Alicia Russo

Recommended - Individuals: transactions

Venable is richly resourced in patent practice, with many experienced and technically trained trial and transactions lawyers; they often combine with high-calibre colleagues in other departments such as regulatory affairs, antitrust and government contracts, to render a sophisticated service and wraparound solutions. Life sciences companies benefit immeasurably from this, and from the support of a number of top experts in New York, including litigators Dominick Conde, Ha Kung Wong, Scott Reed and William Solander and deal lawyer Alicia Russo. They each bring special qualities to the practice but work collaboratively to achieve their clients’ goals. Conde is a heavyweight trial lawyer who has led trial teams to victory on many occasions through a combination of his strategic expertise, tenacity and advocacy skill. He is currently representing Melinta Therapeutics in an ANDA litigation regarding Nexus’s proposed generic version of Melinta’s injectable Minocin antibiotic, working alongside Wong, a lawyer with broad IP horizons and strong fundamental skills and knowledge from which he derives a tactical edge. Reed, meanwhile, is acting for Bioverativ Therapeutics in a Delaware lawsuit against defendant Spectrum Pharmaceuticals (also with Wong); he co-chairs the IP litigation group and, like Conde, brings strong leadership to the practice. So, too, Solander, who co-leads the life sciences IP litigation practice. As savvy as they come, he grew up under Bob Baechtold, who was a cornerstone of Fitzpatrick Cella’s patent practice for decades prior to the combination with Venable. Russo has contributed to successful litigation campaigns, but IP due diligence and licensing is her bread and butter; she has a background in medical research and is a top expert on biologics and small-molecule pharmaceuticals. She has done big deals for Gilead Sciences and Sanofi recently. High-technology innovators are also well served by Venable, Canon being a good example; the Japanese optical, imaging and industrial products company has instructed Michael Sandonato for many years and received nothing less than a stellar service, particularly so far as complex litigation is concerned. Sandonato knows how to drive a successful strategy from start to finish but, as a courtroom veteran, also knows how to adapt. He co-chairs the IP litigation-technology group with Frank Gasparo, who brings well-rounded ability and knowledge to litigation; he has managed portfolios and counselled clients at a strategic and commercial level and is always able to set disputes in their wider context. Christopher Borello is another good name for the address book; he, too, has broad horizons in intellectual property, which serve him well in the context of litigation.