Overview
Vera Nackovic is a partner in Mayer Brown's Intellectual Property practice, based in the Chicago office. She is a Registered Patent Attorney focusing on pharmaceutical, biologics, medical devices, nutraceuticals, and chemical patent matters with a particular emphasis on intellectual property transactions, strategic development of global patent portfolios, and patent litigation. LMG Life Sciences recognized Vera as a “Life Science Star” and accordingly to IAM 1000, Vera “is a master at achieving the protection goals of her clients, at keeping their products alive and well—and exclusive—and enabling them to capitalize on their research investment and technology acquisition.”
Vera evaluates, structures and manages the IP and regulatory assessments of commercial transactions, including IP due diligence for stock and asset acquisitions, divestitures, mergers, and strategic alliances involving US, foreign, and multinational corporations. Furthermore, Vera drafts and negotiates patent licenses, joint venture and collaboration agreements, and product distribution agreements.
She represents innovator pharmaceutical companies in patent litigations including those brought under the Hatch-Waxman and Public Health Services (biologics) Acts, and advises clients on how to successfully settle those litigations. Vera also defends clients in investigations brought by the Federal Trade Commission involving alleged “reverse payment” settlements. Further, Vera has extensive arbitration experience involving IP licensing disputes, and has handled arbitrations from pre-case strategies through hearing, award, and enforcement.
In addition, Vera develops global patent and lifecycle management strategies for prescription and OTC drugs, medical devices, and biologics. She also renders opinions on freedom-to-operate, validity and patentability issues and works with her clients to align their IP and regulatory strategies to maximize the value and exclusivity of their products.
Vera has been named a "Rising Star" in the Illinois Super Lawyers. Prior to joining Mayer Brown in 2003, Vera worked for the Honorable Kenneth Ripple of the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit.
Areas of Focus
Spoken Languages
- English
Experience
Representative Transactional Experience
- Led the IP due diligence on behalf of a global pharmaceutical company in its co-development and license agreement for gene-editing technology valued at potentially over $3B.
- Led the IP due diligence on behalf of a global pharmaceutical company in its co-development of a new hepatitis treatment.
- Led the IP due diligence on behalf of a global pharmaceutical company in its acquisition of new immunotherapy technology valued at over $550 million.
- Led the IP due diligence on behalf of a global pharmaceutical company in its acquisition of HIV and cancer therapies.
- Led the IP due diligence on behalf of a global pharmaceutical company in its potential acquisition of a COVID-19 therapy.
- Led the IP due diligence on behalf of a global pharmaceutical company in its co-development and license agreement for needleless injection technology.
- Led the IP due diligence on behalf of Gilead Sciences, Inc. in the €1.15 billion acquisition of MYR GmbH.
- Led the IP due diligence on behalf of a global pharmaceutical company in its over $500 million acquisition of a growing immunotherapy company.
- Led the IP due diligence on behalf of a global pharmaceutical company in the potential multi-billion dollar acquisition of a target pharmaceutical company.
- Led the IP due diligence on behalf of a global pharmaceutical company in its co-development and license agreement for a new immunotherapy valued at over $500 million.
- Led the IP due diligence on behalf of a global pharmaceutical company in its research and development and patent license agreements relating to a new cancer treatment valued at over $350 million.
- Led patent due diligence on behalf of Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals in its $1.4 billion acquisition of Cadence Pharmaceuticals.
- Drafted license agreements and restructured the global royalty program for a $12 billion chemical manufacturing company.
- Represented Syngenta Crop Protection AG in the intellectual property aspects of the purchase by its US affiliate, Syngenta Flowers, of the chrysanthemum and asters business of Yoder Brothers Inc.
- Represented Solvay Pharmaceutical in its acquisition of privately-owned Fournier Pharma.
- Represented Solvay Pharmaceutical in its acquisition by Abbott Laboratories.
- Represented the largest of the Golden Harvest companies in the intellectual property aspects involved in the sale of a 90-percent interest in those companies to Syngenta for about $180 million.
- Represented Nucryst Pharmaceuticals Corporation in the intellectual property aspects of its $45 million initial public offering.
Representative Litigation Experience
- Won a US arbitration for a global pharmaceutical company in a patent licensing dispute with the manufacturer of diagnostic technology. The arbitration resulted in a complete victory for the client after four days of hearing before three arbitrators.
- Won a favorable case-dispositive Markman ruling on behalf of GSK in a patent infringement suit involving the monoclonal antibody Arzerra® (Biogen Idec, Inc. and Genentech v. GlaxoSmithKline et al., S.D. Cal.)
- Won a consent judgment of patent validity and infringement for Solvay Pharmaceuticals’ subsidiaries in two consolidated patent cases brought under the Hatch-Waxman Act involving the first FDA approved transdermal gel product (Unimed Pharmaceuticals, Inc. et al. v. Watson Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and Paddock Laboratories, N.D. Ga.)
- Represented Galderma Laboratories in a Hatch-Waxman case relating to its topical metronidazole gel sold under the trade name MetroGel® (Galderma Labs. et al. v. Tolmar, Inc., N.D. Tx.)
- Achieved a successful settlement for I.V. House in two patent actions involving medical devices (IV House, Inc. v. Shesol, E.D. Mo., and Shesol v. IV House, Inc., D. Colo.)
- Represented Solvay Pharmaceuticals in a Hatch-Waxman case relating to its perindopril product sold under the trade name Aceon® (Solvay Pharmaceuticals, Inc., et al. v. Cobalt Pharmaceuticals, Inc., N.D. Ga.)
- Represented Britesmile in a patent infringement litigation involving tooth whitening compositions (BriteSmile, Inc. v. Discus Dental, Inc., N.D. Ca.)
- Achieved a successful settlement for DSM in a patent infringement and breach of contract action involving nine patents relating to coatings for optical fibers (Corning Incorporated v. DSM Desotech, Inc. (D. Del.) and DSM Desotech, Inc. v. Corning Incorporated (ND. IL))
- Obtained final written decisions upholding the patentability of over 75% of DSM's 225 challenged claims in 8 patents across 10 inter partes reviews at the PTAB.
- Represents a pharmaceutical client in an arbitration against its licensee relating to underpayment of licensing fees derived from patented biologics technology.
Events
Education
Saint Mary's College, BS, Biochemistry
Valparaiso University School of Law, JD, magna cum laude
Note Writer, Valparaiso University Law Review; Teaching Assistant, Honors Legal Writing Section; Participant, Intellectual Property and Patent Association; American Bar Association, student member
Admissions
- Illinois
Court
- US Patent and Trademark Office
- Illinois Supreme Court
- US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
- US District Court for the Northern District of Illinois
- US District Court for the District of Colorado
- US District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri
Activities
- PILI (Public Interest Law Initiative) Fellow, Access Living, Chicago (Summer, 2003)
- PILI Board Member
- Guest speaker on patent prosecution issues at annual meetings of the Practising Law Institute