DLA Piper added Robert Shaffer and Sean Trainor as partners in its Intellectual Property and Technology practice in Washington, D.C., expanding the firm’s life sciences patent litigation and International Trade Commission capabilities.
Shaffer will serve as Head of the Life Sciences Patent Litigation practice.
Trainor will serve as Co-Head of the U.S. International Trade Commission practice.
Shaffer brings more than 25 years of experience handling significant patent disputes, particularly within life sciences.
He represents pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and medical device companies in Hatch-Waxman litigation, ITC Section 337 investigations, Patent Trial and Appeal Board proceedings, and complex commercial arbitrations.
His experience includes trials and disputes involving major pharmaceutical products, medical devices, and other technologies.
Trainor is a nationally recognized Section 337 trial lawyer who has handled dozens of ITC investigations.
His work spans wireless telecommunications, mobile devices and chipsets, lithium-ion batteries, data storage systems, semiconductors, and advanced medical devices.
Trainor also has experience addressing the domestic industry requirement unique to ITC Section 337 proceedings.
DLA Piper said the appointments strengthen its ability to manage disputes that increasingly span federal district courts, the ITC, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, and international jurisdictions.
The firm’s Patent Litigation team combines trial lawyers with professionals holding advanced scientific and technical degrees across fields including electronics, computer science, telecommunications, pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, chemical engineering, materials science, and automotive technologies.
KEY QUOTES:
“By bringing Rob and Sean to the firm, our clients gain first-chair trial strength in two of the most important arenas for protecting innovation: life sciences disputes and the ITC.”
Loren Brown, Global Vice Chair and Global Head of Disputes at DLA Piper
“With Rob’s first-chair trial strength in life sciences joining our existing first-chair trial strength in the ITC and federal district courts, we are building a patent litigation platform no other firm can match.”
Erin Gibson, Global Head of Intellectual Property and Technology at DLA Piper
