“Leading IP Attorney Jeffrey N. Townes Joins Cozen O’Connor’s Washington D.C. Office”

In a significant move that further strengthens its Intellectual Property (IP) department, Cozen O’Connor has announced the appointment of Jeffrey N. Townes, one of the nation’s leading IP attorneys. Townes, who previously served at LeClairRyan, joins Cozen O’Connor as a member and will be based in its Washington D.C. office.

Townes brings with him a wealth of experience in the IP field, having spent decades advising clients in the life sciences industry. His expertise spans across various sectors including chemical, pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and material sciences. His clientele includes companies with technology involving polymer chemistry, organic chemistry, and organometallic chemistry. Townes has also been instrumental in advising clients on diagnostics testing, including the use of biomarkers for cardiovascular, diabetes and related diseases, as well as nucleic acids and nanotechnology.

In addition to his advisory role, Townes has overseen post-grant proceedings, including ex parte reexamination, reissue, and Inter Partes Review (IPR) proceedings. His tenure at LeClairRyan saw him play a pivotal role in the petition, preparation and trial of ten of the first IPRs filed on chemical patents.

Kerry B. McTigue, co-chair of Cozen O’Connor’s Intellectual Property department, expressed his delight at Townes’ appointment. “Jeff’s technical background and work experience are a perfect fit for our nationally recognized life science practice,” he said. “Jeff also has been on the forefront of the increased emphasis clients must place on IPR proceedings. He not only will continue to provide outstanding service to his clients in these matters, but we expect he will have an immediate impact on Cozen O’Connor’s existing clients.”

Townes’ responsibilities extend beyond advisory and oversight roles. He regularly authors invalidity, non-infringement and freedom to operate opinions; conducts due diligence analyses; drafts and negotiates assignments and licenses; drafts and prosecutes patent applications; and handles interferences, European oppositions, and inventorship disputes.

His contributions to the field of IP law have not gone unnoticed. In 2012, Virginia Business magazine named him to its “Legal Elite,” Intellectual Property. Townes has also been actively involved in the American Intellectual Property Law Association (AIPLA) for several years, having chaired the Chemical Patent Practice Committee and currently serving as the vice-chair of the PTAB Trial Committee. He is a regular speaker at AIPLA-hosted events, as well as those hosted by the Brazilian Association of Intellectual Property (ABPI) and the American Chemical Society.

Townes earned his J.D. at George Mason University School of Law and his B.S. in Chemistry at Bucknell University.

Cozen O’Connor, established in 1970, is a leading law firm with more than 700 attorneys who help clients manage risk and make better business decisions. The firm provides counsel on sophisticated legal matters in all areas of the law, including litigation, corporate, and regulatory law. With a broad array of leading global corporations and middle market companies as clients, Cozen O’Connor operates through 28 offices across two continents. The addition of Townes to its team is expected to further enhance the firm’s capabilities in the IP domain.