Theresa C Kavanaugh

Theresa Kavanaugh is a senior partner in the firm’s nationally recognized Life Sciences group, and the co-founder of Goodwin’s Late Stage Drug Development practice. Theresa has been consistently recognized as a leading life science patent attorney by numerous legal guides including Chambers USA- Intellectual Property, selection for yearly inclusion since 2013 in U.S. News-Best Lawyers as a LMG Life Science star, and recognition in The IAM Patent 1000 and as a 2025 IAM Global Leaders. She represents both early stage and mature life science companies worldwide on development and implementation of complex patent and market exclusivity strategies. She has substantial experience and a deep understanding of preparing for and positioning patent and regulatory strategy for M&A, company partnering, and financing events including public offerings; her strategic patent counseling has helped her clients achieve significant acquisition valuation and early stage funding.

Theresa has led patent portfolio strategy for many therapeutics that have gained FDA and worldwide regulatory approval.

JD, 2005

Northeastern University School of Law

Doctor of Philosophy, Chemistry, 1992

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

MS, Chemistry, 1987

The University of Texas at Austin

BS, Chemistry, 1986

University of California