| Sayles Werbner Helps Johnson & Johnson Unit Win $1.67 Billion Verdict |
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Jury award represents largest patent verdict in U.S. history MARSHALL, Texas – Attorneys from the Dallas law firm of Sayles Werbner and Philadelphia’s Woodcock Washburn represented Centocor Ortho Biotech Inc., a unit of Johnson & Johnson, in a patent infringement lawsuit that concluded with a $1.67 billion verdict, reported by Bloomberg news service as the largest patent infringement verdict in U.S. history. Jurors found that Abbott Laboratories willfully infringed a Centocor patent to produce the drug Humira®, a medication used to treat rheumatoid arthritis and other autoimmune diseases. The verdict was delivered on June 29, 2009, in a trial before the Hon. T. John Ward of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas. Centecor’s courtroom team included Richard A. “Dick” Sayles, co-founder of the Dallas-based trial firm Sayles Werbner, and attorneys Dianne B. Elderkin, Barbara L. Mullin, and Steven D. Maslowski from the Philadelphia office of Woodcock Washburn. Sayles Werbner attorneys Eve Henson and Mark Strachan also represented Centecor. A jury of six women and four men delivered the verdict after five hours of deliberations. The $1.67 billion award includes $1.168 billion for lost profits suffered by Centocor as a result of Abbott Labs’ infringement, and $504 million in royalties. Sayles Werbner is a sought-after trial law firm in complex business and intellectual property litigation, including patent and copyright matters. The firm maintains an active practice before the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas. |