Fish & Richardson is a global IP firm with offices located across the United States in addition to a Munich office. The firm represents companies in trademarks and IPRs through its substantial practices in New York, Boston, and Minneapolis. Fish has recently filed and the PTAB instituted IPRs against three patents for Abbvie's Humira, a biologic for rheumatoid arthritis. IPR clients include Gilead, GlaxoSmithKline, and Johnson Matthey.The IP group collaborates closely with the firm's small but effective regulatory group led by 2016 LMG Life Sciences Star Terry Mahn, an expert in biosimilar and Hatch Waxman issues. One client speaks of Fish attorneys as possessing "exceptional skills as patent litigation trial counsel," and "getting the importance of being a good partner to us." Other firm clients include Novartis and Amgen.
Principal Teresa Lavoie dedicates her practice to counseling and portfolio development for biotech and biopharma startups, and early-to-mid stage companies. Lavoie works with plant-based biotech food companies and small molecule companies that specialize in oncology, behavioural health, and immunotherapy. Her clients include Impossible Foods, Loxo Oncology, Concert Pharmaceuticals, Melinta Therapeutics, Samumed, and Coherus. Hatch Waxman expert Jonathan Singer, head of the life sciences litigation practice, is currently defending Gilead against Merck from patent attacks on its Hepatitis C cure Sovaldi. Gwilym Attwell is a member of the firm's patent prosecution and counseling practice and is an IPR specialist. Patent adviser Janis Fraser has seen increasing work in opinion writing on patent eligibility and validity, particularly with regard to antibodies. She teaches a patent course to in-house attorneys at the Patent Resources Group. Clients alternately describe Fraser as "creative, open minded, attentive to detail," an "expert at managing difficult prosecution and opinion related issues," and someone who possesses a "strong work ethic, and encyclopedic understanding of every facet of U.S. patent law." Yet another client says Fraser is "always in possession of a creative solution."
