Dechert LLP announced today that Howard Levine and Jennifer Swan have joined the firm in Washington, D.C. and Silicon Valley, respectively, as partners in the Intellectual Property group, further expanding Dechert’s global life sciences capabilities. They both come to the firm from Finnegan, Henderson, Farabow, Garrett & Dunner, L.L.P.
Mr. Levine has advised on some of the most complex and valuable biotechnology and pharmaceutical litigations over the past 25 years, and has been at the forefront of the development of the law in these practice areas. He has conducted all aspects of pre-trial, trial, and post-trial proceedings, including appeals to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit and the U.S. Supreme Court. He has extensive experience in Hatch Waxman Patent Litigation for branded companies. Mr. Levine received a J.D., cum laude, from Georgetown University Law Center, and a B.A. in Biology, cum laude, from Duke University.
Ms. Swan focuses on enforcing and defending patent rights for clients in the chemical, medical device, biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries, and has significant experience in Hatch Waxman litigation. Ms. Swan also has experience working with life science start-ups. She has trial experience in federal district courts across the country and appellate experience at the U.S. Supreme Court and at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. Ms. Swan has been involved in some of the most significant legal developments in patent law in recent years. She clerked for Chief Judge Rader of the Federal Circuit, as well as Judge Fogel and Judge Whyte of the Northern District of California. Ms. Swan received her J.D. and B.A. from the University of Pittsburgh.
Andrew Levander, Chair of Dechert’s Policy Committee, said, “Howard and Jennifer are talented IP litigators whose expertise will further enhance our wide range of capabilities across the IP and life sciences sectors. We’re excited to welcome them to the firm.”
Mr. Levine commented, “Dechert has been a long-standing market player in the IP and life sciences sectors, and I look forward to leveraging the firm’s global platform to advise clients in resolving their most complex IP litigation matters.”
Ms. Swan added, “As the intellectual property space continues to evolve at a rapid pace, I am excited to deepen Dechert’s IP litigation capabilities in Silicon Valley, a key region for this work and the life sciences sector more broadly.”
Jeff Plies, chair of Dechert’s Intellectual Property group, said, “We are thrilled to welcome Howard and Jennifer to the firm. Their strategic addition is a reflection of the growth opportunity we see in our life sciences litigation practice.”
Dechert’s global intellectual property practice is focused on maximizing the commercial value of intellectual property. Its lawyers have extensive experience assisting companies with monetizing and extracting value from their IP portfolios, including managing strategic worldwide licensing campaigns and representing clients in both defensive and enforcement litigation around the world.
