Morrison Foerster
Firm overview:
Morrison & Foerster (MoFo) offers clients around the world patent prosecution and counselling services from the earliest stage of technical development to product clearance and licensing. A dedicated Pharmaceutical Patent Prosecution Group at the firm serves clients in the life sciences, with expertise across organic chemistry, medicinal chemistry, chemical biology, biochemistry, and chemical engineering.
More broadly, MoFo represents clients in high-profile, complex patent disputes in the tech, life sciences, and the consumer products industries. The firm has experience in high-volume patent venues, including the Eastern and Western Districts of Texas, the District of Delaware, and the Northern and Central Districts of California.
The team also appears before agencies and tribunals such as the International Trade Commission (ITC) and the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB). At the Federal Circuit or Supreme Court, the firm’s experienced bench of appellate lawyers has helped clients successfully navigate the appellate process. MoFo also has significant experience litigating in global forums, including in Japan and Germany.
Team overview:
Daralyn Durie, in San Francisco, is a highly respected trial lawyer and go-to counsel for both plaintiffs and defendants. Durie is a fellow in the American College of Trial Lawyers, a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates, and an inductee into the California Trial Lawyer Hall of Fame.
Michael (Mike) Ward, in San Francisco, co-chair of the firm’s Life Sciences + Healthcare Group, Intellectual Property Group, and Food + Agriculture Group, is a key contact for the firm’s patent prosecution practice.
Key matters:
- Patent counselling and prosecution for Genentech
For more than 15 years, MoFo has provided strategic patent counseling and prosecution services for biotechnology company Genentech, a member of the Roche Group. The MoFo team, led by Daralyn Durie and Catherine Polizzi, has helped develop the company’s strategy for its multibillion-dollar portfolios, including blockbuster cancer drugs Kadcyla, Perjeta, Gazyva, and Tecentriq.
MoFo has also assisted Genentech in developing its patent portfolio related to innovations in bioinformatics, artificial intelligence, and machine learning.
- Patent infringement defence for Epic Games
In May 2025, MoFo client Epic Games defeated $32.5 million patent infringement claims over virtual concerts that the video game developer hosted for Fortnite players, which starred Ariana Grande and Travis Scott.
A Seattle jury determined that Epic Games did not infringe a patent belonging to Utherverse Gaming when it delivered interactive concerts for players of blockbuster game Fortnite.
Morrison Foerster’s team for Epic Games was led by Daralyn Durie and Tim Chen Saulsbury, and also included Eric Wiener, Sara Doudar and Katherine McNutt.
- Patent litigation over Entresto for Novartis
MoFo represents Novartis in litigation over blockbuster heart drug Entresto. In November 2025, the firm submitted a brief on behalf of Novartis asking the Supreme Court to deny a petition from MSN Pharmaceuticals seeking to reverse a decision that temporarily blocked its generic version of the drug.
The Supreme Court said in December 2025 that it would not review the case between Novartis and MSN.
Clients:
Clients: Genentech, Epic Games, Novartis
