Allen M. Sokal

Partner

Allen Sokal practices patent litigation, including trial and appellate practice, and previously served as the leader of Finnegan’s appellate practice. For more than 36 years, he has spent the majority of his time on patent infringement litigation involving a wide variety of technologies. Most of his trial experience has been in the pharmaceutical and chemical fields while his appellate practice has run the gamut. He also is a neutral for the American Arbitration Association.

Mr. Sokal has briefed and argued many appellate cases at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, and the U.S. Court of Customs and Patent Appeals. He has also been retained as a patent law expert witness in infringement suits.

Mr. Sokal has lectured extensively throughout the world on various patent law, licensing, and legal ethics issues, for both bar organizations and clients, as well as on chemical patent practice for the Patent Resources Group and C5.

Highlights

• Rolls-Royce Plc v. United Technologies Corporation (E.D. Va.) Represented United Technologies Corp., Pratt & Whitney Division in a patent litigation involving the fan stages of jet engines.
• In re Certain 3G Mobile Handsets and Components, 337-TA-613 (ITC). Represented InterDigital Communications Corp. against Nokia in an ITC investigation involving cellular telephones.
• Aventis Pharma S.A. v. Amphastar Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (C.D. Cal.). Represented the patent owners in a case involving sanofi-aventis's blood-thinner Lovenox^®.
• Eli Lilly and Company v. Barr Laboratories, Inc. (S.D. Ind.). Represented the patent owners in a case involving Lilly's antidepressant Prozac^®.
• Represented patent owner Wyeth in suits filed against Abbreviated New Drug Applications (ANDA) applicants.
• KSR International Co. v. Teleflex & Technology Holding Co. (S. Ct.). Represented Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America as amicus curiae before the U.S. Supreme Court.
• Served for two years as a technical advisor and law clerk to Judge Jack R. Miller, U.S. Court of Customs and Patent Appeals, 1974-1976.
• Former patent examiner at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), 1968-1973.
• Served on the firm's management committee, 1990-1994; as partner-in-charge of the loss prevention committee; as the first group leader of the firm's biotechnology/ pharmaceutical practice; and as leader of the firm's appellate section.
• Handles and supervises firm's pro bono asylum cases.

Professional Recognition

• Selected by his peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America, 2008-2013.
• Received Frankel Award 2010 on behalf of firm from Human Rights First for pro bono asylum program.

Professional Activities

• District of Columbia Bar (Patent, Trademark and Copyright Law Steering Committee, chairman, 1984-1985; and vice chairman, 1983-1985)
• American Bar Association (chairman, Subcommittee on Review of USPTO Rule Changes, Section on Patent, Trademark and Copyright Law, 1988)
• American Intellectual Property Law Association (member, Editorial Board, AIPLA Quarterly Journal, 2010-2013; Ad Hoc Subcommittee, Patent Law Committee on Question of Independence of Board of Appeals and Interferences, 1992; chairman, Current Court Cases Subcommittee, Chemical Practice Committee, 1979-1981)
• U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware (Intellectual Property Advisory Committee, 1992-1994)

Select Publications

• Coauthor. "Trial Court Procedures in Patent Litigation: Maximizing Chances of Success on Appeal," American Intellectual Property Law Association, July 20, 2011.
• Coauthor. "The Hatch-Waxman Act: Encouraging Innovation and Generic Competition," Current Topics in Medicinal Chemistry, Winter 2010.
• Coauthor. Patent Litigation, Chapter 13 (Appeal), Practicing Law Institute, 2001-to date.
• Coauthor. "Chemical Patent Law," Patent Resources Group, 1996.
• Contributing Writer. "Patent Law Perspectives," Matthew Bender & Co., 1988.
• "Impact of Decisions of the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit on the Duty of Disclosure," Journal of the Patent and Trademark Office Society, 1984.