Skip to content

Susannah Gagnon

Associate

Dr. Susannah Gagnon focuses on IP matters, particularly those involving life sciences technologies. Susannah counsels clients regarding innovative technologies, particularly those involving life sciences, and assists with IP enforcement. Susannah has experience litigating Hatch-Waxman disputes for successful generic products, including in federal district court and before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board. Susannah also has represented clients in the agricultural technology and food science space, drawing on her background in structural biochemistry.

While completing her PhD research, Susannah focused on the structure-function characterization of multiple proteins: human ABO(H) blood group-synthesizing enzymes, monoclonal antibodies, as well as bacterial surface proteins. Her work on these topics resulted in multiple publications in high-impact, peer-reviewed scientific journals. Susannah has been the recipient of many awards, including international- and national-level scholarships, recognizing her research and academic leadership.

During her time at the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School, Susannah served as a judicial intern to the Honorable Lee H. Rosenthal of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas, where she discovered her passion for litigation. At Penn Carey Law, Susannah also contributed to legal scholarship as a co-author with leading antitrust expert Professor Herbert J. Hovenkamp. Susannah is also familiar with construction contracts and arbitration disputes due to her part-time work assisting in-house counsel of a prominent North American steel solution provider prior to attending law school.

Education

J.D., Order of the Coif, Magna Cum Laude, University of Pennsylvania Law School, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Ph.D., University of Victoria, Biochemistry
B.S.C., University of Victoria, Biochemistry

State Bar Licenses

California

Court Admissions

U.S. Court of Appeals, Federal Circuit

Publications

  • Co-author with H. Hovenkamp, “Antitrust Liability for False Advertising: A Response to Carrier & Tushnet,” 107 Iowa
    Law Review Online 82, 2022
  • Co-author with M.S.G. Legg, et al., “Monoclonal antibody 7112.2 binds the C-terminus of the cancer-oocyte antigen
    SAS1B through the hydrophilic face of a conserved amphipathic helix corresponding to one of only two regions
    predicted to be ordered,” Acta Crystallographica Section D, 2022
  • Co-author with M.S.G. Legg, et al., “The S-layer homology domains of Paenibacillus alvei surface protein SpaA bind to
    cell wall polysaccharide through the terminal monosaccharide residue,” 298(4) Journal of Biological Chemistry, 2022
  • Advancing mechanistic understanding of glycosyltransferases (doctoral dissertation), University of Victoria, 2019
  • Co-author with R.J. Blackler, et al., “Structural basis of cell wall anchoring by SLH domains in Paenibacillus alvei,”
    9(3120) Nature Communications, 2018
  • First author with co-authors M.S.G. Legg, et al., “Conserved residues Arg188 and Asp302 are critical for active site
    organization and catalysis in human ABO(H) blood group A and B glycosyltransferases,” 28(8) Glycobiology 624-636,
    2018
  • Co-author with O. Haji-Ghassemi, et al., “Polyspecificity of Anti-Lipid AAntibodies and Its Relevance the Development
    of Autoimmunity,” 966 Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology 181-202, 2017
  • First author with co-authors M.S.G. Legg, et al., “High-resolution crystal structures and STD NMR mapping of human
    ABO(H) blood group glycosyltransferases in complex with trisaccharide reaction products suggest a molecular basis for
    product release,” 27(10) Glycobiology 966-977, 2017
  • Co-author with R.J. Blackler, et al., “Differential effect of putative nucleophile Glu 303 on the transfer rates of the
    human ABO(H) A and B blood group glycosyltransferases,” Glycobiology, 2016
  • First author with co-authors P.J. Meloncelli, et al., “High resolution structures of the human ABO(H) blood group
    enzymes in complex with donor analogs reveal that the enzymes utilize multiple donor conformations to bind substrates
    in a step-wise manner,” 290(45) Journal of Biological Chemistry 27040-27052, 2015
  • Co-author with P. von Aderkas, et al., “Degradome & secretome of pollination drops of Ephedra,” 81 The Botanical
    Review 1-27, 2014
  • Co-author with J. Han, et al., “Metabolomic analysis of key central carbon metabolism carboxylic acids as their 3-
    nitrophenylhydrazones by UPLC/ESI-MS,” 34(19) Electrophoresis 2891-2900, 2013

Honors

  • Levy Scholarship, University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School
  • Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research (MSFHR) Research Trainee Award(Award Offer Declined)
  • Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) Fellowship (Fellowship Offer Declined)
  • Philanthropic Education Organization (PEO) International Scholar Award
  • Canada Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) Canada Graduate Doctoral Award
  • President’s Scholarship, University of Victoria
  • Melva J. Hanson Graduate Scholarship, University of Victoria
  • University of Victoria Graduate Award
  • NSERC Canada Graduate Master’s Scholarship
  • President’s Scholarship, University of Victoria
  • Faculty of Graduate Studies Fellowship, University of Victoria
  • Graduate Entrance Award, University of Victoria
  • Terry Fox Scholarship
  • Science Undergraduate Research Award (SURA)
  • NSERC Undergraduate Science Research Award (USRA)
  • Full Undergraduate Scholarship, University of Victoria

The Clark Hill approach is equally pragmatic and growth-minded, which is why we understand our clients’ toughest business challenges. Our multidisciplinary, global team of advisors focuses on smart legal solutions, delivered simply.

© 2024 Clark Hill PLC.