Cristina Q. Almendarez

Cristina Q. Almendarez

Senior Managing Associate

She / Her / Hers

Chicago

T 312.624.6382

Languages: Japanese (Conversational), Spanish (Conversational)

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Overview

Cristina focuses on IP litigation, especially patent infringement, as well as trademark, copyright, and trade secret matters. Cristina has also represented and advised clients in disputes centered on trade dress infringement, false advertising, unfair competition, and breach of contract issues.

Her experience includes representing clients across a range of products, technologies, and industries, including automotive parts, biologic and pharmaceutical drugs, consumer goods, telecommunications technology, parental control software, and food processing and packaging machinery.

Cristina has worked matters through all phases of litigation from pre-suit analysis and strategy, discovery, claim construction, summary judgment, pre-trial preparation, trial, and appeal. Her past work also includes coordination between parallel district court litigation and USPTO inter partes review proceedings.

Cristina enjoys serving on the firm’s Associate Development Committee. Before going to law school, Cristina majored in Biology and attended an intensive 10-month training program in advanced Japanese at the Inter-University Center for Japanese Language Studies.

*Matter completed prior to joining Benesch.

What I Do

Biotechnology
Copyrights & Creative Content
Intellectual Property
Intellectual Property Litigation
Patents
Pharmaceutical
Trademarks

Featured endorsements

Experience

Defended Cooper Lighting Solutions, a Signify company, against claims of patent infringement and breach of contract in a week-long trial in the Northern District of Illinois.

Key Contacts: Kal K. ShahCristina Q. Almendarez

Represented IMA S.p.A. and Fillshape S.r.l in a trade secret misappropriation and patent infringement case relating to food pouch manufacturing. Obtained dismissal of the claims and a stipulated to transfer of the case to an alternative forum, after which the case was resolved by favorable settlement.*

Key Contacts: Cristina Q. Almendarez

Represented a manufacturer and provider of household appliance products in false advertising litigations with a global product design and technology company related carpet cleaning superiority advertising claims and suction performance claims.*

 

Key Contacts: Cristina Q. Almendarez

Represented Sandoz Inc. in a patent litigation regarding a biosimilar version of Amgen’s drug Neulasta®. The litigation was successfully terminated when Sandoz obtained an order dismissing Amgen’s related declaratory judgment.*

Key Contacts: Cristina Q. Almendarez

Assisted with appeals of two highly publicized motions for summary judgment that invalidated a pharmaceutical company’s patent related to the infliximab antibody. The district court litigation ended with a second win in the form of a judgment of non-infringement related to the second patent asserted in the case.*

Key Contacts: Cristina Q. Almendarez

Represented Hospira, Inc., a subsidiary of Pfizer, Inc., Celltrion, Inc. and Celltrion Healthcare Co., Ltd. adverse to Janssen Biotech, Inc. in litigation in federal court related to a biosimilar version of Janssen’s multi-billion dollar drug Remicade®. The case involved the first biosimilar monoclonal antibody to be approved by the FDA, and is one of the earliest cases filed under the Biologics Price Competition and Innovation Act (BPCIA).*

Key Contacts: Cristina Q. Almendarez

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Credentials

Education

Harvard University Law School, 2014, J.D.
  • Harvard Environmental Law Review, Article and Technical Editor
Yale University, B.S.
  • Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology

Clerkships and Bar Admissions

Illinois
U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit

More

  • United Way Board Leadership Institute – Spring 2025 Cohort

  • National Museum of Mexican Art (NMMA) Auxiliary Board Member
  • Listed, Best Lawyers® Ones to Watch, Litigation – Intellectual Property (2023-2026); Litigation – Patent (2023-2026); Patent Law (2026)