Dr. Payne concentrates her practice on U.S. patent prosecution across the chemical, materials science, pharmaceutical, and biotechnology industries. She also manages patent portfolios and assists with IP due diligence, patentability assessments, non-infringement and invalidity opinions, and freedom-to-operate analyses. With a broad technical foundation spanning both physical and life sciences, Dr. Payne offers clients a unique perspective that integrates scientific depth with strategic patent prosecution and global portfolio management.
Dr. Payne received her Ph.D. in chemistry from Tulane University, specializing in polymer and organic chemistry. As a senior doctoral student, she led a consulting project with a major materials and microdevices company, characterizing batch samples and presenting findings to its research and development team.
Dr. Payne's areas of technical knowledge encompass additive manufacturing, adhesives, polymer and composite materials, engineering and high-performance polymers, materials characterization, surfactants and defoamers, solid-state electrolytes, stimuli-responsive materials, gas separation and purification technologies, small-molecule therapies, pharmaceutical salts/co-crystals/polymorphs, cannabis/cannabinoid compositions, psychedelic derivatives and therapies, biomedical devices, and analytical devices.
Prior to joining Baker Donelson, Dr. Payne held internship positions with:
- an industrial chemical reaction monitoring start-up, conducting prior art searches and providing research assistance and documentation preparation for freedom-to-operate analysis;
- the Tulane Office of Technology Transfer and Intellectual Property, evaluating technologies for commercialization potential, drafting provisional patent applications, and conducting market research and competitive analysis;
- a government-funded biotechnology accelerator, performing landscape reviews and identifying emerging technologies for medical countermeasures; and
- a major pulp and paper manufacturer.
Dr. Payne is the first author and supporting author for numerous peer-reviewed publications, as well as an invited author for a technical spotlight by a major chemical distributor. She has presented numerous poster and oral presentations at national chemistry and physics conferences.