Orrick Adds Life Sciences IP Litigator Irena Royzman


2 minute read | April.15.2024

  • Irena Royzman, a nationally recognized IP litigator, joins our life sciences team in New York. Most recently head of Kramer Levin’s life sciences practice, Irena has a proven record of winning the most important patent disputes for life sciences companies.
  • Over the last 20 years, pharmaceutical and biotechnology innovators have relied on Irena for their most critical cases on a wide range of subject matters including small-molecule drugs, antibodies and other biologics, recombinant DNA technology, gene therapies, and medical devices, including numerous multi-billion dollar cases involving many of the world’s best-selling drugs.
  • Irena has significant experience in litigation under the Hatch-Waxman Act and Biologics Price Competition and Innovation Act. For plaintiffs, she has successfully defended challenges to patents protecting blockbuster HIV/AIDS, cancer and antipsychotic treatments. For defendants, she obtained dismissal of all claims against a blockbuster retinal therapy.
  • Irena also helps life sciences companies and organizations develop the law in the most important cases for the biopharma industry, authoring numerous amicus briefs to the United States Supreme Court and Federal Circuit.

“Irena’s extraordinary scientific credentials and winning litigation record have earned the trust of the world’s leading life sciences companies,” said Alyssa Caridis, co-head of Orrick’s IP Business Unit. “We see her as another game-changing addition to our growing national team handling cutting-edge cases.”

“Orrick is building the premier life sciences practice. I am excited by its commitment to the sector and helping life sciences innovators with their most novel and challenging matters” said Irena. “Orrick’s trial culture, appellate prowess and holistic approach to serving the life sciences sector set the firm apart. I am very excited to join the Orrick team at this momentous time for life sciences.”

Irena is widely-recognized by peer-reviewed publications and organizations as one of the nation’s leading IP litigators and strategists. She has been named to Crain’s New York Business list of Notable Women in Law. Benchmark Litigation recognizes Irena as a Litigation Star and named her one of the Top 250 Women in Litigation for the last six years. Chambers USA recognizes Irena as a leading lawyer in IP as does Managing IP. Irena has a Ph.D. in biology from MIT and the Whitehead Institute, where she was a National Science Foundation Fellow.

Irena is the 10th partner to join our IP litigation practice in the past two years, and Orrick has added 15 partners to its life sciences team during the same time, including top talent in litigation, venture capital, strategic licensing, and other areas. The firm advises 500+ life sciences companies at all stages, including 12 of the top 20 U.S. biopharma companies.

American Lawyer last year named Orrick a finalist for National and IP Litigation Departments of the Year and Orrick’s appellate team has racked up a string of wins in life sciences cases for Gilead, Kite Pharma, and Johnson & Johnson.