Pfaff, Bruce Robert

Heather M. Petruzzi is a senior associate in the Intellectual Property Department. She joined the firm in 2008.

Past Experience

Ms. Petruzzi has experience with prosecuting patents for an international pharmaceutical company, as well as ex parte and inter partes reexaminations, drafting non-infringement and invalidity opinions for an international bio-medical device company, performing freedom to operate and due diligence analysis and assisting in infringement litigation. During law school, Ms. Petruzzi completed legal internships for the National Nuclear Security Administration, the Office of the Attorney General for Washington, DC and a real estate attorney in New Jersey. Representative experience includes performing legal research and writing regarding nuclear nonproliferation issues and nuclear weapons for the Department of Energy, assisting in civil litigation and drafting client letters.

During her undergraduate studies, Ms. Petruzzi was a research assistant in the Chemistry Department at The University of Richmond. She presented and contributed to the publication of laboratory research focused on the synthesis of compounds for their application as anti-tumor agents. Ms. Petruzzi also presented her senior project on the Yucca Mountain Project and the transportation of nuclear waste in water-saturated tuff. She was awarded the American Chemical Society Analytical Chemistry Award for her studies.

Ms. Petruzzi has also written and presented on the European Union and the use of democracy to promote stability. She interned for the International Hospital for Children in 2004, translating documents and conversations for patients from Latin America as they sought medical treatment in the United States.

Community Involvement

Since joining WilmerHale, Ms. Petruzzi has tutored with the Maya Angelou Public Charter School and co-organized a community service day sponsored by DC Cares.

Ms. Petruzzi is a member of the American Bar Association, American Intellectual Property Law Association and Women in Bio.