Williams & Connolly has been selected as one of Law360's “Life Sciences Practice Groups of the Year” for 2017.  This annual series recognizes “the law firms behind the litigation wins and major deals that resonated throughout the legal industry in the past year.”  Winners are recognized for the size, complexity and significance of the litigation matters on which they worked.

This award highlights achievements for both the Patent Litigation and Products Liability Practice Groups.  The following are two recent examples of their victories:

• Eli Lilly successfully defeated three petitions for inter partes review filed by Neptune Generics, Ltd. and Sandoz, Inc. before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board in the United States Patent & Trademark Office. The petitions, which were joined by twelve additional parties in nine additional joinder petitions, related to U.S. Patent No. 7,772,209, a patent concerning the administration of Lilly’s blockbuster anti-cancer drug Alimta®. Oral argument was held in March 2017. On October 5, 2017 the Patent Trial & Appeal Board issued final decisions in Lilly’s favor, finding that Neptune and Sandoz had not shown any of the claims of the patent to be unpatentable.
• On June 15, 2017, a Delaware jury returned a complete defense verdict in favor of Williams & Connolly client Alcon Research, Ltd.  The plaintiff, a medical device start-up, brought multiple claims related to purported misappropriation of trade secrets and confidential information, as well as contract-related claims arising from a stock purchase agreement involving milestone payments.  The start-up claimed damages in excess of $400 million.  After winning summary judgment on the trade secrets claims, the Williams & Connolly team secured a jury verdict on the contract claims.

Click here to view the full list of winners.

Click here to read the profile on Williams & Connolly.