Dara L. Onofrio, Esq. - Owner
E-mail: dara@onofriolaw.com
Phone: 845-613-0880
Dara has been practicing law for the past nineteen years. She was a principal member of the firm Ostrager, Chong, Flaherty & Onofrio, P.C., located in New York City, for more than ten years prior to setting up her own law practice in lower Manhattan in the spring of 2000. After the events of September 11th, she moved to the Flatiron district of Manhattan and expanded her practice.
Prior to beginning her law practice, Dara worked as a research scientist at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City, in both the Developmental Genetics and Somatic Cell Genetics Department.
She obtained her law degree from Cardozo School of Law (Yeshiva University) in New York City. She has a B.S. degree cum laude in Chemistry from Southern Connecticut State University and completed special science studies at Yale University and graduate studies in Molecular Biology at Cornell Medical School. Prior to beginning law school, Dara received a scholarship to study Art and Art History at the University of Urbino, Italy. While in law school, Dara spent a semester abroad to study international law at Cambridge University in England.
Dara's legal expertise is in the area of intellectual property, covering mainly patent and trademark matters, as well as some copyright protection. She is a registered patent attorney with the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
In addition to being a registered patent attorney she is admitted to the New York and Connecticut State bars. She is also admitted to practice before the U.S. District Court, Southern and Eastern District of New York and the Supreme Court of the United States of America. Dara is a member of the New York Intellectual Property Law Association; the American Intellectual Property Law Association and the New York Academy of Sciences.
Community Service
In providing community service, Dara has been the Village Justice for the Village of Grand View-on-Hudson in Rockland County New York for nearly three years. She is a member of the New York State Magistrates Association. She has been an active Staff Officer in Division 10 and Flotilla 10-10 of the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary for the past four years. During the summer months, she participates in active patrols on the Hudson River from the Tappan Zee Bridge to lower Manhattan.
Dara was the executive producer of a short film entitled "875" which was accepted into the Fayetteville, Arkansas 2001 Film Festival and the Woodstock (New York) Film Festival in September, 2001.
Dara speaks conversational Italian. In her spare time, Dara enjoys gardening, painting, traveling and studies Tai Chi.
Science Experience
Southern Connecticut State University
New Haven, Connecticut
Department of Psychobiology
Conducted experimental research on rats to determine the neurological locus of circadian rhythm. Performed electronic lesions in various brain areas, in particular the hypothalamus, with follow up observation of resulting behavior and final analysis of dissected brain sections.
Independent studies on the theoretical aspects of regeneration of the central nervous system. Focus on studies performed at the Karolinska Institute in Sweden regarding neurological embryonic implants and inducible developmental proteins and chemical changes during aging of the central nervous system.
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
New York, New York
Department of Somatic Cell Genetics
Conducted studies involving the genetic mapping of X-linked chromosome diseases such as Muscular Dystrophy and Cystic Fibrosis. Responsible for constructing phage libraries to isolate the actin gene. Transformed DNA prepared from phage libraries into plasmid vectors and performing radioisotope labeling to screen for actin proteins. Cloning the c-DNA of the actin gene from the m_RNA isolated.
Immunological experiments on rabbits regarding the effect of tumor necrosis factor (TNF). Isolating and purifying papilloma virus proteins after injections with TNF.
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
New York, New York
Department of Developmental Genetics
Conducted experimental studies on mice involving the function of T-cells in tumor development. Focus on isolating and purifying testicular proteins through column chromatography and gel electrophoresis and preparing monoclonal antibodies to T-cell antigens.
Mayra Guzman - Office Manager
E-mail: mayra@onofriolaw.com
Phone: 845-613-0880
Mayra Guzman has been an Office Manager for Onofrio Law since its inception in 2000. Prior to joining Onofrio Law, Mayra worked at Ostrager, Chong, Flaherty & Onofrio, P.C. and has known and worked with Ms. Onofrio for over seventeen years.
Mayra maintains the daily operation of Onofrio Law and handles all book-keeping matters, foreign associate correspondence and billing. She also functions as a paralegal and assists in the preparation and filing of Information Disclosure Statements, proof reading patents and publications, preparing and filing Certificate of Corrections for issued patents and docketing of patent, trademark and general matters for the firm.
She has completed undergraduate liberal art studies at LaGuardia College in Queens, New York. Mayra is fluent in Spanish. In her free time, Mayra enjoys working out, bike riding and dining out.
Haydee Torres - Paralegal
E-mail: haydee@onofriolaw.com Phone: 845-613-0880
Haydee Torres has been a paralegal with Onofrio Law since February, 2002. She has over nineteen years of experience as a legal assistant relating to litigation and transactional matters.
At Onofrio Law, her duties include computer-based research for relevant prior art relating to client inventions and trademarks. In particular, Haydee conducts preliminary searches for domestic patents and publications with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and for PCT and foreign patents and publications with the World Intellectual Property Office (WIPO). She also assists in the preparation and filing of both patent and trademark applications, filing Information Disclosure Statements and proof reading patents and publications. She also maintains the Office time and billing system. She is fluent in Spanish.
In her free time, Haydee enjoys activities with her family and friends, especially latin dancing.
