Glasser got the intellectual property "bug" while at Duke University School of Law, immediately gravitating toward cases involving patents, trademark, copyright and trade secrets.
"You're going to be on the forefront of cutting-edge legal issues, but you're also going to get to learn about all sorts of products and industries all the time," she said of the practice.
Her first case was about the chemistry of cement, which turned out to be "unexpectedly fascinating," she said. She's since worked on high-profile cases involving everything from semiconductors to software to the competitive volleyball market.
Last fall, she had to immerse herself in the complexity of oncology pharmaceuticals as co-lead counsel representing Gilead Sciences, which had acquired Calistoga Pharmaceuticals and its leukemia-fighting drug.
Shareholder Representative Services, an agent for Calistoga's security holders, sued Gilead for a $50 million milestone payment, arguing that a limited European approval of the drug for a small group of cancer patients with a particular genetic mutation warranted the payment. Shareholder Representative Services v. Gilead Sciences Inc., 10537-CB (Del. Ch., filed Jan. 10, 2017).
"This was a case at the intersection of contract law and technology," she said. "The contract language was what the case turned on but...it was important to learn ourselves as lawyers and educate the court about the actual technology, science and how the terms of the contract are actually used by people in the field."
Glasser and her team spoke with leaders in the field, including one of the primary authors of a tumor classification manual that's used throughout the world and the head of the treatment unit for the type of cancer at the largest cancer hospital in Europe.
After a weeklong trial in Delaware Chancery Court, Glasser's team prevailed and Gilead didn't have to shell out anything.
Glasser is currently in Washington, D.C. representing San Jose-based Immersion Corporation, a developer of haptic technology, which is accusing Apple of patent infringement in products including its Apple Watch, iPhone and MacBook. Certain Mobile and Portable Electronic Devices Incorporating Haptics and Components Thereof, 337-TA-1004 (U.S. ITC, Feb. 11, 2016).
She's seeking damages before a jury in a district court and an exclusion order from the International Trade Commission.
— Lila Seidman
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