The IP team at Allen & Overy LLP has strength in patent infringements and preliminary injunctions proceedings. The firm has expertise in multiple sectors, including life sciences, technology, telecoms, medtech, and frequently handles pan-European cross-border cases. Laëtitia Bénard has extensive experience in all intellectual property areas and unfair competition issues, both contentious and non-contentious. David Por concentrates primarily on complex and cross-border intellectual property disputes, with a particular focus on high-tech patent litigation. Counsel Charles Truffeau is noted for his ‘superb written advocacy‘.
Intellectual property: Patents in France
Allen & Overy LLP
Practice head(s):
Other key lawyers:
Testimonials
‘A clever team of lawyers who are experts in IP law.’
‘Laetitia Bénard is a wonderful advocate. Dedicated to her clients, bright, demanding, determined. Top choice in France in the pharma sector.’
‘Charles Tuffreau provides able support. Superb written advocacy, charming and unfailingly helpful.’
‘Their understanding of the intricacies of patent litigation in the telecoms sector stands out. They have in-depth knowledge and a breadth of expertise.’
‘David Por is an impressive patent litigator. He has great expertise and is very easy to work with.’
‘Laëtitia Bénard and her team: very experienced, very familiar with the pharma industry, respected, creative and pragmatic in approaching legal issues, always very well prepared for hearings, effective pleadings.’
‘Laëtitia Bénard: very experienced, knows the pharma industry very well, respected, creative and pragmatic in approaching legal issues, always very well prepared for hearings, effective pleadings.’
Key clients
3M
Archos
Bayer
Beijing Genomics Institute
Johnson & Johnson
Merck Sharpe & Dohme
Novartis
Samsung
Suez
Work highlights
- Represented MSD in multiple actions before the Paris First Instance Court, the Paris Court of Appeals and the Supreme Court concerning the validity and enforcement against major generic companies of an SPC.
- Represented companies of the Beijing Genomics Institute (BGI) group in a dispute against Illumina Cambridge, securing BGI’s access to the French market by obtaining the dismissal of Illumina Cambridge’s provisional infringement claims.
- Advised Suez on its acquisition of a majority shareholding in the share capital of UK company Inflowmatix Limited.
August Debouzy
August Debouzy’s patent team provides the complete range of patent-related legal services. The team represents French and foreign clients in court litigation, EPO litigation, patent application and drafting strategies, freedom-to-operate analyses, and assistance with employee invention matters. It also handles valuing and licensing matters, including matters involving know-how. Grégoire Desrousseaux has particular expertise in patent litigation in telecoms, especially in FRAND litigation, mechanics, and electronics. François Pochart has vast experience in patent litigation concerning healthcare, life sciences, biotech and chemistry.
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Other key lawyers:
Testimonials
‘Very high level of expertise in patent matters, as well as French and foreign civil procedures. Excellent ability to sense the context of the client: its industry, the IP practices that take place in similar sectors; and thus to deliver concrete advice, allowing the client to make informed decisions. The composition of the team assigned to a file is negotiated with the client, and the sharing of tasks is very clear.’
‘Gregoire Desrousseaux excels in a unique style combining expertise and frank talk. Lionel Martin is very sharp, he detects critical details. He tactfully challenges the client.’
‘Very technical and competent team on patent-related subjects (international procedure, international litigation, dispute resolution, merger & acquisitions). Essential support in important operations involving patents.’
‘Understanding of client issues, continuous and unwavering support from François Pochart, who knows how to simplify patent-related subjects to lawyers and non-lawyers. François is an essential expert that you must have in your camp.’
‘Francois Pochart – excellent technical and legal ability. Very good advocate. Always provides sensible advice.’
‘The team provides high-level legal advice.’
‘An excellent mix of commercial lawyers and experts in the intellectual property domain. Very committed to delivering results and solving problems. Good breadth of knowledge and capability.’
‘François Pochart has exactly the detailed knowledge of the regulatory environment in the CPI profession that we needed for our project. The team works in a very collaborative way to achieve results and is very pragmatic.’
