54 Trailblazers
WIPR Influential Women in IP 2019
www.worldipreview.com
Katie Coltart
PARTNER, KIRKLAND & ELLIS, UK
Since joining Kirkland & Ellis last year, Katie
Coltart—alongside two other partners—has
successfully built Kirkland’s IP litigation practice,
from scratch, in London.
She has extensive trial experience and, with
a background in biochemistry, Coltart is wellplaced
to assist clients with complex and technical
patent disputes in life sciences. She has expertise
in relation to antibodies and other biological
product development and screening platforms, as
well as immunotherapies, diagnostics, and nextgeneration
sequencing technologies.
Her other industry specialities include
telecoms, particularly in relation to standardessential
patents and FRAND (fair, reasonable,
and non-discriminatory) licensing disputes,
media and entertainment, online payment
services, retail, and next-generation tobacco
products.
Coltart’s clients have included American
biotech company Regeneron Pharmaceuticals,
global pharmaceutical companies Pfizer and
Novartis, and telecoms brand Research In Motion
(now known as BlackBerry).
Before joining Kirkland, Coltart worked as a
self-employed legal practitioner for three years.
Before that, she trained and worked at Allen &
Overy.
Alena Fischerova
ASSOCIATE, BOMHARD IP, SPAIN
At Bomhard IP, Alena Fischerova advises clients
on protection and enforcement strategies and
handles all kinds of proceedings before the
European Union Intellectual Property Office
(EUIPO).
She has represented clients including Lego,
Uniqlo and private members’ club chain Soho
House before the EU IP Office.
Fischerova has extensive experience in multijurisdictional
trademark portfolio management
and clearance, as well as negotiating and drafting
settlement agreements.
She has particular expertise in the cosmetics,
pharmaceutical, food and beverage, clothing, toy
and telecoms industries.
During her time as a legal assistant at the
EUIPO’s Boards of Appeal, Fischerova drafted
numerous decisions on appeals in English,
German and Czech in the area of trademark
procedural and substantive law on topics such
as non-traditional marks, reputation, and
geographical indications.
Fischerova also served as a legal assistant at
the Supreme Administrative Court of the Czech
Republic 2013/2014.
Tasha Francis
ASSOCIATE, FISH & RICHARDSON, US
Tasha Francis has represented some of the largest
pharmaceutical and biotech companies in the
world.
Last year, alongside other attorneys at Fish
& Richardson, Francis helped Gilead Sciences
obtain judgment as a matter of law which reversed
a $2.5 billion jury verdict—the largest award of
patent damages in history—against Gilead, in a
patent infringement dispute with Merck & Co
over hepatitis C drugs Sovaldi and Harvoni.
Francis, who has a PhD in chemical biology,
focuses her practice on Hatch-Waxman litigation,
post-grant proceedings at the US Patent and
Trademark office, trade secret litigation, patent
prosecution, and proceedings related to the
Biologics Price Competition and Innovation Act.
Francis is dedicated to the advancement of
women in STEM and in law; she currently cochairs
the Women’s Initiative Group in Fish
& Richardson’s Twin Cities office, and she is
also co-chair of the IP group of the Federal Bar
Association, Minnesota Chapter. Through these
positions, Francis seeks to serve as a mentor and
actively support the advancement of women in
law.
Emma Fulton
COUNSEL, HOGAN LOVELLS, UK
As counsel at Hogan Lovells, Emma Fulton focuses
her practice on the life sciences and electronics.
Fulton has extensive litigation experience at all
levels of the UK courts, as well as experience in the
European Patent Office and the Court of Justice
of the European Union.
Her clients include Eli Lilly, MSD and BMS
and she was a vital part of the team secured a win
for Eli Lilly in the landmark 2017 UK Supreme
Court case relating to its blockbuster oncology
product. For the past four years, Fulton has
been co-ordinating the European litigation on
the product, which is now taking place in 15
countries.
Fulton is an active member of the ChIPS
network and is currently part of the action
group working on updating the Patents Court
guide and draft model Orders to encourage
more opportunities for junior IP barristers and
solicitor-advocates to conduct advocacy in court.
As well as her IP practice, Fulton is committed
to Hogan Lovells’ pro bono efforts and has
prepared and supervised a number of claims to
the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority.