Steven W. Parmelee

Steven W. Parmelee — Patent Litigation Practice Summary

Parmelee is a life-sciences–focused patent attorney whose practice centers on Hatch-Waxman/ANDA disputes, biologics and pharmaceutical patents, and post-grant proceedings at the PTAB. His web-available practice descriptions emphasize immunology, molecular biology, infectious disease, vaccines, monoclonal antibodies, microRNA, and medical devices, with earlier interference work spanning photolithography, wireless security protocols, and high-density recording media. In the single tracked matter — Apotex Inc. et al. v. Novartis AG — he appeared as lead counsel for Apotex (plaintiff/petitioner side, 1–0 in tracked appearances), though his broader docket shows work on both sides: petitioner-side IPRs for generic drug makers (Mylan, Apotex, Noven) and patent-owner-side victories for innovators such as Paragon BioTeck and Arbutus Biopharma.

He is currently Of Counsel in Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati's Seattle office, where he works alongside partner Michael Rosato. Before joining WSGR, he was a partner at national IP firm Christensen O'Connor Johnson Kindness (per Martindale), where his bio indicates he founded the Seattle office in 1990 and served as managing partner through 2008; he also spent time as in-house patent counsel for a Seattle technology company and a multinational pharmaceutical company.

Parmelee has more than 25 years of experience in PTAB inter partes proceedings, including patent interferences, IPRs, and covered-business-method reviews — frequently as lead counsel (e.g., IPR2017-00854, Apotex v. Novartis, challenging Novartis's U.S. Patent No. 9,187,405 covering 0.5 mg daily fingolimod/Gilenya dosing for relapsing-remitting MS; IPR2014-00549 on behalf of Noven/Mylan against Novartis). Notable verifiable results include University of Washington v. Eli Lilly & Co., where he represented the prevailing party in establishing the "two-way test" for interference declarations, and Paragon BioTeck v. Altaire, where WSGR won the first final written decision in a PGR confirming patentability of all challenged claims. He also represented the prevailing party in Affymetrix v. Incyte, a major gene-array dispute.

Bar / education: J.D., University of Denver Sturm College of Law (1984); M.S., Medical Microbiology, Creighton University; B.A., Zoology, University of Washington. Admitted Washington (1985), U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (Reg. No. 31,990), Federal Circuit, and W.D. Wash.