Key clients
Alcatel Lucent International
Altirnao Inc
Anthogyr
Brahms
Bricard
B.Braun
CpK Interior Products
CNRS
Disphar (Nordic Pharma Group)
Epsilon composite
Essilor
Foubert Papiers Plastiques
Fresenius kabi
HCT Packaging
I.Ceram
Insulet
Laboratoires Majorelle
LFB
l’Oréal
Maia Africa
Medtronic
Novasep
Nuvamid
Teva
Total
Suez
Società Italiana Boccole Srl
Verescence
Wright medical
Work highlights
- Assisted Suez with the IP and partnership aspects of the Veolia-Suez take-over.
- Represented Alcatel Lucent International (part of Nokia Group) in infringement and nullity proceedings launched by ASSIA in the field of ADSL.
- Represented Huawei in seven infringement actions against Intellectual Ventures involving standard-essential patents (SEP) and FRAND (Fair Reasonable and Non Discriminatory) licensing issues, nullity counter claims, with trade secret issues and parallel litigation in Germany.
Bird & Bird
Bird & Bird handles patent litigation and has strong expertise in contentious and non-contentious matters. The team provides advice on domestic and multinational patent litigation and strategic IP matters and focuses on innovative industries such as life sciences and healthcare, tech and comms, media, but also entertainment and sports. Yves Bizollon heads the team and handles IP disputes from a wide range of sectors, including the food, energy, defence and automotive sectors. Anne-Charlotte Le-Bihan is especially well versed in disputes involving pharmaceutical, electronics and telecoms companies.
Practice head(s):
Other key lawyers:
Anne-Charlotte Le-Bihan; Laurent Labatte; Claire Bratel; Sarah Gicquel
Testimonials
‘Anne-Charlotte Le Bihan: effective value for generic pharma.’
Key clients
Microsoft
Broadcom
Edwards Lifesciences
Minakem
Honeywell
Amgen
Nespresso
Alstom Transport
Life Scientific
Allergan, Inc
ABB Power Grids
PETZL
Novares
Lesaffre
SERF
SATT AST, Inserm, Université de Bordeaux, CHU de Bordeaux
Work highlights
- Represented Nespresso in a worldwide patent attack in relation to its new coffee machine system Vertuo®, launched by the German company K-Fee.
- Represented Broadcom in a patent litigation involving allegedly essential patents owned by a well-known non-practising entity.
- Represented Edwards Lifesciences in a major patent infringement case implying the infringement of five European patents covering a transcatheter heart valve, part of a wider dispute involving litigation pending in multiple jurisdictions.
Gide Loyrette Nouel A.A.R.P.I.
Gide Loyrette Nouel A.A.R.P.I. has a strong transactional practice and handles IP litigation. The team has extensive experience in the pharmaceutical, medical devices and telecoms areas, but is also active in a wide range of sectors. Jean-Hyacinthe de Mitry handles contentious and non-contentious matters in all areas of industrial and intellectual property. Raphaëlle Dequiré-Portier and Emmanuel Larere are also noted.
Practice head(s):
Raphaëlle Dequiré-Portier; Emmanuel Larere; Jean-Hyacinthe de Mitry
Other key lawyers:
Testimonials
‘Friendly and professional.’
‘Very competent Gide patent team with whom it is easy to collaborate.’
‘The team is practical and hands-on and can easily bring in other expertise from the Gide firm such as competition law when needed. Collaborating with the team is always smooth. Top notch people and team.’
‘Highly professional and capable team of lawyers for life sciences intellectual property matters, including patents and supplementary protection certificates.’
‘Emmanuel Larere and Raphaelle Dequiré-Portier are exceptional advocates. Very knowledgeable and professional, and creative when proposing new strategies. They are well supported by Marie-Ange Pozzo di Borgo.’
‘The team has in-depth knowledge of practice and procedure of French IP law and is regularly involved in high-profile patent litigation. The team is very familiar working as part of an international team on multi-jurisdictional cases and, as well as managing the case in France, provides valuable input into the development of the case internationally. The team is very responsive at all levels.’
‘Emmanuel Larere uses his extensive experience of practice before the French courts to provide timely commercial advice and to suggest novel approaches to challenges faced by the clients. Emmanuel is always very engaged with the case and on top of the facts and issues of the case.’
