International law firm McDermott Will & Emery is pleased to announce three partner additions to the Intellectual Property (IP) Practice Group: Simon Roberts and Jason Leonard in New York and Maxwell “Mac” Fox. Simon and Jason join from Hogan Lovells; Mac, who will reside in Japan, joins from Jones Day.

“McDermott continues to make incredible strides toward advancing our remarkable IP practice into an industry powerhouse,” William Gaede, Chair of the Firm’s Global IP practice, said. “Simon and Jason bring significant life sciences patent litigation strength to our bench in New York, and Mac’s experience with Japanese technology and life science companies is unmatched. These three bring a lot of fire with them, and they will be incredible additions to our global IP team.”

Simon focuses his practice on patent litigation in the life sciences and biotechnology sectors. He has nearly 30 years of experience practicing law in both the US and Europe. Simon leverages his background in chemistry to translate complex technical issues into relatable terms for clients. He has in-depth experience and knowledge in Hatch-Waxman Act-related litigations as well as other pharmaceutical-related patent matters. With a proven track record in high-stakes litigation matters, Simon represents clients before the federal courts as well as the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) in contested proceedings, including IPRs and PGRs.

Jason advises clients on complex life sciences patent litigation. Throughout his 14 years of practice, he has counseled numerous pharmaceutical companies in developing effective patent litigation strategies for a wide array of pharmaceutical products. Clients frequently rely on him to address difficult infringement issues, particularly when design-around defenses have been asserted and extensive infringement proofs must be presented at trial. Jason’s legal experience spans all stages of patent litigation, including pre-suit investigations, multiple-defendant litigations and appeals to the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. In developing trial strategies, Jason uses his passion for science and mastery of pharmaceutical chemistry to simplify the intricacies of drug discovery and development into concise and compelling narratives for trial.

Mac focuses his practice on IP infringement litigation, licensing and counseling matters. He has spent more than 15 years in Japan as one of the very few Japanese-speaking US litigators. Mac represents clients in an array of industries, including electronic manufacturers to life sciences. He has advised clients in patent litigation spanning a wide range of technologies, such as telecommunications and network systems, imaging, video games, semiconductors, digital displays and chemical manufacturing. He also represents branded pharmaceutical companies in enforcing their patent rights through ANDA litigation under the Hatch-Waxman Act. Mac has also advised clients in various commercial disputes and in litigation related to cartel investigations.

These hires follow additional IP partner hires in 2021: life sciences-focused litigators Doug Carsten in Orange County and Adam Burrowbridge in Washington, DC.

McDermott Will & Emery partners with leaders around the world to fuel missions, knock down barriers and shape markets. Our team works seamlessly across practices, industries and more than 20 locations to deliver highly effective—and often unexpected—solutions that propel success. More than 1,200 lawyers strong, we bring our personal passion and legal prowess to bear in every matter for our clients and the people they serve.