Karla I. AriasDr. sc. nat.

Counsel | Dr. sc. nat. | She/Her/Hers

Overview

Karla I. Arias, D.Sc., focuses her practice on patent and trade secret litigation and prosecuting patents for chemical and pharmaceutical clients. 

Before joining Crowell & Moring, Karla was a postdoctoral fellow at Carnegie Mellon University, where her research focused on investigating the degradation of endocrine-disrupting contaminants in water and the formation and reactivity of iron complexes. 

Karla received her doctorate in organic chemistry at the University of Zurich, where her research focused on the synthesis of supramolecular architectures and the study of fluorescent and phosphorescent properties of supramolecular building blocks.

Career & Education

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    • University of California, San Diego, B.S., chemistry, 2004
    • University of Zurich, M.Sc., chemistry, 2006
    • University of Zurich, Dr. sc. nat., organic chemistry, 2011
    • George Mason University, J.D., 2018
    • University of California, San Diego, B.S., chemistry, 2004
    • University of Zurich, M.Sc., chemistry, 2006
    • University of Zurich, Dr. sc. nat., organic chemistry, 2011
    • George Mason University, J.D., 2018
    • District of Columbia
    • U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO)
    • District of Columbia
    • U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO)
  • Professional Activities and Memberships

    • HNBA/Microsoft Intellectual Property Law Institute (IPLI) Fellow

    Professional Activities and Memberships

    • HNBA/Microsoft Intellectual Property Law Institute (IPLI) Fellow

Karla's Insights

Client Alert | 4 min read | 03.11.25

The Pendulum of Fintiv in Motion

On February 28, 2025, the USPTO announced that it was rescinding a 2022 memorandum issued by former USPTO Director Kathi Vidal, entitled “Interim Procedure for Discretionary Denials in AIA Post-Grant Proceedings with Parallel District Court Litigation,” which had curtailed discretionary denials of PTAB post-grant proceedings. The February 2025 announcement directs parties to refer to PTAB precedent for guidance, including the decisions in Apple Inc. v. Fintiv, Inc., IPR2020-00019, Paper 11 (PTAB Mar. 20, 2020) and Sotera Wireless, Inc. v. Masimo Corp., IPR2020-01019, Paper 12 (PTAB Dec. 1, 2020). The announcement further indicates that, to the extent any PTAB or Director Review decisions relied on the 2022 memorandum, the portions of those decisions shall not be binding or persuasive on the PTAB....

Representative Matters

  • Waters Tech., Inc. & Waters Corp., Inc. v. Agilent Techs., Inc., No. 18-1450-MN (D. Del.)– Representing Agilent in a patent infringement suit on N-glycan labeling reagent.
  • Secured a significant victory (a preliminary injunction against patent infringement through trial) on behalf of Lonza Walkersville, Inc. against Israel-based Adva Biotechnology Ltd. in a case involving point-of-care cell-therapy technology.

Karla's Insights

Client Alert | 4 min read | 03.11.25

The Pendulum of Fintiv in Motion

On February 28, 2025, the USPTO announced that it was rescinding a 2022 memorandum issued by former USPTO Director Kathi Vidal, entitled “Interim Procedure for Discretionary Denials in AIA Post-Grant Proceedings with Parallel District Court Litigation,” which had curtailed discretionary denials of PTAB post-grant proceedings. The February 2025 announcement directs parties to refer to PTAB precedent for guidance, including the decisions in Apple Inc. v. Fintiv, Inc., IPR2020-00019, Paper 11 (PTAB Mar. 20, 2020) and Sotera Wireless, Inc. v. Masimo Corp., IPR2020-01019, Paper 12 (PTAB Dec. 1, 2020). The announcement further indicates that, to the extent any PTAB or Director Review decisions relied on the 2022 memorandum, the portions of those decisions shall not be binding or persuasive on the PTAB....

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Karla's Insights

Client Alert | 4 min read | 03.11.25

The Pendulum of Fintiv in Motion

On February 28, 2025, the USPTO announced that it was rescinding a 2022 memorandum issued by former USPTO Director Kathi Vidal, entitled “Interim Procedure for Discretionary Denials in AIA Post-Grant Proceedings with Parallel District Court Litigation,” which had curtailed discretionary denials of PTAB post-grant proceedings. The February 2025 announcement directs parties to refer to PTAB precedent for guidance, including the decisions in Apple Inc. v. Fintiv, Inc., IPR2020-00019, Paper 11 (PTAB Mar. 20, 2020) and Sotera Wireless, Inc. v. Masimo Corp., IPR2020-01019, Paper 12 (PTAB Dec. 1, 2020). The announcement further indicates that, to the extent any PTAB or Director Review decisions relied on the 2022 memorandum, the portions of those decisions shall not be binding or persuasive on the PTAB....