Key clients
Beckman Coulter
Radiometer
ONO Pharmaceuticals
Johnson & Johnson
Pernod Ricard
Bristol Myers-Squibb
Meril
Teoxane
Wsou Investments
Jacobs Douwe Egberts group
Sanofi-Aventis Deutschland GmbH
Guerbet
Curis
Seratec
U-Shin
HOYNG ROKH MONÉGIER
HOYNG ROKH MONÉGIER acts for clients from multiple industries, including aviation, agriculture, automotive, digital security, engineering and life sciences. The team impresses with its multinational European team and specialises in cross-border intellectual property litigation and advisory work. Managing partner Benoît Strowel has extensive experience coordinating multi-jurisdictional patent litigation and regulatory issues for major biopharmaceutical companies. Sabine Agé focuses on standard-essential patents in the electronics and telecoms sectors. Amandine Métier is a key name for telecoms and life sciences disputes.
Practice head(s):
Other key lawyers:
Denis Monégier du Sorbier ; Sophie Micallef ; Amandine Métier; Florence Jacquand; Caroline Levesque; Marta Mendes; Agathe Caillé; Anaïs Pallut
Testimonials
‘The firm has an excellent IP litigation team. The litigation partner is extremely experienced and very knowledgeable. The associates are superb and the combination of lawyers and patent attorneys gives them real strength and depth. Their command of English is superb.’
‘Benoît Strowel is very experienced and knowledgeable. He is easy to get along with and very knowledgeable. The technical subject matter we were dealing with was complex and he mastered it.’
‘Excellent team, at all levels (founders, partners, associates).’
‘Sophie Micallef has a perfect command of the various files, and has a real strategic vision.’
‘Marta Mendes: Very service-minded and responsive.’
‘The team is transparent and has a very pragmatic view that allows the file to move forward in the interest of the client and not in order to charge the client more.’
‘The team is no doubt the first choice for patent litigation in France. They are very experienced in the field, the lawyers are accessible, likable and easy to work with. They work methodically and will not rest until every stone has been turned. They have great integrity and do not hesitate to propose their own solutions to complex problems.’
‘Sabine Agé has an outstanding ability to hold huge amounts of information at the top of her mind and to identify the turning points in large-scale litigations. She has a creative mind and is always very clear in her advice.’
Key clients
AstraZeneca
Bouygues Telecom
Ceva Santé Animale
Freyssinet
Gilead
Heckler & Koch
INPI
JC Bamford
Lenovo
Orange
Philips
Procter & Gamble
Regeneron
Sanofi
Teva
Siemens Gamesa
UCB
Umicore
Volvo Trucks
Vorwerk
Zimmer Biomet
Jones Day
Jones Day covers prosecution, litigation, and transactions across France, Europe, the US and Asia Pacific. The team acts in pan-European and international disputes and transactions, frequently assisting pharma companies with creating, developing and defending intellectual property assets, including freedom-to-operate analyses. The team is led by Emmanuel Baud, who also has extensive experience in protected geographical indication. Thomas Bouvet has vast experience in patent, trade secret, and plant variety rights litigation, with clients ranging from start-ups to international groups. Edouard Fortunet made partner in January 2021.
Practice head(s):
Other key lawyers:
Edouard Fortunet; Laura Romestant; Philippe Marchiset; Hatziri Minaudier; Marion Argiolas
Testimonials
‘Thomas Bouvet has built an unparalleled team in the field of patent litigation.’
‘Thomas Bouvet is the best patent lawyer in France today. His knowledge in the matter, ability to find winning strategies and absolute competence in procedural matters are essential assets.’
Key clients
Lufthansa Technik
SCHWIND eye-tech-solutions GmbH
ENEDIS
Linklaters
Linklaters’ IP team specialises in patent litigation and advising on the patent components of transactions, including M&A and capital market deals and restructuring matters. The team handles domestic and cross-border disputes cases, often involving other European jurisdictions and the US. The group is very well versed in disputes involving standard-essential patents. The team is headed by Pauline Debré whose specialisms include the healthcare, energy, and telecoms sectors.
Practice head(s):
Other key lawyers:
Gaëlle Bourout; Jean-François Merdignac; Simon Corbineau-Picci
Testimonials
‘Great team and work for patent litigation matters.’
‘Pauline Debré is one of the best patent litigators on the market.’
‘Very thorough and high-quality work. Excellent knowledge of French and European patent law.’
‘Very competent, responsive and helpful team in SPC matters.’
‘Pauline Debré and Simon Corbineau-Picci provide excellent service in SPC matters.’
‘We are overall very satisfied with Linklaters.’
‘Pauline Debré is an outstanding IP litigator, very responsive and very supportive.’
