Cooley
Firm overview:
Cooley draws on an international patent team of over 90 lawyers and patent professionals across the US, UK and Europe. The US team underwent some significant changes in 2025, including losing Matthew Pavao, former chair of the Global Patent Prosecution and Counselling Group, to Fenwick, and adding a 30-strong life sciences team from Dechert.
Covering both non-contentious and contentious patent services, Cooley frequently appears as a top player in Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) proceedings. The firm is particularly known for representing high-growth technology and life sciences companies in prosecution and portfolio management, including advising on high-value transactions.
With over 35 patent litigators across the US and Europe, Cooley has taken on bet-the-company patent cases for its tech and life sciences clients, and has experience against non-practising entities (NPEs) with large- and small-scale patent portfolios.
Team overview:
Major changes to Cooley’s patent team in 2025 included the departure of Matthew Pavao, Heidi Erlacher and Chen Chen to Fenwick.
After nearly a decade at the firm, Kate Hillier—who advises life sciences companies on transactions—returned to Latham & Watkins.
Cooley made a significant investment in the team at the end of 2025, bringing in a 30-strong life sciences patent counselling team in Boston from rival Dechert, led by Andrea Reid, Andrew Wilkins and John Rearick.
They join a team that includes stand-out individuals such as Heidi Keefe, a first chair trial lawyer with two decades’ experience representing some of the biggest tech companies in the world in complex patent litigation. A former astrophysicist and registered patent attorney, she has more than 260 patent cases under her belt.
On the non-contentious side, Mika Reiner Mayer is known for her practice in patent prosecution and strategic portfolio management for life sciences companies. She has led hundreds of patent due diligence reviews, and represented clients including Allogene Therapeutics and Gilead Sciences.
Key matters:
- Trackthings v Netgear
Cooley secured a win for client Netgear before the Delaware district court towards the end of 2025. TrackThings sued Netgear in 2021 for alleged infringement of three patents.
Earlier in the year, the firm won summary judgment for noninfringement for two of three asserted patents for Netgear.
A December ruling secured a dismissal without prejudice without taking a licence on the remaining patent.
The case is Trackthings LLC v Netgear, Inc (Case No. 1:22-cv-00981-JHL). Cooley’s team was led by partners Reuben Chen, Eamonn Gardner and Alexandra Leeper and associates Angela Madrigal and HanByul Chang.
- Win for RSB Spine following patent interference trial
Another work highlight for Cooley’s patent team in 2025 was securing a finding of no interference-in-fact for client RSB Spine following a patent interference trial at the US District Court for the District of Delaware. Interference proceedings in district courts are rare.
In August 2025, Judge Andrews found in favour of RSB Spine and rejected an interference counterclaim by DePuy. The interference trial and opinion followed a December 2022 patent infringement victory for RSB Spine.
The Cooley team representing RSB Spine in the interference trial was led by partner Reuben Chen, with support from associates Dustin Knight, Juan Pablo González, Brianna Patterson and Cole Merritt.
Clients:
Clients: Netgear, RSB Spine
