Deirdre M. Wells

Overview

Deirdre M. Wells is a director in Sterne Kessler’s Trial & Appellate Practice Group. She is a highly regarded trial lawyer with extensive experience before both juries and judges in federal district courts, the International Trade Commission, and the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. Deirdre’s experience encompasses all aspects of intellectual property (IP) litigation, including utility patents, design patents, federal and state trademarks, trade dress, false advertising, and unfair competition claims. She also has experience analyzing, assessing, and licensing IP portfolios as well as litigating post-grant proceedings before the United States Patent Trial and Appeal Board and the United States Trademark Trial and Appeal Board.

Clients seek out Deirdre for her storytelling ability. She specializes in translating highly technical and legal information and weaving it into persuasive, easy-to-follow arguments and jury presentations. She presents arguments in a manner that captures both their technical and legal nuance, while making them clear and accessible to those without a background in the science or technology at issue. Deirdre credits her three children with helping to make her a better trial lawyer by keeping her practical and honest, in addition to sharpening her storytelling skills.

Deirdre represents clients in a variety of fields, including children’s products and devices, consumer products, food and beverage processing and manufacturing equipment, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, electrical circuits, sweeteners, vehicle graphics systems, data storage devices, internet search technology, LEDs, fans, sports equipment, dental monitoring devices, wireless broadband technology, radio frequency identification technology, VoIP, telephone systems, and mobile content delivery.

Deirdre also finds fulfillment in pro bono work representing veterans, asylum seekers, and low-income clients.

Prior to attending law school, Deirdre performed research in a biochemistry laboratory related to protein splicing in Pyrococcus abyssi proteins. Deirdre earned her J.D. from Harvard Law School, and her B.A. in biology and French, magna cum laude, from The College of the Holy Cross.

When not working, Deirdre enjoys exploring all corners of the world with her husband and children.

Technical Publications

• “Supreme Court Grants Review in Case on Patent Exhaustion,” V&E IP Insights E-communication, October 8, 2012 (co-author).
• “Federal Circuit Reopens Bid to Take Generic Zegerid Off the Market,” V&E IP Insights E-communication, September 7, 2012 (co-author).
• “Federal Circuit Confirms ANDA Filer May Carve Out Patented Uses to Avoid Infringement,” V&E IP Insights E-communication, February 10, 2012 (co-author).
• “Eastern District of Texas Court Recognizes Value in Unique Scheduling Orders in Multi-Defendant Cases,” V&E IP Insights E-communication, November 8, 2011 (co-author).
• Kerrigan, A.M., Powers, T.L., Dorval, D.M., Reitter, J.N., and Mills, K.V. (2009) Protein splicing of the three Pyrococcus abyssiribonucleotide reductase inteins.  Biophys. Res. Commun. 387, 153-157.
• Mills, K.V., Connor, K.R., Dorval, D.M., and Lewandowski, K.T. (2006) Protein Purification via Temperature-Dependent, Intein-Mediated Cleavage from an Immobilized Metal Affinity Resin.  Biochem. 356, 86-93.
• Mills, K.V., Dorval, D.M., Lewandowski, K.T. (2005) Kinetic analysis of the individual steps of protein splicing for the Pyrococcus abyssi PolII intein.  Biol. Chem 280, 2714-2720.

Abstracts:

