Cristina Q. Almendarez

Cristina Q. Almendarez is a Senior Managing Associate at Benesch Friedlander Coplan & Aronoff LLP, based in Chicago, where she concentrates her practice on intellectual property litigation. Her expertise spans patent infringement, as well as trademark, copyright, and trade secret matters. Ms. Almendarez handles disputes across a diverse array of technologies and industries, including biologic and pharmaceutical drugs, telecommunications technology, parental control software, automotive parts, consumer goods, and food processing and packaging machinery.

Her practice primarily involves defending operating companies against allegations of infringement. She has represented clients in matters through all phases of litigation, from pre-suit analysis to trial and appeal. Notable engagements include representing Hewlett Packard Enterprise Co. in an appeal to the Federal Circuit concerning an inter partes review (IPR) related to a patent, where HPE joined a Cisco-initiated IPR. Ms. Almendarez also secured a full defense verdict for Feit Electric in a patent infringement jury trial and achieved a successful termination for Sandoz Inc. in patent litigation regarding a biosimilar version of Amgen's Neulasta® drug. She also assisted in appeals that invalidated a pharmaceutical company's patent related to the infliximab antibody.

Ms. Almendarez possesses experience coordinating parallel district court litigation with USPTO inter partes review proceedings, indicating her proficiency in PTAB matters. Her firm profile highlights her involvement in early cases under the Biologics Price Competition and Innovation Act (BPCIA), representing Hospira, Inc., Celltrion, Inc., and Celltrion Healthcare Co., Ltd. against Janssen Biotech, Inc. regarding a biosimilar version of Remicade®.

Ms. Almendarez earned her J.D. from Harvard University Law School in 2014 and holds a B.S. in Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology from Yale University. She is admitted to practice before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.