Language
English
Bar Admissions
New York
Admissions
United States Patent and Trademark Office
Heather M. Schneider is an experienced IP practitioner and Past President of the New York Intellectual Property Association (NYIPLA). Ms. Schneider’s practice focuses on patent litigation and IP strategy, as well as transactional and antitrust issues that involve intellectual property. Her litigation experience encompasses numerous technologies, including pharmaceuticals and biologic products, medical devices, and chemical and industrial products.
Her transactional experience includes client counseling on patent, copyright, and trademark issues, including licensing, development and collaboration agreements, mergers, and bankruptcy. She also advises clients on IP prosecution and enforcement strategy, acquisitions, financing, and ownership structures, as well as the intersection of IP law with AI, privacy, and cybersecurity.
Heather has a Masters in Computer Science from Pace University and a graduate certificate in Genetics and Genomics from the Stanford University Center for Professional Development.
Ms. Schneider was recognized by IAM Patent 1000 as a top patent litigator in 2024.
- Confidential Vaccine and Biosimilar Matters – Evaluate patents for companies developing vaccines and biosimilars, including patents directed to proteins, cell culture media, polynucleotides, vectors, host cells, and production methods.
- Amgen v. Celltrion (denosumab) – Represented Celltrion in district court litigation involving numerous patents asserted by Amgen regarding its Prolia/Xgeva product. The case settled favorably after expedited discovery.
- Alnylam v. Pfizer; Arbutus v. Pfizer; GSK v. Pfizer – Represented Pfizer in multiple litigations related to its COVID-19 vaccine.
- Relief Therapeutics – Led deal team with corporate partner negotiating a collaboration agreement with NeuroRx for the worldwide commercialization of RLF-100™ (Aviptadil), a pharmaceutical treatment with potential application for the treatment of COVID-19 patients.
- Amgen v. Hospira (erythropoietin) – Trial counsel in first jury trial under the BPCIA, which resulted in a split decision on patent infringement, validity, and Safe Harbor issues.
- AbbVie v. Hospira (paricalcitol) – Trial counsel in district court victory for Hospira in patent infringement case regarding generic version of Zemplar. Court ruled that Hospira’s product does not infringe AbbVie’s U.S. patent, ending multi-year litigation.
- UCB v. Actavis (rotigotine) – Represented Actavis in district court litigation regarding generic version of Neuro transdermal patch.
- Novartis v. Actavis (fingolimod) – Represented Actavis in district court litigation and settlement regarding generic version of Gilenya.
- Hospira and Orion v. Sandoz (Precedex) – Trial counsel in district court victory protecting the validity and enforceability of Hospira’s patent for the active ingredient in the sedative Precedex (dexmedetomidine). Represented Hospira in appeal, settlement, and follow-on suits against other Paragraph IV filers.
- Purdue v. Amneal (oxycodone HCl) – Counsel for appellees Amneal and Kashiv Pharma, LLC defending multiple IPR decisions invalidating OxyContin patents.
- Arkema v. Honeywell – Represented chemical company Arkema in declaratory judgment action seeking to invalidate patents directed to HFO-1234yf, a hydrofluorocarbon used in automobile refrigeration. Case included favorable interlocutory appeal to Federal Circuit.
- Hocking Int’l Labs v. Eco Agro Resources – Obtained a preliminary injunction and favorable settlement for Hocking to stop tortious interference with customers for a patented agricultural chemical fertilizer.
Education
- Genetics and Genomics Certificate, Stanford University Center for Professional Development, 2017
- J.D., Columbia University School of Law (Kent Scholar, Stone Scholar), 2006
- M.S., Computer Science, Pace University (Upsilon Pi Upsilon), 1998
- B.A., Political Science, Ohio University (Phi Beta Kappa), 1993
Recognition
- Ms. Schneider has been a key member of highly recognized IP departments, with group rankings in Chambers USA 2023 (New York) and IAM Patent 1000 (2023). She was recognized by IAM Patent 100 as a top patent litigator in 2024.
