Denise Main, Ph.D.

Partner

vCard

Denise Main, Ph.D.

Partner

+1 617 646 1690 +1 617 646 1690
denise.main@finnegan.com denise.main@finnegan.com

Two Seaport Lane
Boston, MA 02210-2001

vCard

Show Denise's work in

Denise Main Ph.D.'s practice focuses on U.S. district court and appellate litigation, with particular experience related to the Hatch-Waxman Act governing the approval of pharmaceutical drugs. She manages day-to-day litigation activities in actions involving multiple parties.

Denise's broad experience includes conducting offensive and defensive discovery, drafting and arguing dispositive motions, taking and defending witnesses in court, drafting trial and appellate briefs, conducting U.S. and foreign prosecution, and preparing patent applications and ex parte reexaminations.

Denise has handled matters involving a wide array of technologies with a focus on the pharmaceutical, chemical, biotechnology, and mechanical arts. She has assisted clients in the fields of pharmaceutical products, cosmetics, hair dyes, pesticides, packaging materials, polymeric materials, and drug delivery systems.

Denise's graduate studies focused on alternative synthetic routes to HIV protease inhibitors. Her undergraduate studies focused on synthesis of heterocyclic compounds as potential anti-cancer agents.

In addition to her litigation practice, Denise advises clients on a variety of patent matters, including polymorph issues, Orange-Book listing patents, U.S. and foreign IP portfolio management, freedom to operate, settlement, licensing, and antitrust issues.

Et Cetera

Research scientist at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, in various areas including catalysis, supercritical fluids, and organic/organo-metallic synthesis, 2000-2001.

Experience

Represented Otsuka in Hatch-Waxman litigations against seven companies seeking FDA approval to market generic copies of Abilify®, which had 2011 sales of over $5.2 billion. The district court found the asserted patent claims valid, enforceable and infringed in November 2010, and enjoined marketing of any generic until April 2015. The Federal Circuit affirmed that holding in May 2012, with Supreme Court Cert subsequently denied.

3:07-cv-01000, D.N.J., Judges Cooper, Goodman, Hughes
11-1126, -1127, Fed. Cir., Judges Lourie, Moore, Reyna

Represented Acorda in Hatch-Waxman patent infringement litigation and appeal concerning Apotex’s ANDA seeking FDA approval to market generic versions of Acorda's Zanaflex Capsules®.

2:07-cv-04937, D.N.J., Judges Arleo, Brown, Greenaway
12-1019, Fed. Cir., Judges Lourie, Prost, Wallach

Counsel for Otsuka in Hatch-Waxman cases involving 24 companies seeking to market generic copies of Abilify^® following expiration of compound patent covering active ingredient in Abilify®. Only one case still pending following confidential resolutions of all other matters.

1:14-cv-01078, -04671, -02982, -07405, -05878, -06398 -08074 -03306, -06890, -05876, -08077, -03168, -07252, -07105 -05537, -03996, -06158, -04508, -04307, -06397, -07106, -01979, -03445; 1:15-cv-0161, -07584, -01585, -07803, -08830, -05109, -07802, -08955, -01716, -01967, -06353, -08305; 1:16-cv-05288, -05400, -05949, -07705 -02475, -02476, -08284, -05743, -00086, -08085, -00555, -00557, -07346, -06067, -00405, -00424, -05688, -09603; 1:17-cv-02754, -00392, D.N.J., Judges Simandle, Williams

Represented Ferring in Hatch-Waxman patent infringement litigations, and related appeals, against Watson and Apotex concerning Ferring’s Lysteda®.

3:11-cv-00481, D. Nev., Judges Cooke, Jones, McKibben
2:15-cv-04222, D.N.J., Judges Chesler, Hayden, Waldor

Defending Elan at district court and in two appeals with respect to Classen’s infringement allegations regarding Elan’s Skelaxin® portfolio. District court granted summary judgment of non-infringement in favor of Elan. Federal Circuit affirmed, and Supreme Court denied cert. Also successfully represented Elan in related reexamination proceedings before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

1:04-cv-03521, D. Md., Judges Bennett, Quarles, Sullivan
14-1671, Fed. Cir., Judges Prost, Lourie, Gilstrap
17-1033, Fed. Cir., Judges Prost, Lourie, Taranto

Represented Otsuka in Hatch-Waxman patent infringement litigations against multiple companies seeking to market generic versions of Otsuka’s Abilify® Oral Solution. All matters settled on confidential terms favorable to Otsuka.

3:08-cv-01583, D.N.J., Judges Cooper, Goodman, Hughes

Insights

Conference

Life Sciences Patent Network North America Spring Life Sciences Patent Network North America Spring

April 29-30, 2026

Boston

Articles

Intellectual Property Rights in the United States: Overview Intellectual Property Rights in the United States: Overview

November 1, 2025

Thomson Reuters

Networking

UF Innovate | Accelerate UF Innovate | Accelerate

March 7, 2024

Gainesville

Conference

Patent Litigation 2019: Advanced Techniques & Best Practices Patent Litigation 2019: Advanced Techniques & Best Practices

November 13-14, 2019

New York

Conference

Patent Resources Group Fall 2019 Advanced Courses Program Patent Resources Group Fall 2019 Advanced Courses Program

October 12-14, 2019

Scottsdale

Prosecution First Blog

Draft Bill Released to Reform Section 101 of the Patent Act Draft Bill Released to Reform Section 101 of the Patent Act

May 28, 2019

News

Media Mention

Apotex Challenge to Abilify® IP Won't Get High Court Hearing Apotex Challenge to Abilify® IP Won't Get High Court Hearing

January 14, 2013

Law360

Press Release

Finnegan Announces New Partners for 2013 Finnegan Announces New Partners for 2013

December 10, 2012

Media Mention

Otsuka Targets Apotex in Latest Suit Over Generic Abilify® Otsuka Targets Apotex in Latest Suit Over Generic Abilify®

September 12, 2012

Law360

Press Release

Otsuka Prevails in U.S. Abilify® Patent Appeal Otsuka Prevails in U.S. Abilify® Patent Appeal

May 7, 2012

Media Mention

Otsuka Slaps Amneal with IP Suit over Generic Abilify® Otsuka Slaps Amneal with IP Suit over Generic Abilify®

April 27, 2012

Law360

Professional Activities

American Bar Association
American Chemical Society
American Intellectual Property Law Association (AIPLA)
BioFlorida

Admissions and Education

Admissions

District of Columbia
Florida

U.S. Court of Appeals, Federal Circuit
Supreme Court of the United States

*Admitted in District of Columbia only, not admitted in Massachusetts.

*Inactive Member of the Florida Bar/not eligible to practice law in Florida.

Education

American University, Washington College of Law: J.D., 2005

University of Florida: Ph.D., Organic Chemistry, 2000

University of Central Florida: B.S., Chemistry, 1993

Denise's Practices

Appeals, Issues, and Legal Strategy: Federal Circuit and Supreme Court Appeals
Global IP Enforcement, Litigation, and Trials: Antitrust and Misuse; Branded Hatch-Waxman (ANDA) Litigation and Trials; Patent Litigation and Trials
Prosecution and Portfolio Management: Ex Parte Reexamination (EPR); Freedom to Operate Opinions; IP Portfolio Management; Licensing, Pooling, and Other Transactions; Opinions and Counseling; Patent Drafting and Prosecution

Denise's Industries

Chemicals, Industrials, and Materials: Chemical
Life Sciences: Biotechnology; Pharmaceutical