Erin M. Dunston is a shareholder at Buchanan Ingersoll Rooney. She is the Biotechnology practice group leader of the firm's Intellectual Property section and a member of the firm's Associates Committee. She focuses on inter partes reviews, interferences, district court litigation, opinions, and prosecution — primarily in the fields of biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, and medical devices. Her litigation practice includes classic infringement and declaratory judgment cases, as well as Paragraph IV cases.
In 2014, 2015, and 2016, Erin was recognized in IAM’s Patent 1000 list – the best-in-class listing of patent prosecution, licensing, and litigation practitioners and as an IP Star by Managing Intellectual Property. In 2014 and 2015, Erin was named a Leading Intellectual Property Lawyer by Chambers USA. Erin also received Lawyer Monthly’s Women in Law 2016 Award for her contributions to the practice of biotechnology law.
Erin has assisted in more than 40 interferences before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board. As a result, she is knowledgeable on all phases of interference work, ranging from pre-request analyses to preparation for and participation at final hearings and subsequent appeals to the Federal Circuit.
Erin’s significant interference experience before the PTAB serves as a useful backdrop to the America Invents Act post-grant proceedings, including inter partes reviews, post-grant reviews, covered business method patent reviews, and derivation matters. Erin has handled IPRs for both patent owners and petitioners.
In addition to the IPR matters that Erin is working on, she was also a panelist on the inaugural PTAB AIA Roundtable, held on April 15, 2014 at the United States Patent and Trademark Office. The panel discussed AIA trial statistics, lessons learned and techniques for successful motions practice. The fact pattern used at that roundtable, and all subsequent PTAB roundtables throughout the country, was initially drafted by Erin for a Pauline Newman Inn of Court meeting titled “Concurrent Post-Grant Proceedings: Dos, Don’ts, and Tips for Creating a Strong Record for Appeal or Civil Action,” where Erin moderated a panel of judges and practitioners.
To help to ensure familiarity with current patent practice and to complement her litigation, post-grant, and interference work, Erin maintains a significant patent prosecution docket. Erin has experience in all phases of patent prosecution, from pre-filing investigations and application drafting to appeals to the Patent Trial and Appeal Board and Federal Circuit.