Nicholas M. Leonard is a technical advisor with McDonnell Boehnen Hulbert & Berghoff LLP. Dr. Leonard provides technological advice in support of validity, infringement, and patentability analysis in the chemical, biotechnology, pharmaceuticals and diagnostics areas.
Prior to joining MBHB, Dr. Leonard was a senior scientist at Abbott Laboratories where he focused his efforts on diagnostics. In this role, he served as a subject matter expert for in vitro diagnostic instruments used in immunochemistry and blood screening analyses, worked on process development of multi-step organic syntheses and provided global technical support for on-market and pre-market products.
Dr. Leonard completed his graduate research in the laboratories of Keith Woerpel at the University of California, Irvine. He developed a novel method for the diastereoselective formation of medium-sized nitrogen heterocycles from the cycloaddition of allylic silanes, and applied the developed methodology toward the total synthesis of the pseudodistomin family of marine alkaloid natural products.
Dr. Leonard serves as the Chairman of the Forest Lake Improvement Committee, where he oversees water quality monitoring programs, rehabilitation projects, and public outreach programs. Forest Lake is a 40 acre, man-made lake created in southwestern Lake County in 1935.
Published Articles
Dr. Leonard has several publications in the fields of green chemistry, ionic liquids, medicinal chemistry, methodology development, natural product synthesis, bio-conjugation chemistry.
“Facile and Efficient Method for Rearrangement of Aryl-Substituted Epoxides to Aldehydes and Ketones using Bismuth Triflate.” Bhatia, K. A.; Eash, K. J.; Leonard, N. M.; Oswald, M. C.; Mohan, R. S. Tetrahedron Lett. 2001, 42, 8129–8132.
“Applications of Bismuth (III) Compounds in Organic Synthesis.” Leonard, N. M.; Wieland, L. C.; Mohan, R. S. Tetrahedron, 2002, 58, 8373–8397.
“A Simple and Versatile Method for the Synthesis of Acetals from Aldehydes and Ketones Using Bismuth Triflate.” Leonard, N. M.; Oswald, M. C.; Freiberg, D. A.; Nattier, B. A.; Smith, R. C.; Mohan, R. S. J. Org. Chem. 2002, 67, 5202–5207.
“Synthesis of Homoallyl Ethers via Allylation of Acetals in Ionic Liquids Catalyzed by Trimethylsilyl Trifluoromethanesulfonate.” Zerth, H. M.; Leonard, N. M.; Mohan, R. S. Org. Lett. 2003, 5, 55–57.
“Discovery of Potent Imidazole and Cyanophenyl Containing Farnesyltransferase Inhibitors with Improved Oral Bioavailability.” Tong, Y.; Lin, N.-H.; Wang, L.; Hasvold, L.; Wang, W.; Leonard, N.; Li, T.; Li, Q.; Cohen, J.; Gu, W.-Z.; Zhang, H.; Stoll, V.; Bauch, J.; Marsh, K.; Rosenberg, S. H.; Sham, H. L. Bioorg. Med. Chem. Lett. 2003, 13, 1571–1574.
“Design, Synthesis, and Biological Activity of 4-[(4-Cyano-2-arylbenzyloxy)-(3-methyl-3H-imidazol-4-yl)methyl]benzonitriles as Potent and Selective Farnesyltransferase Inhibitors.” Wang, L.; Wang, G. T.; Wang, X.; Tong, Y.; Sullivan, G.; Park, D.; Leonard, N.; Li, Q.; Cohen, J.; Gu, W.-Z.; Zhang, H.; Bauch, J. L.; Jakob, C. G.; Hutchins, C. W.; Stoll, V. S.; Marsh, K.; Rosenberg, S. H.; Sham, H. L.; Lin, N.-H. J. Med. Chem. 2004, 47, 612–626.
“Formation of Medium-Sized Nitrogen Heterocycles from ?-Silyloxy-?-Lactams.” Leonard, N. M., Woerpel, K. A. J. Org. Chem. 2009, 74, 6915–6923. (Featured Article)
“In Situ Formation of N-Trifluoroacetoxy Succinimde (TFA-NHS): One-Pot Formation of Succinimidyl Esters, N-Trifluoroacetyl Amino Acid Succinimidyl Esters, and N- Maleoyl Amino Acid Succinimidyl Esters.” Leonard, N. M.; Brunckova, J. J. Org. Chem. 2011, 76, 9169–9174.
“One-Pot Synthesis of Succinimidyl-4-(N-Maleimidomethyl)Cyclohexane-1-Carboxylate (SMCC).” Leonard, N. M.; Brunckova, J. Accepted for publication, Organic Preparations and Procedures International.