DLA Piper announced today that Michael Enzo Furrow, Ph.D., and Brian David O’Reilly have joined the firm’s Intellectual Property and Technology practice as partners in New York. The two are experienced litigators who counsel life science companies in all aspects of complex patent disputes.
“We are excited to expand our practice with two litigators who have the capabilities to handle the most complex pharmaceutical and biological cases our clients face,” said Mark Fowler, global co-chair and US chair of DLA Piper’s Patent Litigation practice. “Their extensive experience representing innovators across the life sciences, including their record of success in high-stakes litigation, adds depth to our fast-growing team. Mike and Brian bring a strong spirit of collaboration that will mesh well with the DLA Piper team.”
Furrow will serve as the firm’s US chair for Life Sciences Patent Strategy. He has substantial experience representing numerous major pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies in patent disputes covering more than a dozen drugs in federal courts and before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board of the United States Patent and Trademark Office. Furrow draws from deep knowledge in the pharmaceutical fields and has defended innovation across myriad therapeutic areas, covering all aspects of drug discovery and development, including new chemical entities, salt forms, stereoisomers, prodrugs, solid-state forms, dosage forms, combination products, therapeutic methods and laboratory tools.
O’Reilly has extensive experience in all areas of intellectual property law. He has represented clients in high-profile, strategically important and ground-breaking pharmaceutical cases in federal courts throughout the United States. In addition to pharmaceutical cases, O’Reilly has represented clients in all areas of intellectual property, including patent, trademark, copyright and trade secret cases.
“It is an exciting time to step onto the DLA Piper platform,” said Furrow. “The firm has an impressively deep patent litigation bench, with top-tier trial and appellate counsel, and the firm’s long-standing commitment to the life science industry around the globe, along with its roster of attorneys with technical degrees, makes it a natural fit. I am thrilled to be able to help advance the firm’s vision for servicing clients in this critical arena of patent contests.”
“The opportunity to expand my practice by joining Mike at DLA Piper is exhilarating,” O’Reilly added. “No other firm has a comparable global reach, life sciences client base, and dedication to defending pharmaceutical innovation.”
“Mike and Brian bring a contagious energy and a highly sought-after skillset and knowledge base, and we are confident clients will value their counsel as they navigate these complex disputes,” said Richard Hans, managing partner of the firm’s New York office. “We are pleased to welcome them to the firm.”
Furrow, who joins from Venable, received his J.D. from Harvard Law School and his A.B. and Ph.D. in chemistry from Harvard University. O’Reilly, previously with Cravath, Swaine, & Moore and Fitzpatrick, Cella, Harper & Scinto, joins from O’Reilly IP and received his J.D. from New York University School of Law and his B.S. in chemistry from the University of Massachusetts.
