Ms. Blais has been litigating patent cases for two decades. She has advised clients and participated in all phases of patent litigation, from initial counseling up through trial and appeal. Ms. Blais has worked on patent cases involving diverse areas of technology, including pharmaceutical products (Teva Pharmaceuticals, Fresenius Kabi, Hikma), biosimilars (Celltrion, Association for Accessible Medicines), stem cell technology (ViaCell, Inc.), secure financial transactions (Fidelity), prepaid wireless technology (Freedom Wireless), the Internet (Lycos, Inc.), email tracking systems (Eloqua), semiconductor manufacturing tools (Applied Materials), consumer products (P&G), automatic transmission shift cables, software for reducing artifacts in MRI images, gaming devices and methods, glider designs, steel processing lines and spinal implants.
She has also represented clients in cases involving copyrights, trademarks, trade secrets, unfair competition and patent-related antitrust issues. Ms. Blais has also filed amicus briefs on behalf of firm clients in a number of significant patent cases before the U.S. Supreme Court and the Federal Circuit sitting en banc, including Therasense v. Becton Dickinson, Microsoft v. i4i, and Caraco v. Novo Nordisk.
Ms. Blais has devoted a significant amount of her practice to counseling clients and advocating to Congress on behalf of clients regarding patent policy. In this capacity, she has worked on various pieces of legislation impacting the pharmaceutical industry, including the Biologics Price Competition & Innovation Act and the America Invents Act. Ms. Blais has been involved in drafting proposed legislation and has made numerous presentations before Congressional members and staff.
Additionally, Ms. Blais has an active pro bono practice. For the last five years, she has represented unaccompanied immigrant and refugee children in their deportation proceedings through Kids in Need of Defense (KIND). Since 2008, she has also represented adults seeking asylum through The Political Asylum/Immigration Representation Project (PAIR) and represented Ugandan lesbians through Immigration Equality, which provides legal counsel to the LGBT and HIV-positive immigrant community. Ms. Blais is co-chair of the board of the civil rights advocates Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights and Economic Justice, providing pro bono legal representation to victims of discrimination based on race or national origin residing in Greater Boston and throughout Massachusetts. Through the Lawyers’ Committee, Ms. Blais is involved in the support of Massachusetts sanctuary cities Chelsea and Lawrence, seeking to establish that these cities are in full compliance with federal immigration law.
