John P. Rearick

John is a partner in Cooley’s patent counseling and prosecution group, where he brings deep technical experience and strategic insight to clients across the pharmaceutical and chemical sectors. With nearly two decades of experience, John designs tailored IP strategies that align with both immediate business goals and long-term growth, helping innovators protect and maximize the value of their technologies worldwide. He also represents clients in connection with IP aspects for their venture financings, initial public offerings (IPOs) and follow-on public offerings, and partnering transactions. 

John is particularly known for securing global patent coverage for small-molecule therapies, including in oncology, infectious disease and neurodegenerative disorders. In addition to traditional small molecules, he has significant experience advising clients on technologies, including antibody-drug conjugates, heterobifunctional degrader compounds, lipid nanoparticles and polymers. He advises pharmaceutical clients on exclusivity strategies for drug portfolios and regularly conducts high-stakes IP due diligence for investors and acquirers. His practice also includes counseling on contentious patent matters before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) and navigating complex post-grant challenges across Europe and other international jurisdictions.

A scientist by training, John holds a PhD in chemistry and was awarded a prestigious Howard Hughes Medical Institute predoctoral fellowship. He also received a Certificate of Distinction in Teaching from Harvard College, underscoring his ability to translate complex science into clear, actionable legal strategy. His combination of technical depth, legal acumen and business-driven sensibility makes him a trusted advisor to clients at every stage of the innovation life cycle.

John is a frequent speaker at conferences, including Life Sciences Patent Network North America and IP Watchdog Life Sciences Masters. He is recognized by The Legal 500 (IP, Patent Prosecution) and IAM Strategy 300 Global Leaders, and as a Massachusetts Super Lawyers Rising Star. He is a member of the Massachusetts LGBTQ Bar Association and in 2024 co-founded Out in IP, an organization bringing together IP professionals in the Boston and greater East Coast area. 

John’s representative matters include:

Patent counseling and prosecution

• Advised a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company on implementing a global patent strategy to protect its portfolio of small-molecule medicines using targeted protein degradation, including four clinical programs directed to targeting STAT6, IRAK4, STAT3 and MDM2*
• Represented a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company in IP diligence for its $275 million, $225 million and $288 million public offerings*
• Advised a venture capital-backed startup on patent strategy for covalent small-molecule inhibitors to treat rare diseases via a novel mechanism*
• Represented a clinical-stage precision medicines company in its worldwide patent strategy, including lirafugratinib (RLY-4008), a potential best-in-class FGFR2 inhibitor, exclusively licensed for US$500 million*
• Conducted freedom-to-operate and third-party patent invalidity analyses on a formulation product for a multinational pharmaceutical company*
• Reworked an IP diligence presentation for a small-molecule startup company, resulting in a successful transaction with a large pharmaceutical company*
• Advised a multinational pharmaceutical company on its Orange Book-listed patents, in response to letters received from the Federal Trade Commission disputing the accuracy of certain patents listed in the Orange Book*
• Counseled a multinational pharmaceutical company in responding to a Senate panel letter alleging errors in the patent term adjustment of a patent covering a marketed drug*
• Conducted IP due diligence for a European-based venture capital firm resulting in a $114 million Series A financing of a London-based biotech company*
• Conducted IP due diligence for a European-based venture capital firm resulting in a $65 million Series A financing of a Massachusetts-based biotech company*
• Conducted IP due diligence for a European-based venture capital firm resulting in a $70 million Series A financing of a London-based biotech company*
• Conducted IP due diligence for a US-based venture capital firm resulting in a $20 million seed financing of a Massachusetts-based biotech company*
• Advised a startup pharmaceutical company developing a new class of radionuclide therapies on global IP protection*
• Counseled a European startup on strategic patent protection of several classes of small molecules for the treatment of neuropsychiatric disorders*
• Advised a startup biotechnology company developing stapled peptides for the treatment of various infectious disease indications*
• Represented a startup biotechnology company developing an antibody-drug conjugate in obtaining patent protection maximizing patent and regulatory exclusivities*
• Represented a clinical-stage biotechnology company in IP diligence for its $235 million and $748 million public offerings*
• Represented an agricultural startup in patent strategy to protect natural product compounds useful as biopesticides*
• Represented a leading biopharma company in a global portfolio covering covalent small-molecule inhibitors in a crowded patent landscape, including claims to protein-inhibitor conjugates agnostic to inhibitor structure*
• Counseled a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company in executing a strategic series of patent filings to extend exclusivity period for a phase II drug candidate*
• Represented a large pharmaceutical company in procuring the first Orange Book-listable patent for an already approved drug*
• Advised a small pharmaceutical company on patent filing strategy for a small-molecule series showing activity against multiple targets of clinical interest*
• Advised an international state-owned petroleum and natural gas company in a European opposition and appeal involving defending a key patent on innovative polymers and challenging third-party patent rights in foreign jurisdictions*
• Advised an international state-owned petroleum and natural gas company in a patent invalidation trial and appeal in South Korea*
• Counseled a large pharmaceutical company in conducting extensive pre-abbreviated new drug application (ANDA) litigation analysis of a newly approved drug*
• Represented underwriters and private companies in IP due diligence analyses and opinions in the context of IPOs*
• Represented a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company as lead IP counsel in its $278 million IPO*

