Thomas Jurgensen has over 30 years of corporate, transactional and intellectual property legal experience and is licensed to practice in California, Colorado and before the United States Patent and Trademark Office.  Mr. Jurgensen is currently in private practice with Optima Law Group. APC in San Diego, California serving as its Managing Shareholder since he founded the firm in February 2011.  Optima Law Group serves a diverse base of life science and technology clients with a focus on early stage and emerging companies and also has offices in Boulder, Colorado.  He previously served as Managing Shareholder of Catalyst Law Group in San Diego, California from December 2003 to December 2010. From January 2001 to December 2003 he practiced corporate and intellectual property law with the Firm of Blanchard, Krasner and French in La Jolla, California while also serving as the Acting General Counsel of Ligand Pharmaceuticals, Inc.  Prior to that, Mr. Jurgensen served as Vice President and General Counsel for The Salk Institute for Biological Studies in La Jolla, California from January 1999 to December 2000, Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary for Molecular Biosystems, Inc. in San Diego, California from February 1997 to November 1998, and Assistant General Counsel at Ligand Pharmaceuticals, Inc. in San Diego, California from March 1993 to February 1997.  Mr. Jurgensen also was an Intellectual Property Attorney at Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing (3M) in St. Paul, Minnesota and an Associate Attorney with the law firm of Merchant and Gould, PA in Minneapolis, Minnesota.  Mr. Jurgensen received a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology with a Chemistry minor from the University of Wisconsin River Falls in May 1981.  He then received his Master of Science degree in Animal Ecology from Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa in December 1985 and conducted research in Southern Chile under grants from the National Science Foundation and the Organization of American States.  He received his law degree from the University of Oregon School of Law in May 1989 and was awarded Order of the Coif and served as Managing Editor on the Journal of Environmental Law and Litigation.  Mr. Jurgensen has been a Founder of numerous technology companies including Allylix, Inc.  He has served in a number of executive rolls at both private and public companies, including as CEO, President, Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary and has and still serves on several private company Board of Directors.