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Taft partner and Pharmaceutical and Life Sciences practice chair Stephen Auten, partner Michael Nutter, and partner Richard Ruzich are ranked in Illinois in the silver band for Individuals: Litigation. Partner Gerald Helget is a recommended individual in Minnesota, and partner Kristine Boylan is named in the bronze band for Minnesota and recommended nationally for individuals in the Trade Secret Litigation category.

The guide performs intensive research and interviews to determine the top patent professionals and practices. Individuals qualify for the IAM Patent 1000 once they receive sufficient positive feedback from peers and clients with knowledge of their practice and the market within which they practice.

Auten is a widely recognized and seasoned attorney in Hatch-Waxman and biosimilar matters, including related patent litigation, and is followed by key industry leaders (brand and generic alike), law firms, analysts, educators, and others on his LinkedIn blog “Hatch-Waxman ANDA Litigation Forum” or HALF, which has over 14,000 members worldwide. He represents clients in the areas of Paragraph IV design strategies, Hatch-Waxman litigation, and biosimilar opportunities.

Boylan practices in the areas of trade secrets, trademarks, copyrights, patents, contracts, and licensing. With her extensive experience, she is known as talented and effective in handling disputes over business interests and concerns involving all types of intellectual property. Boylan has also been recognized by World Trademark Review as one of the top 1000 trademark professionals worldwide.

Helget has been a licensed patent attorney for almost 40 years and focuses his practice in the areas of patents, trademarks, trade dress, licensing, intellectual property litigation, copyrights, trade secrets, and related matters. With a wide range of experience researching, preparing, and prosecuting patent, trademark, and copyright applications, he has prosecuted to issuance more than 1,056 patents in the U.S. alone and has prosecuted over 620 trademark registrations.

Nutter is a first-chair trial lawyer and registered patent attorney who focuses on small-molecule pharmaceutical patent litigation within the framework of the Hatch Waxman Act and biosimilar patent litigation within the Biologics Price Competition and Innovation Act (BPCIA).

Ruzich is an internationally recognized patent attorney who focuses on complex patent litigation, representing generic pharmaceutical companies in ANDA litigation under the Hatch-Waxman statutory framework. An accomplished trial and appellate advocate, registered patent attorney, and a frequent lecturer and author, he is known worldwide for his legal work on behalf of his generic clients, including biosimilar sponsors. His experience covers the entire lifecycle spectrum from product selection, Paragraph IV development, and through to market entry, including at-risk launches.