Maria Luiza is a Pharmacist and Patent Specialist who joined Licks Attorneys’ Rio de Janeiro office in 2019 to work with intellectual property, mainly with prosecution of patents and patent applications at the Brazilian Patent and Trademark Office (BRPTO), with emphasis on the pharmaceutical, chemical and biotechnological field. Ms. Rodrigues’ role includes performing searches, analyzing and reporting technical opinions from the BRPTO and the Brazilian FDA (ANVISA), preparing briefs to comply with/contest said technical opinions and preparing and replying to third-party observations (pre-grant and post-grant oppositions). As a member of Licks Attorneys’ technical staff, she also assists the litigation team with her technical background in the pharmaceutical field. Ms. Rodrigues has extensive knowledge on the Brazilian Patent Statute, normative instructions and examination guidelines issued by the Brazilian PTO, as well as the main intellectual property treaties.