Preetha Chakrabarti

, Counsel New York
pchakrabarti@crowell.com
Phone: +1 212.895.4327
590 Madison Avenue, 20th Floor
New York, NY 10022-2544

Preetha Chakrabarti is a counsel in Crowell & Moring's New York office and is a member of the firm's Intellectual Property and Environment & Natural Resources groups. Preetha's intellectual property practice consists of litigation, counseling, and prosecution. Her patent and trademark litigation work includes proceedings in front of the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (TTAB), and involves various industries, from chemicals to pharmaceutical, biotech, software, apparel, fashion, retail, luxury, beauty, and wearable technology. Preetha also performs due diligence relating to intellectual property issues in corporate transactions and assists clients with trademark clearance and the filing of trademark and patent applications with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). In particular, Preetha advises clients in the retail and fashion industries on how best to manage risks when using and developing intellectual property. Preetha's experience with the Environment & Natural Resources Group includes assisting clients with regulatory issues arising under the Administrative Procedure Act, TSCA, FIFRA, CERCLA, the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA), and various federal and state environmental laws.

Representative Engagements

  • Lonza Walkersville, Inc. v. Cellular Dynamics International, Inc., No. 1:16-cv-01304 (D. Del.) – Represent Lonza Walkersville, Inc. in an infringement suit involving seven stem-cell related patents.
  • Spark Networks USA, LLC v. Smooch Labs, Inc., No. 14-cv-9027 (S.D.N.Y.) (represented plaintiff in patent and trademark infringement action).
  • LifeNet Health v. Lifecell, No. 13-cv-00486 (E.D. Va.) (represented plaintiff in patent infringement action involving a tissue graft patent as part of a litigation team that obtained a jury verdict of over $34 million).
  • Pfizer Inc. et al. v. Actavis Laboratories FL, Inc., No. 11-cv-914 (D. Del.) (represented Actavis in a patent infringement case concerning Actavis’ ANDA for a generic version of Embeda® (morphine sulfate and naltrexone hydrochloride)).
  • Takeda Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. et al. v. Handa Pharmaceuticals, LLC and Par Pharmaceutical, Inc., No. 11-cv-840 (N.D. Cal.), and Par Pharmaceutical, Inc. and Handa Pharmaceuticals, LLC v. Takeda Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. et al., 13-cv-1927 (N.D. Cal.) (represented Handa and Par in patent infringement cases concerning Par’s ANDA for a generic version of Dexilant® (dexlansoprazole)).

Preetha's pro bono practice includes cases involving immigration, family, and employment law, as well as IP counseling for non-profit entities. Preetha also successfully represented Sandra Avery, a woman sentenced to life in prison for a non-violent, low-level drug crime, who sought commutation of her sentence from President Obama, reducing her life sentence to time served. Sandra was one of the 95 non-violent drug offenders to whom President Obama granted clemency in December 2015. In recognition of her pro bono contributions, Preetha received the firm’s 2015 George Bailey Award.

Preetha received her J.D. from Fordham University School of Law in 2012, where she graduated magna cum laude, was a Stein Scholar for the Public Interest and a notes & articles editor for the Environmental Law Review. While in law school, Preetha worked as an extern for the Legal Aid Society in New York and the U.S. Attorney's Office, Criminal Division, Southern District of New York. During her final semester of law school, Preetha participated in LawWithoutWalls, a part-virtual collaboratory that develops problem-solving and project management business skills necessary to provide effective legal services in today's global, multi-disciplinary, and cross-cultural marketplace. Preetha's group placed first in key presentation categories, and overall, the group was one of three finalists. 

Prior to joining Crowell & Moring, Preetha worked as a science teacher and administrator at both private and public schools in the New York City metropolitan area. She received her B.A., cum laude, in biology and classics from Brown University and an M.A. from Columbia University, Teachers College, in secondary science education.


Affiliations

Admitted to practice: New York, New Jersey, U.S. Supreme Court, U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York, U.S. District Court for New Jersey, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals

Memberships

  • New York City Bar Association (Member, Fashion Law Committee, 2015-2018 term; Member, Environmental Law Committee, 2017-2020 term) 
  • New York Intellectual Property Law Association (Member, Legislative Action Committee, Young Lawyers' Committee)
  • Leadership Council on Legal Diversity, (Pathfinder Program, 2015; 1L Mentor, 2016)
  • American Bar Association, Intellectual Property Law, Environmental, Energy and Resources Law, and Science & Technology Committees (Co-Chair, Cleantech and Climate Change Committee; Vice-Chair, Food, Cosmetics and Nutraceuticals Committee)
  • Intellectual Property Owners Association (IPO) (Member, Emerging Companies Committee, 2016-2017; 2017-2018 terms)
  • Fordham University School of Law, Stein Alumni Advisory Board (Member)
  • New York Foundling (Junior Board Member)
  • Urban Assembly School for Criminal Justice (Advisory Board Chair)
  • LawWithoutWalls (Participant, 2012; Alumni Advisor, 2017)

Awards

Empire State Counsel for Pro Bono Service, 2013, 2014, 2015, & 2016
Legal Aid Society’s Pro Bono Publico Award, 2016



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Firm News & Announcements

Jan.04.2018 Crowell & Moring Elects Seven New Partners and Promotes 23 Associates to Counsel
Nov.07.2016 Legal Aid Society Honors Crowell & Moring Attorneys for Protecting the Rights of Low Income Workers