This interactive session walks attendees through the critical early-stage decisions that shape pharmaceutical and biotech patent litigation long before trial or settlement discussions begin. Using realistic case studies, panellists will react in real time to litigation and business pressures, allowing the audience to benchmark their own instincts against experienced in-house and outside counsel perspectives.
- How companies decide where to litigate first (district court, PTAB, ITC, or parallel paths).
- Early forum strategy trade-offs, including cost, speed, and leverage.
- What evidence must be preserved immediately - and what is often missed.
- How early litigation decisions affect settlement leverage, investor messaging, and payer dynamics.
David Schramm
Mark McLennan
Stephanie Lollo Donahue
Sanjaya Mendis
Sanjaya Mendis is a partner and life sciences IP litigator at McCarthy Tétrault LLP based in Toronto, Canada. The IP Litigation group is ranked Band 1 in Chambers and recently received the Patent Litigation Firm of the Year by LMG Life Sciences. Sanjaya handles complex cross-border contentious patent disputes and has represented clients in all levels of Canadian courts, including the Supreme Court. Sanjaya’s recent notable experience includes: Regeneron/Bayer (aflibercept); AbbVie (adalimumab); Merck (sitagliptin); and BMS/Pfizer (apixaban).