Kristen Olvera Riemenschneider

Kristen Olvera Riemenschneider is a partner based in Washington, DC, who focuses on high-stakes transactions for life sciences and technology-driven companies. Her practice centers on structuring strategic license and collaboration agreements while supporting complex mergers and acquisitions. She is widely trusted for navigating transactions connected to federally funded research and development initiatives.

Kristen earned her academic foundation at the University of Virginia, beginning with a BS in Electrical Engineering (2001). She later completed her Juris Doctor at the University of Virginia School of Law (2006). This technical and legal training equips her to manage sophisticated scientific, regulatory, and intellectual property issues within transactional frameworks.

Kristen advises companies operating at the intersection of innovation, government programs, and commercialization. She is nationally recognized for counseling organizations engaged in US Government-funded research and development. Her experience includes guiding clients through compliance-sensitive agreements that involve agencies such as HHS, BARDA, NIAID, and the Department of Defense.

Kristen has played a leading role in numerous headline-making transactions across the biotechnology and pharmaceutical sectors. Her work includes strategic licensing, option-to-license arrangements, global collaborations, and acquisitions involving oncology, immunology, gene therapy, and mRNA-based technologies, often spanning multiple jurisdictions and regulatory environments.

Kristen also represented several of the most high-profile vaccine manufacturers in agreements to develop, manufacture, and distribute COVID-19 vaccines worldwide. These matters involved complex coordination with governments, international organizations, and manufacturing partners, supporting rapid deployment while addressing supply chain, funding, and regulatory considerations.

Kristen brings additional depth as a patent attorney registered to practice before the USPTO. This qualification allows her to integrate intellectual property strategy directly into transactional planning, ensuring that innovation assets are protected, licensed, and aligned with long-term commercial objectives across evolving scientific platforms.

Kristen Olvera Riemenschneider is admitted to practice in the District of Columbia, New York, and Virginia. Across her career, she has helped companies transform research into viable therapies by guiding transactions that balance innovation, risk management, and public interest goals.

Law Office Affiliations

• Partner, Freshfields LLP
• Member, District of Columbia Bar Association
• Member, New York State Bar Association
• Member, Virginia State Bar

Licensed State

• District of Columbia
• New York
• Virginia

Education

• University of Virginia School of Law
  Juris Doctor (JD)
• University of Virginia
  Bachelor of Science (BS)

Awards & Badges