Key clients
Sanofi and Regeneron
Intel Corporation
Seoul Semi-Conductor
Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp
Nestle Health Science
Aptar Group
Halozyme Therapeutics Inc.
Teréga
Work highlights
- Represented Sanofi and Regeneron in a patent infringement action launched by Amgen to prohibit the blockbuster biologics drug Praluent.
- Represented Intel’s affiliate Lantiq in an infringement action relating to a patent essential to the ADSL standards launched by Intellectual Ventures II against internet provider Orange.
- Represented Seoul Semiconductor in the upcoming launch of proceedings in France against various infringers of some of its patents.
Aramis
The patent law practice at Aramis handles a wide range of patent law matters, including invalidity strategies, infringement disputes and preliminary injunctions, licensing matters, including in research and development agreements. The team works for high-profile clients and has strong experience in domestic and cross-border patent litigation. Founding partner Benjamin May heads the practice. Counsel Louis Jestaz is another key contact.
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Testimonials
‘Essentially, ARAMIS is distinguished by its multidisciplinary approach to business law, with high-level associate experts and efficient collaborators for each skill. Clearly, a large firm, and at the same time flexible, responsive, and attentive to its clients.’
‘Easy-to-deal-with! Clear and consistent communication, proactive and efficient people. A level of expertise appropriate to our needs.’
‘Responsive and knowledgeable. Very aware in considering the impact of current cases law on litigation strategy.’
‘Benjamin May provides excellent advice and engages in the case. The associate Louis Jestaz offers valuable and knowlegable support and work results.’
‘Maître May is particularly affable and attentive to our comments and proposals. He is also very educational in his way of presenting his arguments and his litigation strategy. It is really very pleasant to work with him.’
‘A great listener and a real effort to understand technical subjects: Benjamin May.’
Key clients
Zentiva
Allergan/AbbVie
Enyx
Arcadophta and BVI France
Amphenol Socapex
INRIA
Angus International
Tereos
Eiffage
Work highlights
- Represented Zentiva in one of the major pan-European patent disputes over Eli Lilly’s Alimta drug.
- Represented Allegan (member of AbbVie) in a transatlantic anti-suit injunction matter against Vivacy.
- Assisted Enyx with a patent dispute against its competitor Novasparks on high-speed trading technologies.
Bardehle Pagenberg
Bardehle Pagenberg is active across the full spectrum of contentious and non-contentious patent matters. The IP boutique acts in prosecution and litigation, including cross-border disputes. The telecoms, automotive, electronics, and consumer goods sectors are particularly busy areas of the group. Expert litigator Julien Fréneaux heads the team. Dominique Dupuis-Latour specialises in patent prosecution and portfolio management matters. Marie-Claude Pellegrini and Axel Munier are also noted.
Practice head(s):
Other key lawyers:
Dominique Dupuis-Latour; Marie-Claude Pellegrini; Axel Munier; Clément Jaffray
Key clients
FREE/FREE MOBILE/ILIAD
INNOVATRON
INTELLECTUAL VENTURES
IPCom GmbH & Co. KG
ROBERT BOSCH
CASH SYSTÈMES INDUSTRIE
Work highlights
- Represented INTELLECTUAL VENTURES in a series of high-profile patent infringement disputes against three French telecoms services providers, also involving several of their respective equipment suppliers.
- Represented IPCom GmbH & Co. KG in two separate patent infringement disputes against Xiaomi and the Lenovo group, including the latter’s subsidiary Motorola Mobility further having been granted the first-ever ‘anti-antisuit injunction’ in France and successfully defended it against the Lenovo group in appeal proceedings.
- Advised INNOVATRON, the French chip card pioneer on multiple patent-related aspects and in several pre-contentious patent and trade secrets licensing matters.
Casalonga
The patent team at Casalonga consists of a patent litigation and a patent prosecution and counseling team whose joint expertise make for a very broad offering. Arnaud Casalonga‘s practice includes domestic and cross-border disputes in addition to audits and licensing matters. Caroline Casalonga has more than two decades’ experience in intellectual property counsel and litigation. Marianne Gabriel focuses on the pharmaceutical, chemical, and telecoms sectors. Jean-Baptiste Lecoeur, Olivier Delprat, Virginie Martin-Charbonneau and Francis Zapalowicz are also noted.
