WilmerHale

Dual-headquartered in Boston and Washington DC, WilmerHale offers life sciences companies a full range of corporate and finance-related legal services. One peer notes the firm has "strong folks" in the space while another peer highlights their "great reputation" in Boston.

Steven Barrett is co-chair of the firm's technology transactions and licensing practice group. Recently, Barrett represented Agios Pharmaceuticals in an exclusive collaboration with CStone Pharmaceuticals to develop a leukemia drug in Greater China.

Life sciences group co-chair Stuart Falber advises a variety of life sciences clients ranging from startups to established companies in the space. He specializes in corporate and venture capital transactions, as well as licensing and collaboration agreements. Among his recent clients, Fabler advised Apellis Pharmaceuticals in a $120 million collaboration with SFJ Pharmaceuticals, backed by Blackstone Life Sciences.

Operating from both the firm's Boston and New York offices, Steven Singer has over 30 years of experience assisting both public and private life sciences companies in various transactions. In the past year, Singer represented Voyager Therapeutics in a strategic collaboration with Neurocrine Biosciences worth $165 million.

Lia Der Marderosian is chair of the firm's transactional department and advises life sciences clients in a variety of corporate matters, including offerings, transactions, and governance. Among her recent matters, Der Marderosian represented Kala Pharmaceuticals and Constellation Pharmaceuticals with their initial public offerings. In addition, she advised Fulcrum Therapeutics, a company focused on discovering and developing small molecule therapies to combat genetic diseases, with its $80 million Series B financing.

WilmerHale's life sciences IP group is highly recommended for general patent litigation and Hatch-Waxman disputes for branded drug makers. The firm is also notable for its expertise in patent prosecution and post-grant proceedings. "I have worked with and against this firm and find their work to be top-notch," a peer says about the litigation practice. For the firm's continued activity in high-profile life sciences cases, WilmerHale was awarded 2019 General Patent Litigation Firm of the Year by LMG Life Sciences.

William Lee is one of the most celebrated patent litigators in the country, offering more than four decades of experience in law. He is currently active for client Ancestry.com in a dispute against 23andMe involving genetic testing patents. IP litigation group co-chair Lisa Pirozzolo is an experienced first-chair trial lawyer who is representing several notable life sciences clients, including CSL Behring in a dispute against Biogen related to hemophilia treatment. "She is deeply respected by her clients," a peer says. "In terms of a strategic thinker, she's very good." Pirozzolo was shortlisted for the New England Patent Litigator of the Year award by LMG Life Sciences, a category she won for the previous two years.

New York partner Robert Gunther is involved in a variety of life sciences patent disputes, most recently in cases involving biologics and diagnostics. In one recent matter, he represented Roche Molecular Systems and Becton Dickinson in a dispute against Enzo Life Sciences involving district court and PTAB proceedings. Gunther was shortlisted for the New York Patent Litigator of the Year award in 2019.

DC-based partner Amy Wigmore recently represented AbbVie in a newsworthy biosimilar case against Boerhinger Ingelheim, which involved entry of the opponent's version of blockbuster drug Humira. Emily Whelan contributes to the firm's leading status as a firm for PTAB matters, specializing in post-grant proceedings for clients in the biotech and pharmaceutical sectors. She recently acted for Merck and Allergan in IPRs involving antidepressant Viibryd. Patent attorney Colleen Superko specializes in portfolio development, strategic counseling and licensing, among other areas.

WilmerHale is recognized as a leading firm in the life sciences sector for its multifaceted practice assisting companies in pre- to post-market matters. The firm is graded highly in a number of legal disciplines, including patent litigation, white-collar matters, licensing and collaboration, and general corporate work.

In IP, WilmerHale was awarded 2019 General Patent Litigation Firm of the Year by LMG Life Sciences for an active year in high-profile disputes. One of the firm's involved litigators is William Lee, who currently represents client Ancestry.com in a dispute against 23andMe involving genetic testing patents. IP litigation group co-chair Lisa Pirozzolo is an experienced first-chair trial lawyer who is representing a number of notable life sciences clients, including CSL Behring in a dispute against Biogen related to hemophilia treatment. "She is deeply respected by her clients," a peer says. "In terms of a strategic thinker, she's very good." New York partner Robert Gunther is involved in a variety of life sciences patent disputes, most recently in cases involving biologics and diagnostics. DC-based partner Amy Wigmore recently represented AbbVie in a newsworthy biosimilar case against Boerhinger Ingelheim, which involved entry of the opponent's version of blockbuster drug Humira.

The firm's corporate capabilities are supported by several experienced attorneys, including Steven Barrett, who co-chairs the technology transactions and licensing practice group. He recently represented Agios Pharmaceuticals in an exclusive collaboration with CStone Pharmaceuticals. Transactional department chair Lia Der Marderosian represented Kala Pharmaceuticals and Constellation Pharmaceuticals with their initial public offerings. Life sciences group co-chair Stuart Falber advises a variety of life sciences clients ranging from startups to established companies in the space. He specializes in corporate and venture capital transactions, as well as licensing and collaboration agreements. Steven Singer has over 30 years of experience assisting both public and private life sciences companies in various transactions.

In the enforcement area, the firm is described by a peer as "a go-to firm for the big-bucks litigation." Securities litigation practice co-chair Michael Bongiorno is currently active for client Solid Biosciences in a matter involving the company's IPO and post-IPO statements as it relates to a product in clinical development. Bongiorno and his team obtained a ruling preventing a Massachusetts state court from moving forward with a nationwide class action. Howard Shapiro is chair of the firm's litigation and controversy department, with more than three decades of experience handling disputes, particularly in the area of white-collar defense. He is currently representing a pharmaceutical company in a Department of Justice investigation.

Described by industry peers as "a go-to firm for the big-bucks litigation," WilmerHale is a large, full-service firm that draws competitor praise on a regular basis, especially in the area of white-collar defense and government investigations. A peer attests the firm has an "excellent team" of litigators focused on life sciences matters.

Securities litigation practice co-chair Michael Bongiorno is currently active for client Solid Biosciences in a matter involving the company's IPO and post-IPO statements as it relates to a product in clinical development. Bongiorno and his team obtained a ruling preventing a Massachusetts state court from moving forward with a nationwide class action.

Howard Shapiro is chair of the firm's litigation and controversy department, with more than three decades of experience handling disputes, particularly in the area of white-collar defense. His expertise is bolstered by his previous role as general counsel of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Shapiro is currently representing a pharmaceutical company in a Department of Justice investigation.