IP Practice Again Honored as “Group of the Year”

For the second year in a row, Latham & Watkins’ Intellectual Property Litigation Practice was named a “Group of the Year” by Law360. The publication cited Latham’s recent successes in key patent infringement matters brought to the Federal Circuit, as well as the addition of several accomplished litigators who “bolstered its capabilities in the life sciences space last year” and will help “build [the firm’s] presence in the tech-heavy Boston market.”

Latham’s recent efforts in high-profile IP matters include securing an “important” en banc Federal Circuit ruling for client Cross Match Technologies Inc. The case centered on a 2013 Federal Circuit panel decision that limited the authority of the US International Trade Commission (ITC) to issue exclusion orders based on induced infringement. Following a prolonged appeal process, the decision was reversed by the full court in August 2015. IP litigation partner Douglas Lumish, who serves as co-chair of the practice, told Law360 that the ruling “answered the open question of how these cases will be handled at the ITC” with “ramifications for people in the global economy [that] are very, very significant.”

Law360 also highlighted Latham’s use of the Supreme Court’s 2014 Alice decision — which holds abstract ideas are ineligible for patent protection — to defeat patent infringement claims. In particular, Lumish said that Latham’s work for WildTangent was “a pioneering case” employing “what had not been established as an accepted, orthodox approach to a 101 defense.”

Comprised of more than 110 lawyers who work in leading IP markets around the world, Latham & Watkins’ Intellectual Property Litigation Practice handles all types of claims for clients that range from Fortune 100 to emerging companies. Complementing this breadth of practice, Latham builds trial-ready teams around the unique needs of each client — regardless of its industry or jurisdiction — to deliver consistent, market-leading service.