Emily Whelan > WilmerHale > Boston, United States > Lawyer Profile

WilmerHale
60 STATE STREET
BOSTON, MA 02109
MASSACHUSETTS
United States
Emily Whelan photo

Work Department

Intellectual Property Counseling and Prosecution; Intellectual Property Litigation; Life Sciences; Post-Grant Proceedings; Trials

Position

Partner

Chair, Intellectual Property Department

Career

Ms. Whelan’s practice includes Patent Office practice, litigation, and counseling in the field of life sciences, including chemistry, biotechnology and pharmaceuticals. Her experience includes patent strategy across the spectrum from pre-litigation investigation and litigation, to Patent Office post-grant proceedings including inter partes review and reexamination, to analysis of the competitive landscape and IP due diligence, as well as obtaining patent protection and portfolio management.

Practice highlights include being part of teams involved in:

  • Representing innovator pharmaceutical companies in ANDA, biosimilars, and other patent litigation involving pharmaceutical and biotechnology patents;
  • Inter partes review of patents in pharmaceutical and semiconductor fields;
  • Patent prosecution and reexamination of patents in chemical technologies, including new battery materials;
  • IP due diligence and analysis of competitor patents in pharmaceutical, biotechnology, medical device and food industries; and
  • Managing patent portfolios including small molecules, pharmaceutical formulations, and treatment methods for pharmaceutical companies.

Professional Activities
Ms. Whelan is a member of the Board of Governors of the Boston Patent Law Association. Ms. Whelan is also a member of the PTAB Bar Association and the American Intellectual Property Law Association.

Memberships

Bar Admissions:
Massachusetts

Other Organizations:
American Bar Association
Boston Bar Association
Massachusetts Bar Association

Education

Harvard Law School , J.D. cum laude (2000)
Cornell University , A.B. summa cum laude (1997)

Lawyer Rankings

United States > Intellectual property > Patents: litigation (full coverage)

WilmerHale maintains its reputation as an ‘exceptional firm for high stakes patent litigation’, with clients praising their ‘sophisticated, winning strategies’. The team excel at complex medical technology and high-technology patent trials, maintaining relationships with notable clients, including Comcast Cable Communications, Google, and T-Mobile. Leading the practice are four specialists. Amy Wigmore, based in Washington DC, and Emily Whelan, based in Boston, both specialize in high-stakes litigation within the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries. They are joined by Mark Selwyn, a leading attorney for both high-profile and emerging technology companies and Joseph Haag, both of whom are based out of Palo Alto. The team is further bolstered by William Lee, from Boston, renowned for his seasoned experience as lead counsel in high-stakes technology disputes. Elsewhere, Brittany Amadi, from Washington DC, and Joseph Mueller, based in Boston, stand out for their leading work on patent litigation matters at the trial and appellate stages. First-chair trial attorney Sonal Mehta is another key practitioner from Palo Alto representing notable technology companies on high-stakes disputes. Additionally, Boston’s Omar Khan extends the team’s offering with his expertise in life sciences cases.