The Financial Times featured WilmerHale's successful representation of Monsanto Company in the US Innovative Lawyers 2013 ranking and awards report released on November 21, 2013. The firm's high rankings this year placed it among the FT 40, which reflects the firms that not only deliver original and innovative services, but also "inspire eulogies from clients."
The annual report ranks US-based law firms that are "bringing fresh thinking and practices to solving business problems in America." This is the third consecutive year WilmerHale has been recognized as an innovative law firm by Financial Times.
WilmerHale was ranked as a "Standout" in the Litigation and Dispute Resolution category based on the innovative litigation strategies employed in Bowman v. Monsanto, a closely watched and highly publicized patent case. On May 13, 2013, WilmerHale secured a victory when the United States Supreme Court ruled unanimously in Monsanto's favor in Bowman v. Monsanto. The Court held that reproduction of soybeans containing Monsanto's patented Roundup Ready® trait without Monsanto's permission constitutes patent infringement, rejecting arguments that the "patent exhaustion" doctrine permitted farmers to grow new generations of soybeans containing the patented trait from seeds purchased outside of Monsanto's chain of distribution.
WilmerHale represented Monsanto before both the Supreme Court and the Federal Circuit. The lead partners included Paul Wolfson, Greg Lantier, Christopher Babbitt and Seth Waxman who argued the case before the Supreme Court. WilmerHale Partner Paul Wolfson argued the case before the Federal Circuit, with Partners Seth Waxman and Greg Lantier on the briefs.
Financial Times, along with RSG Consulting, assessed 355 submissions from law firms and in-house legal teams, conducting more than 530 interviews with lawyers and their clients to arrive at the final rankings in the annual report. The report was published with the US Financial Times newspaper and is also available on Financial Times' website.