Michael Ward Ph.D., J.D.
Board Member
Michael (Mike) joined the Board in 2025. Michael is a partner at the international law firm Morrison & Foerster where he is co-chair of the firm’s Food + Agriculture and Life Sciences + Healthcare Groups. As former head of the firm’s Patent Group, Mike managed a team that included 80+ PhDs and 100+ attorneys and patent agents with advanced scientific degrees in food and ag, life sciences and related engineering disciplines. Mike is the founder and head of the firm’s plant intellectual property practice. In that capacity, Mike manages a wide range of intellectual property issues related to plants and plant products. He and his team advise clients on plant and plant utility patents; international plant breeders rights, licensing agreements for plant IP; litigation in U.S. state and federal court and before the International Trade Commission; and regulatory approvals from the USDA, FDA, and EPA for gene edited plants. He is pro bono counsel to the American Chestnut Foundation and the African Orphan Crop Consortium. He was attracted to the Gardens of Golden Gate Park by the unique combination of botanical excellence and commitment to community service.
Mike received his BS from the University of California Berkeley, his MS in agronomy and his Ph.D. in plant physiology from the University of California Davis. Prior to attending law school at Golden Gate University, Mike was a post-doctoral fellow in plant molecular biology in the Department of Genetics at the Harvard Medical School and the Molecular Biology Department at Massachusetts General Hospital.
