Adam LaRock

I'll research this attorney before drafting.

Adam C. LaRock — Director, Sterne, Kessler, Goldstein & Fox P.L.L.C. (Washington, D.C.)

Specialty / focus. LaRock is a patent litigator in Sterne Kessler's Trial & Appellate Practice Group whose practice centers on pharmaceuticals and biotechnology — Hatch-Waxman/ANDA litigation, BPCIA biosimilar disputes, and brand-vs.-brand pharma cases, with client descriptions spanning generics, innovators, and biosimilars. His firm bio also lists non-pharma work, including an electronics appeal from an IPR on near-field communication devices, a utility-services dispute over stray-voltage-detection patents, and diagnostic gene-testing litigation. There is no indication of a Wi-Fi/standards-essential-patent or mechanical-arts focus.

Side preference. The tracked case list here is thin — one appearance, defendant side — and the underlying case name is not populated, so it should not be read as a reliable measure of his practice mix. Independent sources describe work on both sides: he has represented generic/biosimilar clients in ANDA cases, brand companies and a university in Hatch-Waxman matters, and appeared as plaintiff's counsel (pro hac vice) for American Regent in American Regent, Inc. v. Long Grove Pharmaceuticals, LLC (D.N.J. 2:24-cv-07804). Patexia's 2025 ANDA report ranked him top-10 for plaintiff-side activity and performance. He is not an NPE/PAE-side practitioner.

Firm and prior history. He has been a Sterne Kessler director since January 1, 2018 (previously an associate at the firm). Earlier in his career he is listed at Fitzpatrick, Cella, Harper & Scinto in New York in a 2009–2010 NYIPLA bulletin and in USPTO registration data; that prior-firm history is only weakly sourced and should be verified before relying on it.

Notable matters. He was part of the Sterne Kessler team representing Teva in Adapt Pharma Operations Ltd. v. Teva Pharmaceuticals USA, Inc., where the Federal Circuit (No. 20-2106, Feb. 10, 2022) affirmed the District of New Jersey's invalidation of four Narcan/naloxone nasal-spray patents as obvious. He was also on the team that obtained a $9.5 million jury verdict for Mallinckrodt in Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals Ireland Ltd. v. Airgas Therapeutics LLC (D. Del. 1:22-cv-01648, verdict Sept. 2025), finding willful infringement of INOmax patents (team led by Dennies Varughese; Deirdre Wells as lead trial counsel).

PTAB/IPR. He appears regularly in PTAB proceedings, including as backup counsel for petitioners in Amneal Pharmaceuticals v. Almirall, IPR2019-00207, and Revance Therapeutics v. Medy-Tox, IPR2021-01204, and for patent owner Cipla in Argentum Pharmaceuticals v. Cipla, IPR2017-00807 (Dymista). He has also handled Federal Circuit appeals from IPRs.

Bar / education. Admitted in the District of Columbia and New York; registered patent attorney (USPTO Reg. No. 64,681); admitted to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. J.D., University of New Hampshire Franklin Pierce School of Law; B.S. in chemistry, Clarkson University (with Great Distinction). Contributing author, Pre-ANDA Litigation (ABA, 3d ed. 2022).