Innovation, Intellectual Property & Antitrust (Presented by Troutman Pepper Locke)

Jeremy Heep | Troutman Pepper Locke

Jeremy, described as an “impressive trial counsel” by Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business, is a litigator with experience across a broad range of complex disputes. He is particularly focused on antitrust and international issues, and advocates for both domestic and international clients in local and cross-border disputes, as well as in international arbitration.

Jeremy represents clients in matters venued in Canada, China, France, England, Hong Kong, Isle of Man, Germany, Switzerland, the Netherlands, India, Singapore, British Virgin Islands, and Mauritius. He has handled international arbitrations under most major institutional rules, including the China International Economic and Trade Arbitration Commission (CIETAC), the Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre (HKIAC), the London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA), the International Court of Arbitration (ICC), and the International Centre for Dispute Resolution (ICDR).

Jeremy has also been involved in several of the U.S.’s leading antitrust litigation matters, including class actions. He is experienced in major industry sectors, including manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, industrials, and professional services.

Before entering private practice, Jeremy served as a trial attorney with the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), where he briefed and argued several cases in the Third, Sixth, and Ninth Circuits. He then spent two and a half years in Central Africa as director of the International Foundation for Election Systems (IFES) program in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where he managed a technical assistance program and provided advice on constitutional and electoral law reform.

Jeremy’s background includes serving in the U.S. Peace Corps, teaching as a high school teacher and environmental education volunteer, serving as a spokesperson for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Superfund program, and serving as an elections supervisor in Bosnia.

Robin P. Sumner | Troutman Pepper Locke

Robin is a first chair trial attorney for corporate clients navigating high-stakes claims in areas such as antitrust and competition law, the False Claims Act, consumer fraud, and other complex civil litigation. She has tried antitrust cases to verdict — a rare skillset that shapes her forward-thinking approach to resolving challenging disputes. Robin’s practice centers on clients in pharmaceutical and health care sectors, where she has built a strong track record of success in class actions and MDLs in state and federal court.

Robin has played a pivotal role in a wide range of complex litigation and regulatory matters. She represents both brand and generic drug manufacturers in high-stakes antitrust and consumer fraud class actions, including cases involving alleged reverse payment settlements, price-fixing conspiracies, and product contamination claims. Robin’s work has led to significant outcomes, such as dismissals at the pleadings stage, favorable settlements, and the denial of class certification. Robin has also successfully defended clients in multidistrict litigation and appeals, including securing a complete defense verdict in a major antitrust jury trial and winning summary judgment in federal court.

Beyond litigation, Robin advises clients on antitrust and competition issues related to health care delivery, compliance with fraud and abuse laws, and regulatory investigations by agencies such as the DOJ and FTC. Her experience encompasses counseling on competitor collaborations, sales and marketing practices, and due diligence for compliance matters, reflecting her broad and impactful contributions to her clients’ overall legal strategies.

Melissa O’Donnell | Troutman Pepper Locke

Melissa has significant experience representing biopharmaceutical clients and other players in the pharmaceutical supply and payment chain. She handles class action and large multidistrict litigations, including antitrust and economic loss cases. Melissa served as in-house counsel at a multinational, publicly traded health solutions company, where she handled enterprise-risk litigation and represented the company as a third party in antitrust investigations and litigation. Melissa’s time in-house helps her provide actionable, business-minded advice to her clients and strengthened her experience in the payor and PBM sectors of the health care system.

I. How current federal enforcement positions are shaping the intersection of intellectual property rights and antitrust law | 1:10pm – 1:25pm

II. Innovative antitrust theories being used to challenge or restrict environmental and sustainability collaborations | 1:25pm – 1:40pm

III. Lessons from the DOJ Antitrust Division’s recent Big Tech trials and their implications for innovation-focused enforcement | 1:40pm – 1:55pm

IV. The broader role of antitrust in promoting or potentially chilling market innovation going forward | 1:55pm – 2:10pm