Vern Norviel

Pursuing a successful career as an attorney, Vern Norviel attended the University of Colorado Boulder from 1977 through 1981. After earning his Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering, he pursued graduate studies at the University of San Francisco. In 1985, Mr. Norviel obtained his Juris Doctor. Furthering his education, he decided to pursue a Master of Science in Engineering from Santa Clara University, where he graduated in 1988.

Subsequently, Vern Norviel became involved in legal matters pertaining to the field of life sciences, obtaining a position as Senior Vice President and General Counsel of Affymetrix, Inc., a biotechnology firm that focuses on developing DNA chip technology, among other significant advancements. Subsequently, Mr. Norviel transitioned to a role as General Counsel and Corporate Secretary at Perlegen Sciences, Inc., a biotechnology company that focuses on utilizing the human genome for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. He has also contributed his legal expertise toward his role as a Partner at Townsend and Townsend and Crew LLP (now Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton LLP) in Palo Alto. At present, he assists clients as a Partner at the law offices of Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati in Palo Alto, California. He also works as an Adjunct Professor at Santa Clara University and the University of California, Berkeley.

Over the course of his career, Vern Norviel has presided over a number of lawsuits regarding patent law and the application of international law to intellectual property cases. Highly honored, Mr. Norviel was acknowledged as one of the top life sciences attorneys in the state of California in the 2011 edition of Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business.