Michael Sitzman joins DLA Piper's Intellectual Property and Technology practice in Northern California

DLA Piper announced today that Michael Sitzman has joined the firm's Intellectual Property and Technology practice as a partner in Northern California, based in the San Francisco office. He will serve as US chair of the firm's Life Sciences Patent Litigation practice.

Sitzman represents brand-name pharmaceutical companies in biologic and drug patent litigation, including ANDA litigation. He also represents a broad array of biotechnology companies in high-stakes patent litigation involving recombinant DNA, CAR-T technology, antisense technology, protein synthesis and regulation and immunological markers.

"Mike is a first-chair trial lawyer with extensive experience in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology fields," said Mark Fowler, global co-chair and US chair of DLA Piper's Patent Litigation practice. "His experience enhances our capabilities in these key sectors and strengthens our global platform immensely."

"The demand for practitioners who have a deep understanding of the highly technical issues impacting companies in the life sciences sector continues to grow in the Bay Area," said Stephen Cowan, managing partner of the firm's San Francisco office. "Adding Mike to our team will bolster our patent litigation bench, and clients will benefit from his diverse skillset and strong track record of experience."

Sitzman joins from Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher. He received his J.D. from the University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law and his B.S. from the University of California, Davis.