• Mills, K., Reitter, J.,Dorval, D., Lewandowski, K., Marieni, M., Duffee, L., Donahue, C. (2011) Non-canonical inteins: Alternate mechanisms for protein splicing. Protein Science 20-Supl, 180.
• Marieni, M.D., Duffee, L.R., York, D.J.,Dorval, D.M., Reitter, J.N. and Mills, K.V. (2011) The influence of conserved catalytic residues on the mechanism of protein splicing of the Pyrococcus abyssi PolII intein. FASEB J. 25, 520.10.
• Donahue, C.A., York, D.J., Dorval, D.M., Reitter, J.N. and Mills, K.V. (2011) Determining the activation barrier and pH-dependence of each step of protein splicing. FASEB J.25, 520.6.
• Duffee, L.R., York, D.J., Dorval, D.M., Reitter, J.N. and Mills, K.V. (2010) A kinetic analysis of each step of protein splicing of the Pyrococcus abyssiPolII intein. FASEB J. 24, 463.5.
• Mills, K.V., Reitter, J.N., Duffee, L.R., York, D.J., Dorval, D.M., and Lewandowski, K.T. (2010) Non-canonical inteins: alternate mechanisms for protein splicing. FASEB J. 24, 520.11.
• Nadelson, A.C., York, D.J., Dorval, D.M., Lewandowski, K.T., Connor, K.R., Reitter, J.N. and Mills, K.V. (2010) Manipulation of protein splicing side reactions to facilitate protein purification and expressed protein ligation. FASEB J. 24, 463.13.
• York, D.J., Duffee, L.R., Dorval, D.M., Reitter, J.N. and Mills, K.V. (2010) Estimating the activation barrier to each step of protein splicing for the non-canonical  abyssiPolII intein. FASEB J. 24, 463.18.
• Duffee, L.R., Nadelson, A.C., York, D.J., Dorval, D.M., Reitter, J.N. and Mills, K.V. (2009) Influence of conserved residues on individual steps of protein splicing of the non-canonical Pyrococcus abyssiPolII intein. Protein Science 18-Supl, 86.
• Nadelson, A.C., York, D.J., Lewandowski, K.T., Dorval, D.M., Connor, K.R., Reitter, J.N. and Mills, K.V. (2009) Development of protein purification strategies using the Pyrococcus abyssiPolII intein. Protein Science 18-Supl, 86.
• Mills, K.V., Reitter, J.N., Connor, K.R., Kerrigan, A.M.,Dorval, D.M., Drago, M.J., Lewandowski, K.T. and Powers, T.L. (2009) Non-canonical inteins: Alternate mechanisms of protein splicing. Protein Science 18-Supl, 171.
• Kerrigan, A.M., Powers, T.L., Dorval, D.M., Reitter, J.N. and Mills, K.V. (2009) The influence of extein residues on the protein splicing of three Pyroccocus abyssiFASEB J. 22, 502.3.
• Kerrigan, A.M., Powers, T.L., Dorval, D.M., Reitter, J.N. and Mills, K.V. (2008) The dependence of three  abyssiinteins on extein sequence for efficient protein splicing. FASEB J. 20, 611.13.
• Mills, K.V., Reitter, J.N., Connor, K.R., Dorval, D.M., Drago, M.J., Lewandowski, K.T., and Powers, T.L. (2008) Alternate mechanisms of protein splicing by non-canonical inteins. Abstracts of the ASBMB 2008 National Meeting.
• Dorval, D.M., Connor, K.R., and Mills, K.V. (2006) Catalysis of individual steps of protein splicing of the Pyrococcus abyssi PolII intein. FASEB J.20, A40.
• Powers, T.L., Drago, M.J., Dorval, D.M., Connor, K.R., and Mills, K.V. (2006) Protein splicing of a non-canonical Clostridium thermocellum intein with N-terminal Gln. FASEB J. 20, A964.
• Mills, K.V., Lewandowski, K.T., and Dorval, D.M.(2005) The Mechanism of Protein Splicing of the Pyrococcus abyssi PolII intein. Protein Science 14-Supl, 87.
• Lewandowski, K.T., Dorval, D.M., and Mills, K.V. (2005) A Kinetic study of the protein splicing mechanism of the Pyrococcus abyssiPolII intein. FASEB J. 19, A1401.

