Foley & Lardner: Awarded $208 million contract from the National Institutes of Health (NIH)

CALL: Mark A. Kassel

Partner

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Law Firm Tapped to Provide Intellectual Property Services for the Nation’s Leading Medical Research Agency Dedicated to Improving Health

Milwaukee – Foley & Lardner LLP announced today that the National Institutes of Health (NIH) awarded a $208 million contract to the firm for Intellectual Property services for up to 10 years. Beginning this month, the firm will be responsible for performing contested proceedings work in the areas of biotechnology patents and mechanical/electrical/software patents over the life of the contract.

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.

Foley Intellectual Property attorneys in the firm’s Boston, San Diego/Del Mar, Madison and Washington, D.C. offices will be working on this contract. They will support the NIH Office of Technology Transfer 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 eighth 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.

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.