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Christopher N. Sipes

Partner

Washington +1 202 662 5525

  • About
  • Representative Matters
  • Credentials
  • About

    Christopher Sipes is a partner in the Food and Drug and Intellectual Property practice groups in the firm’s Washington, DC office.

    Chris is a federal court trial and appellate litigator whose practice focuses on pharmaceutical and life sciences matters.  He has taken the lead in litigation involving all aspects of pharmaceutical litigation under the Hatch-Waxman Act, including with FDA to obtain or uphold regulatory exclusivity, against generics to enforce the intellectual property rights of pioneers, and the defense of patent holders in antitrust actions brought by generics and direct and indirect purchasers alleging sham patent enforcement.

    In addition, his practice includes Hatch-Waxman counseling and patent prosecution. Chris's clients have included most of the major pharmaceutical manufacturers, including Abbott Laboratories; AstraZeneca; Eisai Co., Ltd.; Merck; Pfizer; Purdue Pharma; GlaxoSmithKline; Schering-Plough; and Wyeth, as well as the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers Association trade association.

    Areas of Expertise

  • Practices and Industries
  • Representative Matters
    • Lead counsel for Amarin Pharmaceuticals in a successful court challenge against the FDA reversing the Agency's denial of 5-year exclusivity for Vascepa®.
    • Lead counsel for AstraZeneca in successfully defending its Crestor® drug product against accusations of patent infringement in separate actions brought by Palmetto Pharmaceuticals and the Medical University of South Carolina. 
    • Representation of AstraZeneca in defeating Complex Innovations’ attack on a patent covering SYMBICORT® inhalation aerosol for asthma and COPD. On July 24, 2017, the Patent Trial and Appeal Board denied institution of an IPR trial as to every challenged claim. The PTAB largely followed the arguments Covington presented in the preliminary response when determining that the petition failed to demonstrate a reasonable likelihood of prevailing at trial. 
    • Lead counsel in the successful defense of AK Steel against allegations of patent infringement for its Ultralume™ automotive steel products.
    • Lead counsel for Warner Chilcott in a series of patent infringement actions successfully defending the Company's Asacol® and Asacol® HD drug products against generic challengers.
    • Lead counsel for Abbott Laboratories in patent litigation asserting infringement against Imclone Laboratories for its manufacture and sale of the Erbitux® biologic drug product.
    • Lead counsel in the successful defense of GSK Consumer Healthcare against allegations of patent infringement asserted against its Floss-n-Cap™ dentifrice products.
    • Co-lead counsel for GSK in the successful resolution of antitrust claims alleging wrongful enforcement of patents relating to the Augmentin® antibiotic 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 pending 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
    • 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

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