Melvin H. Orlans, Counsel, Hunton & Williams LLP to Speak at KC’s Pay-for-Delay Antitrust Issues in the Pharmaceutical Industry: Updates and Enforcements in 2013

New York, NY, August 17, 2013 --(PR.com)-- The Knowledge Group/The Knowledge Congress Live Webcast Series, the leading producer of regulatory focused webcasts, has announced today that Melvin H. Orlans, Counsel, Hunton & Williams LLP will speak at the Knowledge Congress’ webcast entitled: “Pay-for-Delay Antitrust Issues in the Pharmaceutical Industry: Updates and Enforcements in 2013.” This event is scheduled for September 11, 2013 from 12:00pm – 2:00pm (ET).

For further details, please visit:
http://www.knowledgecongress.org/event_2013_Antitrust_Issues.html

About Melvin H. Orlans

Mel is currently Of Counsel to the Competition Team at Hunton & Williams. Since joining Hunton in 2005, Mel's responsibilities have included counseling clients regarding the antitrust implications of patent settlements and representing clients in FTC investigations of alleged "pay-for-delay" patent settlements. Mel has also made oral presentations on reverse payment patent settlements at industry gatherings and has authored an article on this subject. Prior to joining Hunton & Williams, Mel spent a considerable portion of his career at the FTC, where he served in numerous management and staff positions. In particular, Mel was Special Litigation Counsel in the Office of the General Counsel and Senior Litigation Counsel in the Bureau of Competition. Among his responsibilities during his lengthy tenure at the FTC, Mel was one of the FTC's lead trial attorneys in the Schering Plough reverse payments case.

About Hunton & Williams LLP

Hunton & Williams is the legal advisor of choice for industry leaders on six continents. With more than 800 attorneys practicing from 19 offices across the United States, Europe and Asia, we help clients realize new opportunities and solve complex problems with confidence. Founded in 1901, we blend more than a century of experience in virtually every key legal discipline with a broad view of current business realities and a forward-looking perspective on emerging issues, to provide legal and regulatory advice that will carry our clients well into the 21st century. We are regularly named by legal and business publications as among the top law firms for client service and as a place to work. The antitrust and competition practice group combines government and private litigation experience to address the full range of client needs. The group serves domestic and international companies in competition litigation, merger review counseling, intellectual property matters, consumer protection and privacy, and criminal antitrust defense and related price-fixing litigation.

Event Synopsis:

The growing number of pay-for-delay settlements in the pharmaceutical industry will continue to be a significant issue surrounding antitrust related matters. Under the pay-for-delay settlements, also known as reverse payment settlements, pharmaceutical patent holders pay generic drug manufacturers to not challenge the patent’s validity in court. The payment also seeks to have the generic manufacturer to delay the market entry of the generic drug. Recognizing the settlement’s impact on competition, the FTC continues to attempt to counter pay for delay settlements by filing antitrust lawsuits for patent infringement and by conducting investigations on its own. However, the courts so far seem to think otherwise as they continue to uphold reverse settlements as lawful and not a violation of antitrust laws.

A panel of thought leaders and experienced practitioners organized by The Knowledge Group will help drug manufacturers, patent attorneys and other interested professionals understand most significant issues involved in pay for delay agreements, including:

- Treatment of Reverse Settlements Under the Sherman Antitrust Act
- Pay-for-Delay Under the Hatch-Waxman Act
- Notable Patent Infringement Cases Relating to Pay-for-Delay and Key Takeaways
- Regulatory Works on the Increasing Use of Pay-for-Delay Settlements
- And so much more.

About The Knowledge Group, LLC/The Knowledge Congress Live Webcast Series

The Knowledge Congress was established with the mission to produce unbiased, objective, and educational live webinars that examine industry trends and regulatory changes from a variety of different perspectives. The goal is to deliver a unique multilevel analysis of an important issue affecting business in a highly focused format. To contact or register to an event, please visit: www.knowledgecongress.org.