Representative Matters

District Court

• Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals v. Airgas Therapeutics (on behalf of plaintiff, obtained a jury verdict of willful patent infringement for all asserted patent claims in a suit relating to Mallinckrodt’s INOmax (nitric oxide for inhalation) and associated nitric oxide delivery device for neonates) (D. Del.)
• Provisur Technologies v. Weber, Inc. (on behalf of defendant, obtained a jury verdict of noninfringment in a case related to patents on industrial food processing equipment) (W.D. Mo., Fed. Cir.)
• Wirtgen America Inc. v. Caterpillar Inc. (on behalf of plaintiff, obtained a jury verdict of willful patent infringement with both an eight-digit damages award and a permanent injunction in a case related to road milling machinery) (D. Del)
• Novozymes v. Danisco (on behalf of defendant, obtained an invalidity finding for all asserted patent claims due to lack of written description following a jury trial in a case related to alpha-amylase enzyme variants) (W.D. Wis., Fed. Cir.)
• TRUSTID, Inc. v. Next Caller, Inc.(on behalf of plaintiff, obtained a jury verdict of willful false advertising including both compensatory and punitive damages) (D. Del.)
• Steuben Foods v. Shibuya (D. Del.) (on behalf of defendant, obtained noninfringement of patents related to industrial food processing following a jury trial in a case related to aseptic bottling machinery) (D. Del.)
• Pozen v. Par et al. (on behalf of plaintiff, obtained an infringement finding and injunction for all asserted patents following trial in a case related to a pharmaceutical product for migraine) (E.D. Tex., Fed. Cir.)
• Vanda Pharmaceuticals v. Teva Pharmaceuticals Inc. (on behalf of defendant, obtained an invalidity finding for all asserted patent claims due to obviousness following trial in a case related to a pharmaceutical product for non-24 sleep-wake disorder) (D. Del., Fed. Cir., U.S.)
• PureCircle v. SweeGen (on behalf of defendant, obtained a summary judgment of invalidity of all asserted patent claims due to lack of written description and ineligible subject matter in advance of a jury trial in a case related to artificial sweeteners) (C.D. Cal., Fed. Cir.)  

• IBSA Institute Biochimique et. al. v. Teva Pharmaceuticals Inc. (on behalf of defendant, obtained an invalidity finding for all asserted patents due to indefiniteness following a claim construction hearing in a case related to a pharmaceutical product for hypothyroidism) (D. Del., Fed. Cir.)

• VEEAM Software Corporation v. DCIG, LLC (represented VEEAM in a false advertising, unfair competition, and libel suit) (W.D. Tex.)
• Architectural Busstrut Corporation v. WAC Lighting (represented WAC Lighting in a trademark and unfair competition lawsuit relating to lighting and electrical connector products) (S.D. Ohio)
• Global*Tel Link v. Securus Technologies (represented Global Tel*Link in a patent suit involving telecommunication technology) (N.D. Tex.)
• Allergan, Inc. v. Revance Therapeutics, Inc. (represented Revance in a jury trial related to patent claims related to botulinum toxins) (D. Del.)
• Salix Pharmaceuticals, Inc. v. Novel Laboratories, Inc. (represented Novel in a trial regarding patents related to pharmaceutical products containing mesalamine) (D. Del.)

• Neo Wireless, LLC v. Volkswagen (represented Volkswagen in a patent suit related to LTE, LTE-A, and 5G/NR standards) (E.D. Mich.)
• Amgen Inc. v. Pharmascience Inc. (represented Pharmascience in a patent suit related to pharmaceutical products containing apremilast) (D. N.J.)

International Trade Commission

• LED Lighting Devices, LED Power Supplies, and Components Thereof, Inv. No. 337-TA-1081 (on behalf of respondent Feit Electric, obtained an invalidity ruling on all patents in a case involving lighting circuitry)
• Certain Basketball Backboard Components and Products Containing the Same, Inv. No. 337-TA-1040 (on behalf of complainant Lifetime Products in a case relating to basketball backboards)
• Computing or Graphics Systems, Components Thereof, and Vehicles Containing the Same, Inv. No. 337-TA-984 (on behalf of respondents Audi and Volkswagen in a case involving computer graphics in automobiles)
• Certain Electrical Connectors, Components Thereof, and Products Containing the Same, Inv. No. 337-TA-1043 (on behalf of complainant JST in a case relating to electrical connectors)
• Certain Radio Frequency Identification (“RFID”) Products Thereof, Inv. No. 337-TA-979 (on behalf of complainant Neology in a case relating to RFID technology)
• In re Lithium Silicate Materials and Products Containing the Same, Inv. No. 337-TA-911 (on behalf of complainant Ivoclar Vivadent AG in a case relating to dental products)

Education

• J.D., Harvard Law School
• B.A., Biology and French, College of the Holy Cross, magna cum laude