Image of Katherine Kieckhafer

Katherine Kieckhafer

Associate

Email

katherine.kieckhafer@aoshearman.com

Phone

+1 857 353 4512

Offices

Boston

V-CARD
Katherine is an associate in the Intellectual Property practice in the Boston office.

She focuses on complex patent litigation, with an emphasis on Hatch-Waxman cases and others involving pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, medical devices or other life sciences.

Katherine’s practice encompasses all phases of civil litigation, including taking and defending depositions, coordinating electronic discovery, drafting dispositive motions, preparing for and taking witness testimony at trial, and appeals. She also handles disputes before the US Patent and Trademark Office, representing clients in both bringing and defending against inter partes review.

Immediately following law school, Katherine clerked for The Hon. Richard Tallman, US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.

Experience

Representative matters

  • AbbVie, Inc. in BPCIA litigation against Amgen and Boehringer Ingelheim for HUMIRA® (adalimumab injection).*
  • Akebia Therapeutics Inc. in Hatch-Waxman litigation for AURYXIA® (ferric citrate tablets).*
  • Alcon Inc. in Hatch-Waxman litigation for SIMBRINZA® (brinzolamide/brimonidine ophthalmic suspension).
  • Becton, Dickinson, and Co. in Federal Circuit appeal of IPRs filed on telepharmacy systems, resulted in favorable reversal of PTAB decision that challenged claims were obvious.*
  • Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. and Pfizer Inc. in Hatch-Waxman litigation against 25 generic companies for ELIQUIS® (apixaban tablets).*
  • EPI Health, LLC in Hatch-Waxman litigation for RHOFADE® (oxymetazoline HCl cream).*
  • Exelixis Inc. in Hatch-Waxman litigation against MSN for CABOMETYX® (cabozantinib tablets).*
  • General Electric Co., defending against allegations of patent infringement for offshore wind turbine technology, included first-chairing inequitable conduct portion of case that was separately tried to the bench.*
  • ModernaTx, Inc. in Federal Circuit appeals of IPRs filed against Arbutus patents related to lipid nanoparticle technology.*
  • The Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania in patent infringement litigation for a composition of matter and method of treatment patent.
  • Quest Diagnostics defending against allegations of patent infringement directed to prenatal testing.*
  • Wonderland Switzerland AG in patent litigation for baby car seats, included presenting corporate witness at trial that resulted in permanent injunction being granted in Wonderland’s favor.

*Experience prior to joining A&O Shearman.

Qualifications

Admissions

State Bar of Massachusetts, 2016

Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, 2016

US Court of Appeals Federal Circuit, 2018

U.S. District Court, D.MA, 2021

Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals 2023

Academic

JD, magna cum laude, Order of the Coif, Florida Law Review, University of Florida Levin College of Law, 2015

M.S., Biochemistry, Molecular, and Cellular Biology, Cornell University, 2011

B.S., Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Michigan, 2005

Disclaimer
A&O Shearman was formed on May 1, 2024 by the combination of Shearman & Sterling LLP and Allen & Overy LLP and their respective affiliates (the legacy firms). Any matters referred to above may include matters undertaken by one or more of the legacy firms rather than A&O Shearman.