California Lawyer recently honored Jordan Elias with a California Lawyer Attorney of the Year (CLAY) award. The CLAY awards are given each year to attorneys who have influenced law and society through groundbreaking work. Jordan was recognized for his role in In re Cipro Cases I & II, an antitrust matter involving Bayer’s payment of nearly $400 million to foreclose competition to its blockbuster antibiotic Cipro, and the lower prices that otherwise would have prevailed. Jordan’s work helped persuade the California Supreme Court to reverse a grant of summary judgment for the defendant pharmaceutical companies. The California Supreme Court’s opinion breathes new life into California’s antitrust law, the Cartwright Act, making clear that the patent laws afford no immunity for collusion among firms.
