2020
• “Cross-Border Technology Transactions in the US,” incoPat, June 18, 2020
• “Trade Secret Protection in China,” Stanford Law School, May 20, 2020
• “IP, Tech Transfer, and Cross-Border Licensing,” Echo Lab, Inc., October 19, 2019
• “IP Protection of Regulated Biopharma Innovations,” Harvard Medical School, September 26, 2019“Tech, Trade and China,” Berkeley Center for Law & Technology, April 10, 2019
• “Tech, Trade and China,” Berkeley Center for Law & Technology, April 10, 2019