North America - United States • Intellectual property
WilmerHale
With full-service capabilities and a global reach, WilmerHale‘s patent attorneys are praised by clients as ’second to none in their ability to find the right strategies and execute them to win.‘ The firm’s intellectual property litigation practice is co-chaired by Mark Selwyn in Palo Alto, who represents major tech companies in multidisciplinary and multi-jurisdictional IP disputes, and Lisa Pirozzolo in Boston, who specializes in life sciences disputes and Hatch-Waxman cases. Also in Boston, William Lee is an expert trial and appellate lawyer in IP, Emily Whelan focuses on litigation in the chemistry, biotech and pharmaceuticals fields, Joseph Mueller specializes in IP cases with antitrust elements, and Michael Summersgill is praised as a ’superlative trial lawyer.‘ New York-based Robert Gunther is a seasoned trial lawyer who has specialist knowledge in IP disputes in both the tech and life sciences industries, while litigator Sonal Mehta in Palo Alto represents clients primarily in tech-related patent disputes. The group also includes IP litigation specialists Brittany Amadi and Gregory Lantier in Washington DC as well as Omar Khan in New York, who focuses on the life sciences sector.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
‘The team is a very well rounded group of litigators who understand the intersection of healthcare, government, and patents. They are unique in their ability to handle huge cases of this magnitude and a well-respected force in the courtroom.’
‘WilmerHale's patent litigation teams are second to none in their ability to find the right strategies and execute them to win. Their brief writing is incredibly good--clear, compelling, and persuasive. Their trial presentations are the best in the business. They have unusually cohesive teamwork and camaraderie that really enhances their effectiveness. ’
‘Dave Bassett is a guiding hand that is not afraid to let his team shine. He knows his strengths and his weaknesses, playing well with others that compliment him.
‘Michael Summersgill is a superlative trial lawyer, but also an effective leader and team manager. He recruits top legal talent and motivates his team to produce exceptional work. He is a smart, clear thinker. He is excellent on his feet in court. His teams consistently produce amazing written work-product.
'Gregory Lantier, Louis Tompros and William Lee are superlative oral advocates. ’
Key clients
- Bank of America NA
- Becton, Dickinson and Company
- Braintree Laboratories
- Bristol-Myers Squibb Company
- Dropbox, Inc.
- Exelixis, Inc.
- Gilead Sciences, Inc.
- GlaxoSmithKline
- Roche Molecular Systems, Inc.
Work highlights
- Represented Gilead Sciences in a patent infringement trial in which a federal jury sided with the pharmaceutical company against the US Government.
- Acted for Dropbox in the company’s first-ever trial, in which a federal jury found all patents not infringed and invalid.
- Acted for for Becton Dickinson in a set of competitor cases which involve various patent infringement disputes over the past decade between BD and Baxter Corporation.
Lawyers
Hall of Fame
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Leading lawyers
WilmerHale
Sonal N. Mehta is a trial lawyer representing many of the world’s leading technology and life sciences companies in high-stakes patent and technology disputes across a wide range of industries. Ms. Mehta has nearly 20 years of experience across all aspects of trial and appellate practice, including federal jury trials, state court jury and bench trials, International Trade Commission investigations, international arbitrations, and appeals to the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit and the California appellate courts. Outside of the courtroom, Ms. Mehta is an Executive Committee and Board member—and past president—of the Federal Circuit Bar Association, and serves on the Board of Directors for the Northern District of California’s Practice Program and on the Northern District of California’s Patent Local Rules Attorney Advisory Committee. In 2019, she was selected for a three-year term as a lawyer representative to the Ninth Circuit Judicial Council. Ms. Mehta regularly presents programs on patent litigation at Federal Judicial Center workshops for federal district and magistrate judges, and is a frequent speaker on patent litigation topics. Ms. Mehta has a special interest in training and mentoring the next generation of trial lawyers. Since 2011, Ms. Mehta has taught Patent Litigation at her alma mater UC Berkeley School of Law. She regularly serves as guest faculty for the Stanford Trial Advocacy Clinic and for litigation practice courses at Berkeley School of Law. Prior to joining WilmerHale, Ms. Mehta was a partner at another large international law firm, where she built her practice representing major technology sector companies in high-stakes patent litigation at the trial and appellate levels. She then joined a litigation boutique firm based in San Francisco, where she continued to serve as lead counsel for leading technology and life sciences clients in patent and commercial litigation matters.
Next Generation Partners
Practice head
The lawyer(s) leading their teams.
Mark Selwyn, Lisa Pirozzolo, Emily Whelan