Foley Awarded Significant Contract From the National Institutes of Health (NIH)
Law Firm Tapped to Provide Intellectual Property Services for the Nation’s Leading Medical Research Agency Dedicated to Improving Health.
Foley announced today that it was selected by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) as one of four law firms in the country qualified to perform Intellectual Property services in contested patent proceedings for up to 10 years (if renewed by the NIH) and for an amount not to exceed $208 million over that 10-year period. The firm will be eligible under the contract to handle contested patent proceedings in the areas of biotechnology patents and mechanical/electrical/software patents over the life of the contract. Contested patent proceedings include reexaminations, interferences, and litigation.
The NIH, a part of the United States Health and Human Services, is the primary Federal agency for conducting and supporting medical research. It is composed of 27 Institutes and Centers that focus on a broad array of medical research programs including cancer, diabetes, mental health and heart disease. The contract awarded to Foley will be administered by the NIH Office of Technology Transfer, which is responsible for overseeing the wide range of NIH and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) discoveries, inventions and other intellectual property as mandated by the Federal Technology Transfer Act and related legislation.
“It is a privilege to support the NIH in achieving its goal to develop research and technology resulting in major medical breakthroughs,” said Stephen B. Maebius, partner and chair of Foley’s Intellectual Property Department. “We’re committed to providing our breadth of expertise performing complex patent, biotechnology and life sciences legal work.”
“Foley is proud to have an opportunity to work with the National Institutes of Health in protecting its intellectual property,” said Mark A. Kassel, partner with Foley and chair of the firm’s Chemical and Pharmaceutical Practice. “Foley’s team of contested proceeding experts is eager to begin working with the NIH and its outstanding scientists and professionals.”
Comprised of nearly 240 attorneys, Foley’s Intellectual Property practice is a recognized leader in IP legal services. For the seventh consecutive year, Foley was ranked by IP Today as one of the top 10 firms for the number of patents issued and by IP Law & Business magazine as one of the top patent litigation firms in the nation. These rankings make Foley the only general practice firm to appear in the top 10 for both patent litigation and patent procurement, and expertise in both areas is important in contested patent proceedings.
Foley & Lardner LLP continually evolves to meet the changing legal needs of our clients. Our team-based approach, proprietary client service technology, and practice depth enhance client relationships while seeing clients through their most complex legal challenges. The BTI Consulting Group (Wellesley, Massachusetts) recently recognized Foley as one of the top four law firms shaping the U.S. legal market, while CIO magazine has named Foley to its CIO 100 list six times for our client-focused technology. With nearly 1,000 attorneys in 21 offices and more than 60 practices, count on Foley for high-caliber business and legal insight.