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Strategic Transactions

Strategic Transactions

The Strategic Transactions Team (STT) is responsible for drafting, reviewing and negotiating research, collaboration and other sponsored agreements, as well as research-related agreements, including those which address confidentiality (NDA or CDA), data use (DUA) and material transfer (MTA) terms. The Strategic Transactions Team works closely with OSATT Catalysts and Alliance Managers, as well as its colleagues in the other OSATT offices and Research Administration Services (RAS).

Reach out to osatt@mit.edu to start the process. 

Strategic Transactions Officers

Maria Baguer

Maria Baguer Staff Pic
Strategic Transactions Officer
mbaguer@mit.edu

Maria Baguer has been at MIT since 2011. Prior to joining OSATT in 2019, Maria worked in MIT’s Office of Sponsored Programs. Before MIT, Maria served as staff counsel for Lutheran Social Services, in-house counsel for John Hancock Mutual Life Insurance Company, and an associate at the firms Choate, Hall & Stewart, and Posternak, Blankstein & Lund LLP.   Maria holds a J.D. from Boston College Law School and a B.A in Political Science and International Studies from Marymount Manhattan College.

Delania Barbee

Delania Barbee Staff Pic
Strategic Transactions Officer
delania@mit.edu

Delania Barbee joined MIT in 2022. Prior to MIT, Delania was an associate at Day Pitney LLP, where she was a member of the healthcare, life sciences and technology practice groups. Delania also worked for the corporate law department at Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance and at her own law firm in Springfield, Massachusetts. Delania holds a B.A. in Psychology from Smith College and a J.D. from the University of Connecticut School of Law.

Gary Cuchural

Gary Cuchural Staff Pic
Strategic Transactions Officer
garyc@mit.edu

Gary joined MIT in 2021. He has served as in-house counsel to several pharmaceutical and medical device companies, focusing on a wide array of agreements related to clinical research and development efforts. Gary was also counsel to the National Institutes of Health where he worked on pre-clinical and research agreements such as cooperative research and development agreements, MTAs, NDAs and technology licenses. Gary holds a B.S. in Biological Sciences from the University of Vermont, and a J.D. from the Vermont Law School.

Rainer Frost

Rainer Frost Staff Pic
Strategic Transactions Officer
rfrost@mit.edu

Rainer Frost has been at MIT since 2014, initially in its Office of Sponsored Programs before joining OSATT in 2019.  Before MIT, Rainer served as general counsel and in-house counsel at software, technology, and financial services companies. He was also an associate at Choate, Hall & Stewart where he practiced general corporate and transactional law.  Rainer holds a B.A. from Vassar College, and a J.D. from Boston College Law School where he was an author and editor of the B.C. Law Review.

Erin Hall

Erin Hall Staff Pic
Strategic Transactions Officer
ehall@mit.edu

Erin Hall has been at MIT since 2004.  Erin joined OSATT in 2019, and previously worked in MIT’s Office of Sponsored Programs. Prior to MIT, Erin worked as a Compliance Officer in a Boston financial institution.  Erin holds a B.A. in Sociology from the University of Massachusetts, Lowell and a J.D. from University of New Hampshire’s Franklin Pierce School of Law.

Leah Keating

Leah Keating Staff Pic
Associate Director, Strategic Transactions
leahtk@mit.edu

Leah Keating joined MIT in 2021, and became the Associate Director of the Strategic Transactions Team in 2022.  Prior to MIT, Leah was the Director of Research Administration for Harvard Law School (HLS), where she managed all operations of HLS research administration and research compliance.  Prior to HLS, Leah was a member of the Transactions Team at Harvard’s Office of Technology Development, where she managed industry sponsored research and IP license agreements.  Leah holds a B.A. in French from Hamilton College and a J.D. from Suffolk University Law School.

Lucie Piazza

Lucie Plazza Staff Pic
Strategic Transactions Officer
lpiazza@mit.edu

Lucie Piazza joined MIT in 1990, and, prior to joining OSATT in 2019, she held a variety of positions in MIT’s Office of Sponsored Programs.  Lucie holds a B.A. in International Management from Simmons College.

Jessica Rivera

Jessica Rivera Staff Pic
Strategic Transactions Associate Officer
riverajl@mit.edu

 Jessica joined MIT in 2022. Prior to MIT, Jessica worked as Supervisor of Statute Revision for the Connecticut General Assembly, Staff Attorney for the Springfield Court Service Center with the Massachusetts Trial Court, and Temporary Assistant Clerk with the Hartford Family Court. Jessica holds a B.A. in English Literature and History from Trinity College Dublin, and a J.D. from the University of Connecticut School of Law.

John Shriver

John Shriver Staff Pic
Strategic Transactions Officer
jshriver@mit.edu

John Shriver joined MIT in 2020.  Prior to MIT, John worked as an associate at the law firm Day Pitney LLP, where he focused on commercial agreements, technology matters, and intellectual property development and licensing.  John holds a B.A in International Relations from Carleton College, and a J.D. from the University of Connecticut School of Law.

Nondisclosure, Data use, and material transfer agreements

Submit a NDA/DUA

For review, negotiation, and execution of nondisclosure agreements (NDAs) and data use agreements (DUAs).

Portal

Submit an MTA

For assistance with research-based, outgoing material transfer agreements (MTAs).

MTA Form

NDA/DUA/MTA Team

Julie Palleschi

Julie Palleschi Headshot
Strategic Transactions Associate Officer
juliepal@mit.edu

Julie Palleschi joined MIT in 2022. Prior to MIT, Julie worked at New England Law|Boston where she was the Associate Director of Career Services and Legal Recruitment. Prior to joining New England Law, Julie spent the majority of her career practicing mass tort litigation nationwide at various law firms. Julie holds a B.A. in Political Science, with a minor in Secondary Education from Northeastern University, and a J.D. from New England School of Law.

Susan Watts

Susan Watts Staff Pic
Senior Strategic Transactions Officer and Manager
wattss@mit.edu

Susan Watts joined MIT in 2017, and became a Senior Strategic Transactions Officer and Manager of the NDA/DUA/MTA team in 2020.  Prior to joining MIT, Susan negotiated and reviewed industry sponsored research agreements at Northeastern University. Before Northeastern, Susan was in private practice, focusing primarily on real estate, small business, and domestic relations law.  Susan graduated from Gordon College with a B.A. in English Literature and holds a J.D. from Suffolk University Law School.

Rob Grann

Rob Grann Staff Pic
Strategic Transactions Associate Officer
rgrann@mit.edu

Rob Grann joined MIT in 2019.  Prior to MIT, Rob worked as in-house counsel to Skillsoft, primarily focusing on the negotiation of license agreements and other commercial contracts, as well as dispute resolution. Rob holds a B.S. in Business from Champlain College and a J.D. from the University of New Hampshire’s Franklin Pierce School of Law.

Kaitlin Keighery

Kaitlin Keighery Staff Pic
Strategic Transactions Associate Officer
keighery@mit.edu

Kaitlin Keighery joined MIT in  2021. Prior to MIT, Kaitlin worked primarily as family law attorney for several firms, most recently Norris, McLaughlin in New Jersey. In addition to family law, Kaitlin’s background includes criminal trial practice, estate planning, and other general practice work.  Kaitlin holds a B.A. in Public and Mass Communication from The College of New Jersey and a J.D. from Seton Hall University School of Law.

Office of Strategic Alliances & Tech Transfer

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