Norton Rose Fulbright Adds Two Partners to Washington, DC IP Team

Norton Rose Fulbright expanded its Washington, DC office by adding two partners to its intellectual property disputes team, aiming to strengthen its capabilities in pharmaceutical and biotechnology matters.

Sanya Sukduang and Jon Davies joined the firm from Cooley, bringing experience in patent litigation for life sciences clients. Their backgrounds include handling disputes related to Hatch-Waxman, BPCIA, and trade secrets, as well as competitor patent issues.

According to the firm, both new partners are licensed to practice in Washington, DC and Maryland. Sukduang has focused on patent litigation for brand pharmaceutical companies, biologics, trade secrets, and medical devices for over twenty years, while Davies holds a PhD in molecular genetics and specializes in pharmaceutical and biotechnology patent litigation.

Bloomberg Law reported that the two litigators previously worked together at Finnegan for more than a decade before joining Cooley in 2020. Their move to Norton Rose Fulbright is intended to enhance the firm's patent litigation bench for pharmaceutical clients.

What the numbers show

• 22 percent of respondents to Norton Rose Fulbright’s 21st Annual Litigation Trends Survey reported increased IP litigation exposure last year
• Both new partners are licensed in Washington, DC and Maryland
• Sanya Sukduang has over 20 years of experience in life sciences patent litigation

Norton Rose Fulbright stated that advances in artificial intelligence are expected to enhance intellectual property enforcement in 2026, which may result in more patent litigation. The firm’s recent survey indicated a notable portion of respondents experienced increased exposure to intellectual property disputes in the previous year.

Sukduang received his law degree from American University Washington College of Law and a bachelor’s degree in biology from Boston College. Davies earned his law degree and PhD from Ohio State University and holds a bachelor’s degree from Grove City College.

Jeff Cody, who serves as Global and US Managing Partner at Norton Rose Fulbright, said in a statement that these hires reinforce the firm’s commitment to leadership in intellectual property law and life sciences.

The addition of Sukduang and Davies is part of the firm’s ongoing efforts to address the growing complexity of intellectual property litigation in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology sectors.

* This article is based on publicly available information at the time of writing.