Sarah A. Geers

Partner

New York + 1.212.326.3936

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Sarah Geers represents pharmaceutical and biotechnology clients across the spectrum of high-stakes intellectual property litigation, including patent infringement and trade secret actions in district court and inter partes and post-grant review proceedings at the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB). She has litigated more than 50 Hatch-Waxman cases, in addition to PTAB cases, arbitrations, a billion-dollar jury trial, and a Biologics Price Competition and Innovation Act (BPCIA) multidistrict litigation, among other life sciences matters.

Sarah is co-leader of Jones Day's PTAB area of focus. She also serves as a director on the PTAB Bar Association's Board of Directors. Sarah was named a Law360 "Life Sciences Rising Star" in 2020. In 2023, she was named a "Next Generation Partner" in patent litigation by The Legal 500. Sarah also teaches a course on patent litigation as an adjunct professor at Seton Hall University School of Law.

Sarah maintains an active pro bono practice, assisting individual clients with immigration issues and participating in Jones Day's Border Project in Laredo, Texas.

Before becoming a lawyer, Sarah worked as a research chemist at Merck & Co., where she was responsible for solid dosage form development and associated preformulation research. Sarah is an inventor on patents relating to hot melt extrusion and spray drying amorphous dispersion technologies.

Experience

  • Merck's BRIDION® Hatch-Waxman trial victory on patent term extension issue affirmed at CAFCJones Day represented Merck Sharp & Dohme, B.V. in Hatch-Waxman patent infringement actions originally filed against 16 generic drug maker defendant groups, relating to the defendant groups' Abbreviated New Drug Applications (ANDA) seeking approval of generic versions of BRIDION®, a first-in-class agent for the reversal of certain types of neuromuscular blockade in adults undergoing surgery.
  • Purdue Pharma defends petition for post-grant review of patent against Collegium Pharmaceutical Inc.Jones Day represented patent owner Purdue Pharma L.P. in a post-grant review (PGR) proceeding brought by petitioner Collegium Pharmaceutical Inc. relating to a patent directed to a pharmaceutical formulation containing gelling agent.
  • Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center defeats IPR petition brought by Miltenyi Biomedicine GmbHJones Day represented patent owner Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, on behalf of exclusive licensee Bristol Myers Squibb, in successfully defeating a patent challenge in an inter partes review (IPR) proceeding brought by petitioners Miltenyi Biomedicine GmbH and Miltenyi Biotec Inc. ("Miltenyi") in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB).
  • Merck unit resolves DJ action involving pneumococcal vaccine patentsJones Day represented Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp. in an action in Delaware district court against Pfizer (through its subsidiaries including Wyeth, LLC) involving several patents on Wyeth’s vaccine technology.
  • Purdue Pharma asserts patent infringement claims under Hatch-Waxman Act related to OxyContin® against IntellipharmaceuticsJones Day represented Purdue Pharma L.P. in a Hatch-Waxman patent infringement action against defendants, relating to the defendants' submission of a Section 505(b)(2) New Drug Application to the FDA seeking approval of an extended-release oxycodone formulation.
  • Sloan Kettering and Juno Therapeutics win over $1.1 billion after jury verdict and post-trial motions in patent dispute with Kite Pharma/Gilead involving CAR-T therapyOn behalf of patentee Sloan Kettering Institute and exclusive licensee Juno Therapeutics (a subsidiary of Celgene Corporation, a Bristol Myers Squibb company), Jones Day and co-counsel prevailed in a jury trial that spanned eight days and involved 22 witnesses, wherein the jury awarded our clients $752 million in compensation for the infringement of their patents by Kite Pharma, Inc. (a Gilead Sciences, Inc. company) through the making and selling of its infringing CAR-T therapy, YESCARTA®.
  • Allergan defends JUVEDERM® patents against nine IPR petitions filed by ProlleniumJones Day is representing Allergan, Inc. before the U.S. Patent Trial and Appeal Board ("PTAB") on nine IPR petitions filed by Prollenium challenging multiple patents covering certain of Allergan's JUVEDERM® products, hyaluronic acid-based dermal fillers that include the anesthetic lidocaine.
