VA-Affiliated Nonprofit
Corporations (NPCs)

The firm assists NPCs in keeping research agreements moving efficiently from draft to execution. Services include preparing and aligning CRADAs, subawards, and related agreements with VA requirements, ensuring scopes of work, research plans, protocols, and informed consent documents are complete and consistent. With prior experience representing VA-affiliated NPCs, the practice understands the operational challenges they face and delivers agreements positioned for timely approval.

Collaborations with Government and Cooperative Groups

The practice advises companies engaged in government- or institution-sponsored research collaborations. These arrangements often involve standardized agreements that can affect intellectual property, data rights, and publication practices. The firm reviews and negotiates such agreements to safeguard proprietary interests, ensure fair data use, and preserve flexibility while meeting sponsor and collaborator requirements.

CRADAs and
Research Agreements

The practice can provide redlines and negotiation of CRADAs for pharmaceutical, medtech, and biotechnology companies working with federal agencies. The practice reviews agency-provided templates, proposes revisions to protect the sponsor’s interests, and conducts negotiations to align final terms with program and business objectives.

About Sarah

Most research delays aren’t scientific. They’re contractual.

I founded CRADA Law after working on research and intellectual property agreements from inside government, academia, and private practice. That perspective lets me see what’s missing, what’s misaligned, and what can quietly stall a deal—before it does.At the Department of Veterans Affairs, I served as an attorney in the Office of General Counsel, where I drafted and negotiated hundreds of CRADAs, license agreements, and multi-site research collaborations. I understand what slows VA approvals, and my job is to give your agreement its best shot.At the University of Arizona, I was Associate General Counsel, representing the institution in sponsored research, intellectual property, and licensing matters. I worked directly with faculty and was embedded with the tech transfer team, helping complex research move forward across academic, clinical, and industry settings.I began my career at a top-tier international law firm and later trained as a patent attorney—experience that grounded everything that came after. I worked with inventors, scientists, and physicians to translate ideas into protected assets, and I’ve been hooked ever since. I believe in the work researchers do, and I want their contributions to make it through the legal machinery intact.Today, I help companies navigate federal research collaborations with clarity and precision, so they can focus on the science.

Practice Areas

Education

Admissions