Veteran Intellectual Property Lawyers Russell Chorush and Les Payne Named ‘Texas Trailblazers’
Texas Lawyer magazine spotlights firm co-founders as ‘agents of change’
HOUSTON – Heim, Payne & Chorush is proud to announce that firm co-founders Russell Chorush and Les Payne have been recognized as “IP Trailblazers” by Texas Lawyer magazine.
Featured in the October issue of the legal news publication, the Trailblazers list honors “agents of change” who have made significant marks on the practice, policy and technological advancement of the law.
The publication highlighted Dr. Chorush for pioneering work in patent-related antitrust litigation against pharmaceutical companies that abuse patent laws to maintain drug monopolies. Most recently, he served as co-counsel in litigation against the manufacturer of Alzheimer’s drug Namenda. Law360 described the $750 million settlement in that case as one of the largest ever by a single drugmaker in an antitrust case.
Texas Lawyer wrote: “Russ Chorush has found his calling representing direct purchasers in their disputes with brand name and generic pharmaceutical manufacturers that collude to prevent less expensive drugs from reaching the market. His advocacy has led to more than $2 billion in recoveries on behalf of clients.”
Mr. Payne was credited with his leadership role in patent infringement litigation involving Commil USA, which resulted in a precedent-setting U.S. Supreme Court ruling. The publication also highlighted Mr. Payne’s leadership within the patent bar. Earlier this year, he was among a small group who advised Judge Rodney Gilstrap, Chief U.S. District Judge for the Eastern District of Texas, regarding procedures for adapting to COVID-19 restrictions affecting one of the nation’s busiest patent litigation dockets.
“Having represented clients during periods when patent laws and regulations favored defendants and periods when they favored owners, Payne has adapted his practice to the ever-evolving patent litigation landscape,” Texas Lawyer wrote. Mr. Payne has noted: “It’ll take several years for the pendulum to swing back to neutral, and part of that will be due to inter partes reviews.”
Firm co-founder and managing partner Mike Heim was featured in the 2017 listing of Texas Trailblazers. The full list of 2020 Texas Trailblazers can be found in Texas Lawyer magazine’s October/November issue and online: https://images.law.com/media/texaslawyer/supplements/TXLTB_2020/mobile/index.html
Heim, Payne & Chorush, LLP, represents plaintiffs and defendants in litigation across a broad range of technologies and business sectors. With a wide variety of technical and scientific backgrounds, firm attorneys handle all facets of intellectual property litigation for some of the largest energy and technology firms, as well as individuals and smaller companies. Ranked among the best firms in Texas for patent litigation by Chambers USA, Heim, Payne & Chorush takes pride in its ability to partner with other attorneys and firms to bring the best possible trial team together for the benefit of the client. To learn more about the firm and the work it does, visit www.hpcllp.com.