PTAB

• Represented an AI technology company in an appeal of a PTAB post-grant review decision involving a patent protecting novel inhibitors of ubiquitin-specific protease 7 (USP7)*
• Represented a biopharmaceutical company in a post-grant review (PGR) proceeding challenging a patent directed to compounds for preparing 18F-radiolabeled Prostate-Specific Membrane Antigen (PSMA)-targeting conjugates*
• Represented a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company in a PGR proceeding defending a patent protecting novel inhibitors of ubiquitin-specific protease 7 (USP7)*
• Represented an international state-owned petroleum and natural gas company in an inter partes review proceeding challenging a patent directed to polycarbonates*

* Representation handled before joining Cooley

John’s publications, presentations and speaking engagements include:

• Speaker, “Enabling Biotech and Pharma Patents: Legal Challenges and Practical Solutions,” IPWatchdog Life Sciences Masters, October 2025
• Moderator, “IP Due Diligence in 2025: Strategic Considerations for Deals in the Global Marketplace,” Boston Biotech Forum, May 2025
• Moderator, “Enabling Success: Mastering §112 in the New Era of Life Sciences Patents,” Life Sciences Patent Network North America, May 2025
• Speaker, “Obviousness and Life Sciences: Trends & Strategies for Success,” IPWatchdog Life Sciences Masters, October 2024
• Moderator, “Novelty and Non-Obviousness Hurdles in the Life Sciences,” Life Sciences Masters Patent Network North America, May 2024
• Moderator, “Fully Exploiting Your Innovations: Best Practice in Innovation Harvesting,” Life Sciences Patent Network North America, May 2022
• Moderator, “Patent Strategies in Light of Clinical Trial Disclosures,” Life Sciences Patent Network Live, October 2021
• Speaker, “1L Boot Camp: OCI Interviewing,” Boston College, April 2019
• Speaker, “Patents 101,” Harvard University, December 2018
• Speaker, “Translational Research in Biomaterials Seminar Series,” Boston University
• Speaker, “The Legal Profession: Explore Careers,” Harvard University
• Speaker, “Synthesis of Skeletally Diverse Small Molecules with Non-Natural Motifs: A Boronic Ester Annulation Strategy,” Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT Annual Meeting
• Speaker, “Synthesis of Skeletally Diverse Small Molecules with Non-Natural Motifs: A Boronic Ester Annulation Strategy,” HHMI Meeting of Predoctoral Fellows, Chevy Chase, Maryland
• Co-author, “Design and Synthesis of a Novel Series of 1,2-Disubstituted Cyclopentanes as Small, Potent Potentiators of 2-Amino-3-(3-hydroxy-5-methyl-isoxazol-4-yl)propanoic Acid (AMPA) Receptors,” Journal of Medicinal Chemistry
• Co-author, “Asymmetric Synthesis of Umuravumbolide,” Organic Letters