Prior to joining Goodwin, Mr. Romeo worked as a medicinal chemist at Merck Research Laboratories. While at Merck, Mr. Romeo designed and synthesized drug compounds to treat cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, asthma, and schizophrenia. Mr. Romeo is named as an inventor on a number of Merck patents and performed the first synthesis of MK-8351, a novel asthma drug that progressed into clinical development.
From December, 2017, through June 2018, Mr. Romeo served as a Special Assistant District Attorney in the Middlesex County District Attorney’s office in Lowell, Massachusetts. In this capacity, Mr. Romeo prosecuted over 200 misdemeanor and felony cases, tried more than 10 jury and bench trials, and argued over 25 dispositive and evidentiary motions.
Some of Mr. Romeo’s recent representations include:
- In re Bendamustine Consolidated Cases: Representing Cephalon, Inc. in patent litigation against 18 defendants involving Cephalon’s branded cancer drug, Treanda®. The U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware issued a final decision in favor of Cephalon, upholding the validity and finding infringement of all patents-in-suit following a bench trial. The case is now on appeal.
- Coalition for Affordable Drugs VIII, LLC v. The Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania: Represented patent owner the Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania in an inter partes review proceeding involving patents directed to the treatment of hypercholesterolemia and hyperlipidemia with a novel dosing regimen for the drug lomitapide. The PTAB issued a final decision in favor of the patent owner, upholding the validity of the patent-in-suit.
- Merck, Sharpe & Dohme Corp. v. Actavis Laboratories FL, Inc.: Represented Actavis as ANDA-defendant in patent litigation involving Merck’s branded antifungal drug Noxafil® (posaconazole).Following a bench trial in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey, the case was settled favorably.
- Sanofi-Aventis U.S. LLC v. Fresenius Kabi USA, LLC: Representing Fresenius Kabi and Actavis as ANDA-defendants in patent litigation involving Sanofi’s branded cancer drug Jevtana® (cabazitaxel).Following a bench trial, the case is currently on appeal.
- Representation of a 10-year-old client from El Salvador in federal immigration proceedings. The client was granted asylum in the United States in 2016. In 2017, Goodwin received the Adams Pro Bono Publico Award from the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court for, among other activities, the firm’s work on this asylum case. The client received permanent resident status in 2018.
- Preparation of clemency petitions for several federal inmates serving long sentences for narcotics violations. In 2016, President Obama granted clemency to four of Mr. Romeo’s clients, two of which were serving life sentences.
- Representation of the Louis D. Brown Peace Institute and other social justice organizations in the submission of an amicus brief to the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court in Commonwealth v. Nathan Enesto Lugo. The case, which is currently pending, involves the constitutionality of imposing mandatory life sentences on juvenile offenders.