Jessamyn S. Berniker

Jessamyn S. Berniker is a highly experienced patent litigator and co-chair of the Patent Litigation practice at Williams & Connolly LLP, where she has practiced since 2002. Her practice focuses on complex patent litigation and licensing disputes across a broad range of technology sectors. She has extensive experience in the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, electronic, mechanical, digital media, and medical device industries. Berniker's scientific background includes a B.S. in chemistry and prior organic chemistry research at Argonne National Laboratory, which underpins her work in life sciences intellectual property.

Berniker primarily represents operating companies, serving as counsel to prominent corporations such as AstraZeneca, Pfizer, Merck, Takeda, Roche, Novartis, Bayer, Ionis, Alnylam, and Danaher. While the internal data indicates one tracked plaintiff-side appearance, her broader practice as evidenced by client representation typically involves defending major corporations against infringement claims and enforcing their intellectual property rights. She has participated in thirteen district court trials and arbitration hearings, and has argued before the Federal Circuit.

In addition to district court and appellate litigation, Berniker is active in administrative proceedings, appearing regularly before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) in inter partes review (IPR) proceedings. She also previously served as the Co-Chair of the Pharma Litigation subcommittee for the ABA Intellectual Property Law Patent Litigation Committee.

Jessamyn Berniker earned her B.S. in chemistry, magna cum laude, from Pacific Lutheran University in 1998, and her J.D., cum laude, from Harvard Law School. Following law school, she clerked for Judge Arthur J. Gajarsa of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.