Press Release

Cooley Wins American Lawyer Global Litigation Award

Honored for multibillion dollar Gilead arbitration victory
July 20, 2015

Palo Alto – July 20, 2015 – Cooley will be recognized by The American Lawyer at its third annual Global Legal Awards. According to American Lawyer Media, the contest attracted 225 entries across 30 categories. Cooley is being honored in the Commercial Arbitration category for its winning representation of Gilead Sciences in the lawsuit F. Hoffmann-La Roche (Roche) v. Gilead Sciences, Inc.

The lawsuit, brought by Roche, was over rights to Gilead's blockbuster hepatitis C drug, Sovaldi (sofosbuvir), worth many billions of dollars in annual sales. Roche was seeking exclusive ownership rights of Sovaldi in addition to hundreds of millions of dollars in damages. Following a two-week arbitration hearing, a panel of three arbitrators issued its award on August 15, 2014, ruling in favor of Gilead and finding that Roche failed to establish any of its claims. As a result, Roche was not entitled to any damages or other relief.

In addition to this recognition from The American Lawyer, Cooley's work for Gilead has been highlighted by The National Law Journal in Cooley's profile for the publication's annual "IP Hot List" and by The Recorder for its "IP Litigation Department of the Year" awards. Lead partner and Cooley chairman Steve Neal was also recognized in The American Lawyer's "Litigator of the Week" series and named a Law360 "Trial Ace" for spearheading the victory.

"We were deeply gratified to win this case for Gilead. The win helped protect and solidify Gilead's important and ongoing commitment to fighting Hepatitis C," said Neal. "We are honored to be receiving this recognition. We had an excellent team working on this case, including an invaluable multi-faceted trial support team."

The core team representing Gilead was comprised of Neal, fellow partners Marty Schenker, Michelle Rhyu and Jeffrey Karr; and associates Scott Sukenick, Susan Krumplitsch, Daniel Knauss, Jeff Walker, Jennifer Lerner, Lauren Pomeroy and David Houska.

About Cooley LLP

Clients partner with Cooley on transformative deals, complex IP and regulatory matters, and high-stakes litigation, where innovation meets the law.

Cooley has 850 lawyers across 12 offices in the United States, China and Europe.

This content is provided for general informational purposes only, and your access or use of the content does not create an attorney-client relationship between you or your organization and Cooley LLP, Cooley (UK) LLP, or any other affiliated practice or entity (collectively referred to as “Cooley”). By accessing this content, you agree that the information provided does not constitute legal or other professional advice. This content is not a substitute for obtaining legal advice from a qualified attorney licensed in your jurisdiction and you should not act or refrain from acting based on this content. This content may be changed without notice. It is not guaranteed to be complete, correct or up to date, and it may not reflect the most current legal developments. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Do not send any confidential information to Cooley, as we do not have any duty to keep any information you provide to us confidential. This content may be considered Attorney Advertising and is subject to our legal notices.