August Debouzy is recognised for its patent work in France and Europe, assisting clients with the full spectrum of contentious and transactional matters. Infringement and nullity actions, in addition to appeals and opposition proceedings before the French and European IP offices, form the mainstay of the firm’s patent offering. The team also conducts freedom-to-operate analyses, valuations and is able to assist with licensing agreements and contractual matters. FRAND litigation specialist Grégoire Desrousseaux is adept at advising the telecoms, mechanics and electronics sectors and leads the team alongside François Pochart, who advises clients in the healthcare, pharmaceutical, life sciences, biotech and chemical industries. Promoted to partner in January 2023, Lionel Martin is well regarded for his advocacy before the French courts and EPO.

Bird & Bird‘s patents team is well versed in handling major patent disputes before the French courts, representing clients in facing infringement claims and revocation actions in addition to seizures. Anne-Charlotte Le Bihan leads the team, handling complex European patent disputes for the pharmaceutical, electronics and telecoms sectors, as well as providing advice on non-contentious IP matters. Yves Bizollon is known for his litigation experience, frequently representing food, energy, defence and automotive companies. Laurent Labatte is noted for his expertise in litigation in technical fields.

Casalonga‘s patents team is split into a prosecution and counselling team headed by litigators Olivier Delprat and Jean-Baptiste Lecoeur and French and EU patent attorneys Virginie Martin-Charbonneau and Francis Zapalowicz, and a litigation team led by Arnaud Casalonga, Caroline Casalonga and Marianne Gabriel. These teams, alongside colleagues in Spain and Germany, advise electronics, chemistry and life sciences clients on international patent matters, including French and European patent applications, in addition to validity and infringement cases.

With notable strength in the pharmaceuticals, medical devices and telecoms sectors, Gide Loyrette Nouel A.A.R.P.I. is renowned for its patent litigation practice, before both the French and European courts, where it represents clients involved in infringement matters, revocation proceedings and validity disputes, including supplementary protection certificate (SPC) matters. The team is led by Raphaëlle Dequiré-Portier, known for her experience handling patent litigation for the life sciences sector, alongside Emmanuel Larere and Jean-Hyacinthe de Mitry, who handle contentious and transactional matters.

Jones Day‘s IP team coordinates with the firm’s German and UK teams to handle pan-European patent matters, performing freedom-to-operate analyses in addition to handling infringement proceedings and seizures before the French courts. On the commercial front, the firm advises clients on the creation, development and defence of IP assets, with a particular strength in supporting clients in the life sciences sector in hard and soft IP matters. The team is jointly led by Thomas Bouvet, a highly experienced patents, trade secrets and plant variety rights litigator, and Edouard Fortunet, who advises on soft IP matters, including the IP aspects of IPOs.

Linklaters‘s IP team excels in multi-jurisdictional patent disputes, often representing major clients collectively in infringement actions, including in regard to SEPs. It is also active in advising on the registration and defence of patents and employee inventions. The team, led by experienced healthcare, mobility and telecoms litigator Pauline Debré, frequently works alongside the firm’s other practice groups to assist with M&A and capital markets transactions, in addition to antitrust issues. Gaëlle Bourout assists pharmaceutical clients and Jean-François Merdrignac advises on enforcement strategies.

Aramis‘s patents team handles a broad range of patents matters, representing major clients in infringement and injunction actions in addition to ownership disputes across Europe. Licensing, R&D and consortium agreements are among the key mandates in the department's workload. Practice head Benjamin May is an experienced litigator with a strong record representing well-known pharmaceutical clients, while Louis Jestaz provides support on both contentious and non-contentious matters.

Dentons is sought after by IT, insurance and pharmaceutical-sector clients for advice on patent matters and assistance with the negotiation, drafting and licensing of research agreements and related contracts. Under the leadership of patent litigation specialist Loïc Lemercier, the practice is active in representing clients in court, bringing infringement claims and invalidity proceedings, while also defending clients when they are accused of patent infringement. Isabelle Leroux represents clients involved in international patent litigation, and is also well versed in licensing and trade secrets matters. In addition, the team works alongside French customs to ensure that infringing goods are stopped prior to entering the market.

The Hogan Lovells (Paris) LLP team is well versed in handling cross-border patent disputes, collaborating with the firm’s international network to represent companies in a broad range of sectors before French and European courts, in addition to providing support on transactional matters. Patent litigator Stanislas Roux-Vaillard leads the team and advises pharmaceutical clients on international litigation. The team also includes firm chair Marie-Aimée de Dampierre, David Taylor and Jane Seager.

Through the additions of co-head and experienced litigator Grégoire Triet and pharmaceuticals specialist Tougane Loumeau in January 2022, Taliens has further strengthened its patent offering, adding to the domestic and international disputes expertise of co-head Jean-Frédéric Gaultier. The team also offers commercial patent advice, assisting clients with the drafting of licence agreements and technology transfers.

Bignon Lebray‘s IP practice advises clients on a range of issues and provides representation in patent infringement claims and validity and nullity actions, where it acts on behalf of start-ups, SMEs and multinational corporations in addition to public bodies and investment funds. Practice head Barbara Bertholet advises life sciences clients on licensing, collaboration agreements and patent litigation in France and the EU.

Under the leadership of Louis de Gaulle, Julien Horn and Francine Le Péchon-Joubert, the team at De Gaulle Fleurance & Associés handles a broad range of patents matters, working alongside the firm’s M&A and tax lawyers where relevant to provide comprehensive IP assistance. Patent licensing and research agreements, in addition to joint ventures, are areas the team frequently advises on. A particular strength of the firm is in supporting the life sciences sector, where the practice group acts in patent disputes, representing clients seeking to protect their patent portfolios, both in France and in the EU.

ADVANT Altana acts for clients in the pharmaceutical, chemicals, mechanical and electronics industries in a range of patent-related issues. Under the leadership of Armand Aviges, Pierre Lubet and Jean-Guy de Ruffray, the firm represents companies in infringement claims, searches and seizures, and ownership claims. On the non-contentious side, it is equipped to assist in patent ownership transfers, licences and co-ownership agreements. The management of patents pertaining to inventions made by employees, in addition to patent audits, are further areas of strength for the team.

With a particular focus on the life sciences, electronics and mechanics sectors, CMS Francis Lefebvre frequently handles patent infringement litigation and associated claims for damages, as well as assisting in disputes between employers and employees in relation to the ownership of patents. The team around practice head Jean-Baptiste Thiénot also handles research and development contracts, assignment and licence agreements and portfolio audits. Anne-Laure Villedieu, who focuses on data privacy matters, heads the firm’s IP department.

Goodwin‘s patents practice is centred around transactional work, supporting life sciences clients with the management of their patent portfolios, licensing and collaboration agreements and the IP aspects of M&A deals. Practice head Marie Fillon joined the firm in September 2021 and leads in patent litigation, in addition to providing transactional advice.