Latham Steps in for Novartis After Kirkland Conflict Withdrawal

A team of Latham & Watkins litigators, including a recent recruit from Cravath Swaine & Moore, are now representing pharmaceutical company Novartis AG in a high-stakes lawsuit after lawyers from rival Kirkland & Ellis dropped out.

Latham entered the case Monday, according to a court filing, replacing the Kirkland team that withdrew after an alleged conflict of interest. Latham partner David Marriott, who joined the firm this month from Cravath, is part of the group along with Maggy Sullivan and Ashley Fry.

Regeneron Inc. alleges Novartis colluded to prevent it from offering an eye medication called EYLEA in the US. The case has seen an unusual amount of lawyer switching—with some of Regeneron’s attorneys also hitting the exit—and serves as an example of how conflict accusations in court can shuffle clients’ plans for their teams of attorneys.

Regeneron challenged Novartis’ hiring of Kirkland in June, arguing that lawyers from the firm had helped Regeneron develop a global intellectual property strategy to protect the eye-disease medication. The company said it was “unthinkable” the firm would now represent an adversary in litigation.

Kirkland developed an ethical firewall for the lawyers working on the Novartis matter, according to a court filing, but the firm opted to withdraw from the case before a judge heard arguments over the conflicts challenge.

Regeneron has also seen changes in its litigator lineup since filing the case in 2020.

A group of Weil Gotshal partners filed the complaint, including Elizabeth Stotland Weiswasser, Anish Desai, Eric Hochstadt, Steven Newborn, and Michael Moiseyev. Weiswasswer and Desai remain on the case after moving to Paul Weiss late last year. Hochstadt since moved to Orrick. Newborn retired, and Moiseyev remains at Weil, though he no longer works on the Regeneron matter, according to the court docket.

The Paul Weiss group previously included Karen Dunn, Bill Isaacson, and Martha Goodman. Those lawyers departed the case after they left Paul Weiss to launch a new litigation boutique.

For Marriott, who spent three decades at Cravath, the case represents a fast start at his new firm. It’s also a win for Latham’s efforts this year to bulk up its antitrust litigation practice, which the firm says has added five partners since February.

Latham this year has been busy poaching from top rivals in New York, such as Cravath, Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz, and Weil Gotshal across practices including M&A, bankruptcy and capital markets.

Kirkland on Monday announced the hire of antitrust lawyer Maria Raptis, who’d been a longtime partner partner at Skadden. Raptis advises on M&A-related and litigation antitrust matters.

The case is: Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc. v. Novartis Pharma AG et al, S.D.N.Y., 7:20-cv-05502, 8/11/25.