When Gilead Sciences was sued by the federal government for $1 billion regarding alleged patent violations, the company turned to intellectual property litigators at Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr for its defense.

The case—the first time the government sued a pharmaceutical company for patent infringement—was closely watched by the industry because a loss for Gilead could have meant a disruption in the long history of pharmaceutical companies collaborating with the government to make drugs. But the team at Wilmer was able to pull off a win for the drug company in May.