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Overview

Ryan Hagglund focuses his practice on patent litigation, particularly in the areas of pharmaceuticals, biologics, and biotechnology, including Hatch-Waxman litigation. He has a broad range of experience relating to patent infringement litigation relating to the life sciences and other technologies, patent license disputes, international arbitration concerning patent infringement and licenses, inter partes review (IPR) proceedings, patent reexamination and interference practice, and technology-driven copyright and trade secret disputes. He also has experience in transactional, opinion, and counseling practice relating to patent and other intellectual property issues in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical segments, including due diligence, patent portfolio analysis, preparation of freedom to operate opinions, and patent license transactions. 

Ryan has extensive experience as a virologist, including graduate and postdoctoral research relating to the evasion of the immune system by herpes simplex virus as well as RNA virus research.  With this background, Ryan’s patent litigation, patent office, transactional, and counselling experience relates to a vast array of cutting edge technologies in the life sciences, including chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR-T cell) therapies, therapeutic antibody technology, antibody-drug conjugates, CRISPR and other gene editing technologies, herbicide resistant crops, vaccines, viral vaccine vectors, COVID-19 vaccines, formulations for vaccines, biologics, and small molecule drugs, oncology, small molecule compounds, novel dosing regimens, and methods of treatment to avoid drug-drug interactions. He was part of a team that won and defended an arbitral award in excess of $450 million in connection with patent infringement and breach of a license relating to herbicide resistance technology.  

In addition to his life sciences and patent practice, Ryan is experienced in trademark litigation, licensing, and prosecution as well as general appellate practice.

  • Assisted a global innovator pharmaceutical company with respect to analysis regarding patent protection and freedom to operate issues in connection with a collaboration and licensing arrangement relating to CAR T-cell and gene editing technologies.
  • Assisted a global innovator pharmaceutical company with respect to freedom to operate issues relating to the acquisition of a recombinant antibody therapy for oncology.
  • Counseled a global innovator pharmaceutical company regarding patent protection with respect to viral vaccine vector technology.  
  • Represented Hoffmann-La Roche Inc. and Genentech, Inc. in connection with Hatch-Waxman litigation concerning their cytomegalovirus drug Valcyte® and secured a favorable settlement.
  • Counseled a biotechnology company with respect to freedom to operate and patent protection issues raised by COVID-19 vaccine candidates.
  • Counseled Actellion Pharmaceuticals Ltd. In connection with obtaining affirmance of the Patent Trial and Appeal Board’s decision finding all claims unpatentable in Inter Partes Review (IPR) Nos. IPR2015-00561,-00562 by the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.

Prior firm experience includes:

  • Represented a global pharmaceutical and biotechnology company in winning and defending an arbitral award in excess of $450 million in connection with patent infringement and breach of a license relating to herbicide resistance technology.
  • Represented Takeda in obtaining a judgment of patent infringement and validity against three generic drug manufacturers seeking to market a generic version of the acid reflux medication Dexilant.
  • Represented a leading pharmaceutical company in technology in obtaining a judgment of patent infringement and validity against a generic drug manufacturer seeking to market a generic version of a medicine for the treatment of opioid addiction. 
  • Represented a leading manufacturer of tableware and flatware in successfully defending against a suit for breach of a license agreement.

Education

  • University of Chicago Law School, J.D., magna cum laude, Order of Coif
  • University of Chicago, Virology, Ph.D.
  • University of Chicago, Virology, M.S.
  • Northwestern University, B.A., summa cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa

Court Admissions

  • U.S. Supreme Court
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, Second Circuit
  • U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York
  • U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, Federal Circuit

Bar Admissions

  • New York
  • United States Patent and Trademark Office

Recognition

  • Ranked among top 100 Hatch Waxman lawyers in various categories in Patexia's ANDA Litigation Intelligence Report (2023)
  • Named in IAM Patent 1000: The World's Leading Patent Professionals in the New York Litigation category (2023)
  • Law Clerk, Honorable Richard A. Posner, U.S. Court of Appeals, Seventh Circuit (June 2006 – May 2007)
  • Judicial Extern, Honorable Harry D. Leinenweber, U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois (Summer 2004)

Affiliations

  • Member, American Society for Microbiology
  • Member, American Association for the Advancement of Science