Cozen O’Connor, among the 100 largest U.S. law firms, is pleased to announce that Steve Auten has joined the firm as a member of the Intellectual Property Group in Chicago. He formerly was an executive and head of intellectual property for North America with Sandoz Inc, the generic pharmaceutical division of Novartis and the world’s second largest generic pharmaceutical company.
Returning to his hometown of Chicago, Mr. Auten will focus his practice on the representation of generic pharmaceutical companies in the areas of Paragraph IV design strategies, Hatch-Waxman litigation, and biosimilar market opportunities.
At Sandoz, Mr. Auten spearheaded a full spectrum of IP services, strategy and protection in a global and multi-cultural context including evaluating third-party patent rights, managing and settling all patent litigations in North America, recommending product-filing strategies, prosecuting patents and trademarks, maintaining the company’s IP estate, and negotiating and integrating new products and company acquisitions. Mr. Auten was a key contributor to the growth and long-term business strategy of the company. During his tenure as head of the U.S. division, the IP department at Sandoz grew five-fold and was recognized as having the “second best track record for court outcomes” among all generic companies.
“We are very pleased to have Steve join us,” said Cozen O’Connor President and Executive Partner Michael J. Heller. “His experience managing a full spectrum of diverse legal matters on a global scale coupled with his patent and trademark background will be an invaluable benefit to our practice and our generics clients.”
As a registered patent attorney with the United States Patent & Trademark Office, Mr. Auten specializes in Hatch-Waxman counseling and litigation and has worked with most major generic drug companies, as well as prepared freedom to operate opinions, patentability opinions and various patent applications. He has advised clients on Hatch-Waxman matters and patent prosecution strategies as well as overall business strategies and opportunities, including filing/responding to citizen’s petitions and monitoring competitors through various sources.
Mr. Auten is also the creator and moderator of a LinkedIn forum on Hatch-Waxman entitled: “Hatch-Waxman ANDA Litigation Forum” that has developed a following of nearly 4,000 members.
Mr. Auten is one of a number of seasoned lateral attorneys who have recently joined Cozen O’Connor as the firm has expanded its IP practice to include over 40 attorneys. Over the past 14 months, Cozen O’Connor has doubled the number of its intellectual property attorneys across its Chicago, Washington, D.C., New York and Atlanta offices with partners from such firms as Duane Morris, and New York-based Cohen Pontani Lieberman & Pavane.
“The growth of our IP practice continues to be a strategic focus for the firm,” said Tad Decker, Chief Executive Officer of Cozen O’Connor. “Adding Steve to our talented group of attorneys furthers our goal of building a highly sophisticated team to serve our national and international generic pharmaceutical clients.”
Kerry McTigue and Camille Miller, co-chairs of Cozen O’Connor’s Intellectual Property Group added, “Steve is a wonderful addition to our growing IP practice and underscores our commitment to build the group with the best possible legal talent and provide clients with a full range of services.”
“I am extremely pleased to join the incredible talent that is Cozen O’Connor’s intellectual property practice,” said Mr. Auten. “The firm’s focus on bringing in the best attorneys in the industry, and in particular in the area of Hatch-Waxman, made the firm a natural fit with my expertise and in our shared goal of furthering Cozen O’Connor’s strategic goal to be a leader in the Hatch-Waxman litigation area.”
Mr. Auten graduated in 1997 from the Chicago-Kent College of Law where he was a member of Moot Court. He received his B.S. in chemistry with high distinction in 1994 from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, completing a senior thesis on the separation of enantiomers under the direction of Dr. William H. Pirkle, a recognized pioneer in the field.
