First tier in the patent contentious rankings, WilmerHale was consistently named by legal commentators among their most feared competitors. "They focus on the merits of the case and litigate it pretty relentlessly," said a peer. "They're just good and smart and focused." The firm regularly litigates on behalf of brand pharmaceutical companies and, in the words of one litigator, is a "significant player in significant matters".
The firm's New York office saw the departures of John Hintz, who before joining WilmerHale was with the now dissolved Fish & Neave, and Paul Keller, now with Allen & Overy. T Spence Chubb joined the IP group in 2010 as special counsel after serving 21 years as a supervisory attorney in the ITC, while David Manspeizer, former vice president of IP and associate general counsel for Wyeth, was added to the team to focus on pharmaceutical and biotechnology matters.
Co-managing partner William Lee is perhaps the most respected litigator of the patent bar, widely acclaimed by peers and rivals. "He may be the best I have ever seen," said one in-house counsel. "On a biotech patent case, I would not want to be against Bill Lee," said another. "He's very well-known by the judges. He carries with him a lot of goodwill, which, even when he's got a weak case, can get him a lot." Lee and Amy Wigmore successfully asserted Wyeth and Altana's patent covering a drug used to treat gastrointestinal disorders against generic pharmaceutical companies Teva, Sun and KUDCo. Discovery is proceeding regarding the plaintiffs' damages claims and enforceability defences made by defendants Teva and Sun.