Kira is an experienced courtroom lawyer who assists life sciences companies in high-stakes patent litigation.
Kira is the head of Morrison Foerster’s Los Angeles Litigation Department, a partner in the IP Litigation Group, and a member of the firm-wide Life Sciences + Healthcare Leadership Team. She regularly serves as counsel in intellectual property lawsuits involving cutting-edge technology, including foundational antibody technology, antibody cancer immunotherapies, fusion proteins, small-molecule therapeutics, transcatheter heart valve repair and replacement devices, and genetic testing and genomics technology. Kira litigates on behalf of both patentees and defendants and has significant experience representing innovators in disputes arising out of proposed generic and biosimilar launches.
Experience
Secured an important win at summary judgment in defense of a leading pharmaceutical company in a patent infringement suit brought against its innovative cancer products.
Representing an R&D company in patent litigation regarding the company’s patents developed in connection with research on treatments for viral diseases.
Representing a small biopharmaceutical company in its efforts to bring to market an innovative small-molecule therapeutic offering significant advantages to patients over prior treatments in the face of patent litigation filed by a competitor.
Representing a global innovative biotechnology company in PTAB proceedings brought against the company’s patents on novel combination therapies.
(District of Delaware). Defended Dropworks, a digital PCR start-up, in patent litigation brought by Bio-Rad.
(District of Delaware). Represented 10x Genomics, a life sciences technology company and a worldwide leader in genomics, in a patent infringement suit against Celsee.
(District of Delaware). Defended Edwards Lifesciences in a patent infringement action relating to Edwards’ PASCAL device, a novel transcatheter treatment option for mitral and tricuspid regurgitation.
(District of Delaware). Defended Genentech in patent infringement litigation brought against its cancer treatment Tecentriq®, the first anti-PD-L1 antibody approved to treat cancer.
(District of Delaware, Federal Circuit, and Supreme Court). Represented Vanda in Hatch-Waxman litigation regarding proposed generic versions of Vanda’s FANAPT® product. Obtained a victory at trial that was affirmed on appeal in a widely-cited opinion.
(C.D. Cal.). Represented Genentech and City of Hope in a series of challenges brought against their ground-breaking “Cabilly” patents, which covered the foundational method of manufacturing monoclonal antibodies.