Robert Furlani

Robert Furlani currently serves as Assistant General Counsel & Chief Patent Counsel at Ligand Pharmaceuticals, a position held since November 2023. Prior to this role, Robert was the Director of Intellectual Property at Sound Agriculture from July 2021 to November 2023. Robert's earlier experience includes various positions at Cooley LLP, where roles included Associate, Patent Agent, and Patent Technical Advisor from June 2017 to July 2021, and as a Patent Technical Specialist at LeClairRyan from April 2016 to June 2017. Robert also worked as a Scientific Advisor at Hodgson Russ LLP from January 2015 to April 2016 and engaged in doctoral research as a Graduate Research Assistant at NC State University from August 2010 to January 2015. Robert earned a Juris Doctor (J.D.) from American University Washington College of Law, in addition to a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Organic Chemistry and Medicinal Chemistry from North Carolina State University, and a Bachelor's Degree in Chemistry from the University at Buffalo. Education culminated at Canisius High School.