Luann Cserr, Esq.
Director of Intellectual Property
luann_cserr@brown.edu
401-863-9546

Luann Cserr joined the BTP team in March of 2005 as the Director of Intellectual Property where she supervises the creation and maintenance of intellectual property for the University.

Luann studied biology and chemistry at the University of Michigan where she received a B.S. with honors; she later received her law degree at the University of California, Hastings College of Law. After a Federal Court clerkship, she entered private practice in San Francisco and was one of the litigators in the first biotechnology patent suit that went to trial in the United States. She gained in-house patent, licensing and strategic counsel experience with biotech start-up Genetics Institute, now Wyeth Pharmaceuticals. Eventually Luann left the corporate world to pursue the role of “special counsel” in one of the west coast’s premier high-tech law firms, Cooley Godward LLP, where she represented and counseled numerous start-up biotechnology companies with respect to patent acquisition, maintenance and positioning. In 1995, Luann started her own law firm in Oakland, California and in 1999 she relocated to Providence, Rhode Island. Her former clients include Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, Chiron Corporation, Aviron (now Med-Immune Vaccines), Microgenics Corporation, Onyx Pharmaceuticals, Cytel Corporation, Stanford University and the University of California.

Leonard Katzman, Esq.
Director of Technology Commercialization
leonard_katzman@brown.edu
401-863-9896

Michelle E. Sullivan
Intellectual Property Paralegal
Michelle_Lyman_Sullivan@brown.edu
401-863-9557

Michelle joined Brown Technology Partnerships in October 2007 as an Intellectual Property Paralegal.  She provides paralegal support to BTP in all phases of patent procurement and administers the distribution of licensing revenues earned.  Michelle reports to Luann Cserr, Esq., the Director of Intellectual Property for Technology Partnerships.

Michelle graduated from Quinnipiac College in 1996 with a B.A. in Legal Studies and Sociology.  Prior to coming to Brown, she work as a Trademark Paralegal at Duffy, Sweeney & Scott, LTD, Providence, RI and Palmer & Dodge, LLP, Boston, MA.

 

Leigh Kendall
Coordinator, Brown Forum for Enterprise
Leigh_Kendall@brown.edu
401-863-3528

Leigh joined Brown Technology Partnerships in April 2007 as Coordinator of the Brown Forum for Enterprise. She is responsible for planning a series of forums and an annual conference that educates, informs and supports a strong regional entrepreneurial community. Prior to coming to Brown, Leigh did marketing communications and event planning at Rhode Island School of Design, where she marketed and planned Success by Design, the annual conference of The Center for Design & Business.

 

Jennifer L.S. Braga
Executive Assistant
jennifer_braga@brown.edu
401-863-2780

Jennifer joined Brown Technology Partnerships in September 2006. Jennifer reports to the Associate Vice President for Technology Partnerships. She is responsible for managing Charles (a difficult task!), calendars, and logistics, as well as assisting with various projects and supporting the Forum for Enterprise outreach program.

Jennifer graduated from Fairfield University in 1995 with a B.A. in English. She also attended Northeastern University, where she studied in both the English Literature M.A. program and the Education M.A.T. program, gaining teaching licensure. Prior to coming to Brown, she taught English at Toll Gate High School in Warwick, RI and Barrington High School, Barrington, RI. Jennifer has also worked as an administrative assistant, a medical technical writer, and an intellectual property trademark researcher.