Elizabeth Holland
Image of Elizabeth Holland

Elizabeth Holland

Partner

Elizabeth is Co-Head of Global IP Litigation. She is a first-chair trial lawyer who focuses exclusively on representing innovators in patent infringement and related litigation in the life sciences space.

With over 35 years of experience, Elizabeth has served as lead counsel for pharmaceutical, biotech and medical device companies in numerous patent infringement litigations, licensing disputes, trade secret litigations, arbitrations, IPR proceedings and Federal Circuit appeals. She has particular expertise in Hatch-Waxman and BPCIA litigation, as well as disputes between innovator companies. 
Elizabeth is consistently ranked among the top lawyers in her field by publications such as Chambers Global, Chambers USA, IAM 1000 – The World's Leading Patent Practitioners, The Legal 500 U.S., Managing Intellectual Property, LMG Life Sciences and Euromoney, which have noted her “assured handling of even the most complex pharmaceuticals patent cases” and have described her as “exactly what you want in a first-chair lawyer; she is very skilled in the courtroom, very adept at managing multiple important cases, and well-liked by judges.”

Elizabeth has also been noted as being “exceptional on her feet in court;” getting “excellent results;” and “understanding clients’ business goals and litigating with those in mind.” She is a three-time winner of LMG Life Sciences “Hatch Waxman Litigator of the Year” and has been featured as a “Winning Litigator” by the National Law Journal.

Over the course of her career, Elizabeth has served on law firm Executive, Management, and Partnership committees and has chaired Inclusion Committees.

Expertise

Industries

Experience

Representative matters

  •  Wins in S.D.N.Y. and U.S. Supreme Court in patent litigation on the drug Copaxone®, including landmark decision on claim construction.*
  • Wins in D.N.J. (after trial) and Federal Circuit in patent litigation on the drug Atelvia®.*
  • Win in D. Del. (after trial) in patent litigation concerning the drug Quillivant®.*
  • Multiple wins in D. Del. and Federal Circuit in patent litigation on the drug Uceris®, including judgment under Rule 52(c) and award of attorney’s fees.*
  • Wins at PTAB on IPRs on patents on the drug Ravicti®.*
  • Win in D. Mass. (after trial) in patent litigation on the drug Relafen®. Achieved favorable settlement while on appeal.*
  • Wins in D. Del. (on summary judgment) and Federal Circuit in patent litigation concerning coronary stents.*
  • Wins in S.D.N.Y. (on summary judgment) and Federal Circuit in competitor patent litigation on pertussis vaccines.*
  • Win in D.N.J. in a false advertising case concerning x-ray contrast agents.*
  • Numerous favorable settlements on behalf of clients. 

    *Experience prior to joining A&O Shearman. 

Speaking Engagements

  • Moderator, Managing the Continued Fallout of the INflation Reduction Act, ACI 11th Annual Summit for Women Leaders of Life Sciences, July 2024

Leadership Positions And Professional Affiliations

  • Member, American Bar Association
  • Member, American Intellectual Property Association
  • Member New York Intellectual Property Association
  • Member, New York City Bar Association

Recognition

Brilliant strategist on complex technical and legal issues.
Chambers Global USA Intellectual Property: Patent
She has excellent instincts, is sharp and intuitive and has an innate ability to understand a pharmaceutical client's business.
Chambers Global USA Intellectual Property: Patent

Awards

  • Band 2: Life Sciences: IP/Patent Litigation - Nationwide, Chambers USA, 2018 - 2025
  • Band 2: Intellectual Property: Patent - New York, Chambers USA, 2013 – 2025
  • Band 3: Intellectual Property - Nationwide, Chambers USA, 2021 - 2025
  • Top 250 Women in IP, Managing Intellectual Property, 2013-2025
  • Patent Star, Managing Intellectual Property IP Stars, 2013-2025
  • IAM Patent 1000 - United States: New York – Gold – Individuals: litigation, 2021 - 2025
  • 3x Winner, LMG Life Sciences Awards Hatch-Waxman Litigator of the Year
  • Top 250 Women in Litigation, Benchmark Litigation
  • Top 10% of practitioners (of more than 5,000 lawyers), Patexia IPR Intelligence Report
  • Top 50 Women in PTAB Trials, PTAB Bar Association
  • Leading practitioner for Life Sciences in U.S., Women in Business Law, Expert Guides
  • Named a Winning Litigator, National Law Journal
  • Past recipient, Euromoney Women in Business Law Best in Life Sciences Award
  • Law 360 Intellectual Property section editorial board

Qualifications

Admissions

Registered Foreign Lawyer, England and Wales, 2024

Admitted to the Bar of the State of New York, 1989

U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), 2001

U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York

U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit

U.S. Supreme Court

Academic

JD, Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, magna cum laude, 1988

BE (Chemical Engineering), The Cooper Union, 1985

Disclaimer
A&O Shearman was formed on May 1, 2024 by the combination of Shearman & Sterling LLP and Allen & Overy LLP and their respective affiliates (the legacy firms). Any matters referred to above may include matters undertaken by one or more of the legacy firms rather than A&O Shearman.