  • Purdue Pharma successfully resolves Hatch-Waxman patent infringement claims against Ascent related to OxyContin®Jones Day successfully represented Purdue Pharma L.P. in related Hatch-Waxman patent infringement actions against defendant Ascent Pharmaceuticals, Inc., pertaining to the submission of an Abbreviated New Drug Application to the FDA seeking approval of a generic version of OxyContin®.
  • Adocia prevails in biopharma license agreement dispute in international arbitrationJones Day won a binding arbitration award for French biopharmaceutical company, Adocia S.A., in a license agreement dispute against Eli Lilly and Company.
  • Purdue Pharma successfully moves for additional discovery regarding real-party-in-interest, leading to termination of IPRs before institutionJones Day defended patent owner, Purdue Pharma L.P., in connection with two inter partes review (IPR) petitions brought by the petitioner, Kashiv Pharma, LLC, against U.S. Patent Nos. 9,492,392 and 9,492,393.
  • Purdue Pharma successfully resolves Hatch-Waxman patent infringement claims against Epic Pharma related to OxyContin®Jones Day successfully represented Purdue Pharma L.P. in related Hatch-Waxman patent infringement actions against defendants Epic Pharma, LLC and PuraCap Pharmaceutical LLC, pertaining to the submission of an Abbreviated New Drug Application to the FDA seeking approval of a generic version of OxyContin®.
  • Purdue Pharma successfully resolves Hatch-Waxman patent infringement claims against Amneal and Kashiv related to OxyContin®Jones Day successfully represented Purdue Pharma L.P. in related Hatch-Waxman patent infringement actions against defendants Amneal Pharmaceuticals, LLC and Kashiv Pharma, LLC, pertaining to the submission of an Abbreviated New Drug Application to the FDA seeking approval of generic versions of OxyContin®, a widely prescribed treatment for pain relief.
  • Purdue Pharma asserts patent infringement claims under Hatch-Waxman Act related to OxyContin® against AbhaiJones Day successfully represented Purdue Pharma L.P. in a Hatch-Waxman patent infringement action against the defendant, Abhai LLC's, submission of an Abbreviated New Drug Application to the FDA seeking approval of generic versions of OxyContin®, a widely prescribed drug for pain relief.
  • Purdue Pharma asserts patent infringement claims under Hatch-Waxman Act related to OxyContin® against MylanJones Day successfully represented Purdue Pharma L.P. in a Hatch-Waxman patent infringement action against defendants, relating to the defendants' submission of an Abbreviated New Drug Application to the FDA seeking approval of generic versions of OxyContin®, a widely prescribed treatment for pain relief.
  • Purdue Pharma successfully resolves Hatch-Waxman claims against companies seeking to make generic version of transdermal patch Butrans®Jones Day client Purdue Pharma L.P. successfully resolved a patent infringement action it brought under the Hatch-Waxman Act against two companies that sought FDA approval to market a generic version of Purdue's Butrans® product prior to the expiration of certain patents owned by Purdue.
  • Purdue Pharma asserts patent infringement claims under Hatch-Waxman Act related to OxyContin® against KVK-Tech and AbhaiJones Day is representing Purdue Pharma L.P. in a Hatch-Waxman patent infringement action against defendants, relating to the defendants' submission of an Abbreviated New Drug Application to the FDA seeking approval of generic versions of OxyContin®, a widely prescribed treatment for pain relief.
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    OCTOBER 2025 Commentary

    Federal Circuit Clarifies Limits on Patentability of Clinical Study Results-Based Applications

    September 2025 Blog

    Federal Circuit Clarifies Independent Conception Standard for AIA Derivation, PTAB Litigation Blog

    AUGUST 2025 Alert

    Bill Seeks to Restrict 30-Month Stay in Hatch-Waxman Litigation to One Patent

    June 2025 Alert

    U.S. Supreme Court Invites Solicitor General to Submit Briefing on "Skinny Labels"

    June 2025 Commentary

    USPTO Acting Director Denies IPR Institution Based on "Settled Expectations"

    April 2025 Alert

    PTAB Announces a Bifurcated Process for Consideration of IPR and PGR Petitions

    February 2025 Blog

    USPTO/PTAB: Changes are on the Horizon

    August 2024 Blog

    Federal Circuit Clarifies Scope of Patent Owner Estoppel, PTAB Litigation Blog

    August 2024 Blog

    Director Provides Reminders For Obviousness Analysis, PTAB Litigation Blog

    July 2024 Commentary

    U.S. Senate Unanimously Passes Bill Limiting Number of Patents Asserted Against Biosimilar Applicants
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