James Cullem

James Cullem is an entrepreneur, executive and patent attorney with over two decades of experience in the life sciences sector. He has focused on forming, launching, and helping to advance early-stage companies in the biotech world by leveraging his experience with intellectual property. Cullem has founded three biotechnology firms within the last six years; Paradigm Oncology (2011), Halcyon Diagnostics (2009) and Sierra Glycomics (2013). He has held numerous titles throughout his career: chief corporate counsel, general counsel, director of corporate development, director of intellectual property & licensing, intellectual property attorney, chief executive officer, and biotechnology researcher.

James Cullem is a graduate of Franklin Pierce Law Center (1999) (now part of University of New Hampshire law school) and the University of California at Davis (1990). Cullem’s bachelor’s degree at UC-Davis was in the field of Biochemistry.  He also received advanced graduate training in Toxicology at the Fort Collins branch of Colorado State University (CSU).

James Cullem is a strong advocate for new healthcare developments, most notably personalized medicine. Personalized medicine is a model predicated upon the customization of healthcare with products, practices and decisions tailored to the individual patient and molecular aberrations underlying their specific disease. Over the past decade, research studies have brought about advances in molecular medicine, genetic testing, tumor biology, proteomics and molecular biology.  As a result of further education, physicians have been more adept at developing highly targeted courses of treatment.

Career

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The business aptitude of James Cullem spans a variety of life science sectors, including genomics, proteomics, predictive diagnostic biomarkers and molecular diagnostics. He has drafted, negotiated, and managed hundreds of intellectual property agreements, licenses and collaborations.

James Cullem is a skilled patent attorney registered to practice before the USPTO (United States Patent & Trademark Office).  He is a licensed attorney in Massachusetts and is also admitted to The United States District Court of Massachusetts.

James Cullem spent several years (1990 to 1993) as a Research Associate for a pair of major California biotechnology organizations: Chiron Corporation (later acquired by Novartis Diagnostics) and the J. David Gladstone Institute of Virology & Immunology. Throughout his work with these two leading laboratories, he had emphasis on the field of diagnostics.

After completing his Juris Doctorate degree (patent specialization) in 1999, James Cullem began his career with the leading Boston law firm Mintz Levin. There, he served as a patent and intellectual property attorney for the life sciences group. He exited the firm to join leading biotechnology company Cell Signaling Technology, Inc., where he served as part of senior management and Chief Counsel from 2000 to 2007.

In 2010, James Cullem accepted the role of General Counsel and Director of Corporate Development for early-stage genomic firm Enzymatics, Inc. In this position, Cullem managed the firm’s legal department and offered valuable guidance in all aspects of commercialization and licensing, as well as portfolio development for trademarks and patents. He also negotiated several alliance deals with Fortune 500 U.S. organizations and led analysis projects for strategic corporate development.

Formerly a committee co-chair of the BPLA (Boston Patent Law Association), James Cullem now invests his time and talents as a committee member of his alma mater, Franklin Pierce Law Center. He is also a member of the AIPLA, ACC and LES, three of the major in-house counsel organizations in the United States.

Understanding the power of medicine in people’s lives, James Cullem was inspired by a health-related tragedy that hit close to home. Cullem’s mother-in-law died from an incurable and aggressive form of brain cancer, glioblastoma. After her death, he dedicated his entrepreneurial career to improving personalized medicine for other glioblastoma patients.

A powerful public speaker and teacher, James Cullem travels the country sharing his knowledge with next-generation entrepreneurs and business professionals in the biotechnology sectors. His subjects have included intellectual property management, entrepreneurism, biotechnology commercialization, and patents and licensing.

External Links

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