- Ms. Schneider is Past President of the New York Intellectual Property Law Association (2022-2023). She organized the 101st Annual Dinner in Honor of the Federal Judiciary, where she awarded the Outstanding Public Service Award to Chief Judge Rodney Gilstrap of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas and welcomed keynote speaker Dr. Mae C. Jemison, a physician, engineer, former NASA astronaut, and leader of the 100 Year Starship non-profit for space exploration.
- Ms. Schneider is former chair and current member of the Advisory Board for the Pace University Seidenberg School of Computer Science and Information Systems. She was honored at the 2025 Seidenberg Innovation Awards (SIA), an annual celebration of leaders who enhance access and elevate students of diverse backgrounds to prepare for meaningful careers in tech.
- Prior to attending law school, Ms. Schneider was a Senior Technical Consultant for Hewlett-Packard where she worked on projects for companies like Coca-Cola, Lifetime Television, Con Edison Communications, Merrill Lynch, and others. She authored many articles and is co-author of the book Mobile Applications: Architecture, Design, and Development (Prentice Hall 2004).
Bar admissions and qualifications
- Ms. Schneider is admitted to practice in New York, the U.S. District Courts for the Southern District and Eastern District of New York, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit and before the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
- U.S. Supreme Court Highlights Enablement and the Full Scope of Invention in Amgen Inc. v. Sanofi, Client Alert with M. Johnson (May 19, 2023).
- Patent Ownership and Litigation Financing: A New Era Begins in Delaware?, with E. Chang and O. Lu, Intellectual Property & Technology Law Journal, Wolters Kluwer (Dec. 2022).
- U.S. Supreme Court Rules Patent Office Judge Oversight Unconstitutional but Offers New Fix to System, Client Alert with M. Johnson (June 23, 2021).
- GlaxoSmithKline v. Teva – Induced Infringement Despite Skinny Labels, JPPCLE 2021 Webinar Series (June 9, 2021).
- Trade Secret Updates: Litigation Developments and IP Waivers, Biosimilar Webinar Series with M. Johnson (June 9, 2021).
- IP COVID-19 Update: Government Activities Impacting Pricing, Supply, and Research and Development in the Pharmaceutical and Medical Supply Industries, with M. Johnson (April 28, 2020).
- Recent Court Decisions That Are Shaping Patent Law, PLI Patent Law Institute (April 2, 2020).
- When Does an Unsuccessful Petitioner Have Standing to Appeal an Adverse PTAB Decision?, with T. Thieme and J. Blanton, NYIPLA, The Report (Summer/Fall 2019).
- Organized and moderated panel on Market Developments in Biosimilars with speakers from BIO, AAM, CLSA, and Charles River Associates in San Francisco, CA in conjunction with J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference (Jan. 9, 2019).
- Mini-Roundtable, IP Infringements in the Life Sciences Sector, Corporate Disputes (Oct-Dec 2018).
- PTAB Developments Involving CRISPR-Cas9 Gene Editing Technology, with M. Johnson, NYIPLA, The Report (April/May 2017).
- “RAND” or “FRAND” Royalties: Considerations After Microsoft v. Motorola, with E. Chang and S. Lombardi, ABA Section of Antitrust Law, The Antitrust Counselor, Vol. 7.3 (June 2013).
- Frequently Asked Antitrust Questions, Chapter on Antitrust & Intellectual Property with D. Park and J. Lucena-Pichardo, ABA Section of Antitrust Law (2d Ed. April 2013).
- NYIPLA, Patent/Antitrust Concerns Arising in Corporate Transactions (Jan. 16, 2014).
- Hot Topics at the Intersection of Intellectual Property and Antitrust (Sept. 30, 2014; Apr. 20, 2015; Feb. 17, 2016).
- Mobile Applications: Architecture, Design & Development, with V. Lee and R. Schell, Prentice Hall PTR Books (April 2004).