WilmerHale

WilmerHale offers a strong team of lawyers representing a diverse set of companies in the life sciences industry. Commenting on the firm's corporate practice, a peer says: "If you're going public, it's a firm you want to consider." In addition to handling numerous IPOs over the last year, the firm has also represented and advised an array of life sciences companies in venture financings, licensing and collaboration agreements, and mergers and acquisitions.

Life sciences group co-chair Stuart Falber handles transactions and corporate matters for clients ranging from startups to established public companies. His recent work displays his life cycle practice, which involved a Series C financing for a client, followed by an IPO a few months later. Falber also represented Braintree Laboratories as the target company in a significant acquisition by Sebela Pharmaceuticals.

Transactional group chair, Steven Singer is experienced in advising companies and underwriters in corporate matters. Recently Singer represented the underwriters in a significant IPO, which ended in proceeds exceeding the expectations of the company.

Lia Der Marderosian is the co-chair of the corporate practice group, and recently led a team in representing a company in an IPO that grossed over $100 million before expenses, underwriting discounts, and commissions. Der Marderosian also recently represented clinical-stage biotechnology company Visterra in its Series C financing round, while life sciences co-chair Belinda Juran represented the company in a research collaboration and exclusive licensing agreement with Vir Biotechnology.

Steven Barrett serves as co-chair of the technology transactions and licensing practice group. He led a team representing Spark Therapeutics in a licensing agreement with Novartis Pharmaceuticals to develop and commercialize an investigational gene therapy treatment outside of the US, where there was no existing therapy prior to this collaboration.

Boston-based WilmerHale exhibits expertise in nearly all areas of the life sciences IP space. The firm is most known for its patent litigation capabilities in the pharmaceutical and biotech industries and for a superstar bench of courtroom attorneys. WilmerHale is active in Hatch-Waxman litigation, biosimilars disputes, post-grant proceedings and patent strategy.

William Lee is a premier trial attorney whose name carries weight not just in the life sciences patent space, but in the IP sector as a whole. "He's pretty much everywhere in IP," one peer chimes, while another says "they are a formidable team" with Lee at the helm. He has deep experience trying cases related to pharmaceuticals, biotechnology and medical devices, and lately has been involved in biosimilars disputes. IP litigation co-chair Lisa Pirozzolohas a variety of experience in the patent contentious area, including district court trials, appeals, ITC proceedings and arbitrations. For the second year in a row, Pirozzolo was named New England General Patent Litigator of the Year at the 2018 LMG Life Sciences Awards.

The firm's PTAB practice is one of the leading groups in the market, supported in part by Emily Whelan, who specializes in post-grant proceedings for clients in the biotech and pharmaceutical sectors. A peer describes Whelan and her post-grant team as "doing great work at Wilmer," adding, "they know their stuff." Along with Lee and Pirozzolo, Whelan was involved in a dispute for client Millennium Pharmaceuticals, which resulted in a favorable precedential opinion that determined a district court erred in declaring its patent invalid as obvious. The case was recognized as one of the Patent Impact Cases of the Year at the LMG Life Sciences Awards. Amy Wigmore is currently acting for Bristol-Myers Squibb and Pfizer in a Hatch-Waxman dispute that began as one of the largest ANDA litigations ever filed with 25 generic defendants. A trial opponent of New York partner Robert Gunther says, "I found him to be an accomplished attorney and someone you can get along with." Gunther recently acted for Roche and BD in patent disputes against Enzo Life Sciences.

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.

The firm remains at the leading edge of the patent litigation space, exemplified by its work last year in the award-winning case Millennium Pharmaceuticals v Sandoz, which resulted in a precedential opinion from the Federal Circuit. A key component of the IP group is William Lee, who is undoubtedly one of the most celebrated patent practitioners in the field. He is lately involved in biosimilars disputes for clients, and has deep experience trying cases in the small molecule and medical device sectors. Practice group leader Lisa Pirozzolo was named New England General Patent Litigator of the Year by LMG Life Sciences for substantial case work on behalf of the firm's high-profile life sciences clients. Emily Whelan is singled out by peers as a noteworthy post-grant specialist. Litigation group co-chair Amy Wigmore is currently acting for Bristol-Myers Squibb and Pfizer in one of the largest Hatch-Waxman disputes ever filed. Robert Gunther is another patent litigator from the firm's New York office. He was shortlisted for the New York General Patent Litigator of the Year Award in 2018.

WilmerHale is highly ranked in licensing and collaboration and general corporate work. Notable practitioners in the corporate area include group co-chairs Stuart Falber and Lia Der Marderosian, who both practice in the firm's Boston office. Falber, who acts as life sciences group co-chair, recently assisted a client in a Series C financing, followed by an IPO a few months later. Der Marderosian, who is corporate group co-chair, led a team representing a client in an IPO valued at more than $100 million. Belinda Juran is life sciences group co-chair along with Falber, and herself is deeply experienced in licensing and technology transactions. She recently represented biotech company Visterra in a research collaboration and exclusive licensing agreement with Vir Biotechnology. Steve Barrett co-chairs the licensing group with Juran, offering expertise in strategic collaborations and tech transfers.

In litigation and enforcement, Wilmer is highly ranked for its white-collar and government investigations practice. Howard Shapiro serves as chair of the litigation group, and is currently representing a major pharmaceutical maker in an investigation by the Department of Justice. Michael Bongiorno is defending Solid Biosciences in securities class action suits. Emily Schulman is a trial lawyer with experience in internal and government investigations and white-collar defense.

Described by industry peers as "a go-to firm for the big-bucks litigation," WilmerHale is a large full-service firm that inspires competitor praise on a regular basis, with many of its litigators boasting star-power status. While WilmerHale's brand-name practitioners in the appellate and intellectual property realm are sufficiently documented, the firm is generating an increasing amount of notice in the securities and enforcement field as well.

New York securities-based partner Michael Bongiorno is defending Solid Biosciences in securities class action suits related to the company's IPO and post-IPO statements addressing its primary product in clinical development. Howard Shapiro serves as chair of the litigation group, and is currently representing a major pharmaceutical maker in an investigation by the Department of Justice. Emily Schulman is a trial lawyer with experience in internal and government investigations, and white-collar defense.