Subscribe

  • How Can We Help You?

    Global Problem Solving from Covington: Deal with Complex Problems Anywhere in the World

Sipes_Christopher_1000x714_ENV

Christopher N. Sipes

Partner

Washington +1 202 662 5525

  • About
  • Representative Matters
  • Credentials
  • About

    Christopher Sipes is co-chair of Covington’s Patent Litigation Group. Mr. Sipes is an experienced lead trial counsel in patent litigation for pioneer life-science research companies, with three decades of experience advising and litigating on behalf of most of the major pharmaceutical manufacturers. Most recently, he shared Litigator of the Week honors for leading the trial team that prevailed at trial in the Imbruvica patent litigation in the District of Delaware.

    Areas of Expertise

  • Practices and Industries
  • Representative Matters
    • Lead counsel for AstraZeneca defending its Tagrisso® drug product against accusations of patent infringement brought by Pfizer and Puma Biotech.
    • Lead counsel for Illumina defending its trade secrets and patented inventions concerning genetic assaying techniques against Guardant Health.
    • Lead counsel for Intercept Pharmaceuticals in successfully asserting its patents protecting Ocaliva® against generic challenge in the District of Delaware.
    • Lead counsel for Abbvie in successfully asserting its patents protecting Imbruvica® capsules and tablets against generic challenge in the District of Delaware and the Federal Circuit.
    • Lead counsel for Illumina defending its high-throughput genetic screening against patent infringement claims brought by ThermoFisher and Cornell University in the District of Delaware.
    • Lead counsel for Bristol Myers Squibb in successfully defending its patent protecting the subcutaneous formulation for Orencia® biologic drug product in a challenge brought by Momenta in the Patent Trial and Appeal Board and the Federal Circuit.
    • Lead counsel for Abbott Laboratories in patent litigation successfully asserting infringement against Imclone Laboratories for its manufacture and sale of the Erbitux® biologic drug product.

    Areas of Expertise

  • Credentials
    Education
    • Harvard Law School, J.D., 1991
        • magna cum laude
    • California Institute of Technology, M.S., 1989
    • Harvard University, A.B., 1986
        • summa cum laude
    Bar Admissions
    • District of Columbia
    • U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
    Pro Bono
    • Lead counsel in successful challenge to the exclusion of women soldiers from combat assignments in the United States Army.
    • Lead counsel in successful pursuit of claims against the United States on behalf of a victim of McCarthy-era blacklisting.
    Accolades
    • Chambers USA, Intellectual Property: Litigation (2023-2025)
    • Named one of the Top 40 Lawyers Under 40 by the National Law Journal.
    • Recognized by Best Lawyers in America for Copyright, Litigation - Intellectual Property, Litigation - Patent, Mergers & Acquisitions, and Trademark.
    • Recognized by Legal 500 US for Intellectual Property - Patent Litigation.
    • Awarded the Justice for Victims of Crime Award by the U.S. Department of Justice for work done on behalf of hate crime victims
    • National Science Foundation Fellow

    Areas of Expertise

News and Insights

Events