Practice head(s):
Arnaud Casalonga; Caroline Casalonga; Marianne Gabriel; Olivier Delprat; Jean-Baptiste Lecoeur; Virginie Martin-Charbonneau ; Francis Zapalowicz
Other key lawyers:
Gérard Dossmann; Floriane Codevelle ; Julien Thon ; Gwennhaël Le Roy; Pascaline Vincent; Patricia Ledrut; Marie Vidal
Testimonials
‘Competence, responsiveness, efficiency, commitment.’
‘Complete coverage of our needs in term of IP.’
‘Very professional and involved team.’
‘The CASALONGA team is very competent and is particularly distinguished by a remarkable sense of listening, proactivity and team strength.’
‘The brilliant Caroline Casalonga, Marianne Gabriel, Pascaline Vincent and Francis Zapalowicz are excellent. Pooling their skills makes the team exceptional.’
‘The firm covers all our technical fields, and intervenes on different aspects of IP than IP rights, in particular patents. The quality of service has never failed us for decades.’
‘The firm’s employees are friendly, professional, responsive and attentive to our needs.’
‘Virginie Martin Charbonneau: Rigor, precision, technical skills (chemistry and patents), responsiveness, interpersonal skills.’
Key clients
ADEO (LEROY MERLIN)
ARKEMA
AUCHAN
BAKER HUGUES
BBG HYLINE BUILDING SYSTEMS
BIOGARAN
EURECAT
FAMOSA
GACD
GE Renewable Energy and GE Healthcare
GESTAMP (AUTOTECH)
HEWLETT-PACKARD
INTERVET
JCR (EKOI)
JEAN CHEREAU SAS
LCSYS
Les Laboratoires SERVIER France
LIDL
L’OREAL
MICHELIN
ORTHO PARTNER
PERRON RIGOT (Groupe THALGO)
RENAULT
SAFRAN
SAFT GROUP
SAGEMCOM
SKF
STMicroelectronics
TEREGA
TOTALENERGIES MARKETING SERVICES
VALLOUREC
ZENTIVA
Work highlights
- Represented Biogaran in several litigations in the field of pharmaceutical patents and SPCs, with in particular, a very important case concerning the interpretation of Article 3 of Regulation (EC) No 469/2009.
- Represented SAGEMCOM in the case where it was guaranteeing the French operators Orange and Bouygues Telecom for ADSL and 4G communication in a FRAND matter, against INTELLECTUAL VENTURES.
- Represented ORTHO PARTNER in an interesting patent infringement and nullity matter on brackets.
DTMV & Associés
Boutique law firm DTMV & Associés is recognised for its expertise in litigation in all areas of IP and provides a wide range of patent services. It has a diverse list of clients containing top pharmaceutical companies, multinational groups, large and medium-size French and foreign corporates from various industries including automotive and telecoms. Thierry Mollet-Viéville is well known for his IP litigation experience in the pharmaceutical sector and Pascal Lefort mainly acts for clients from the luxury goods and fashion sectors. Eléonore Gaspar, Thomas Cuche, and Laurine Janin-Reynaud are also noted.
Practice head(s):
Thierry Mollet-Viéville; Pascal Lefort; Eléonore Gaspar; Thomas Cuche;Laurine Janin-Reynaud
Testimonials
‘The team is well-positioned and very competent.’
‘We value Eléonore Gaspar as an extremely knowledgeable expert and accomplished litigator.’
‘The team is highly experienced, the lawyers are talented and friendly at the same time. They are used to working on multi-jurisdictional litigation. Being a boutique, lawyers are very accessible.’
‘They are very professional and experienced but at the same time very friendly and informal. They suggest the most cost-effective strategies for litigation. They are very clear in their explanations and advice and extremely responsive. I would recommend for patent work Thomas Cuche, Pascal Lefort and Laurine Janin-Reynaud.’
‘DTMV has provided us great service. They are punctual, communicate well and their costs are consistently within their estimates.’
‘Thierry Mollet-Vieville is truly an excellent lawyer particularly with litigation strategy and in arguing the cases before the judges. Truly a top-tier lawyer in comparison to others.’
Hogan Lovells (Paris) LLP
The intellectual property, media, and technology practice at Hogan Lovells (Paris) LLP acts before French courts and the French intellectual property office. Chairperson Marie-Aimée de Dampierre jointly heads the team with David Taylor and Jane Seager. Stanislas Roux-Vaillard has extensive experience in the conception and execution of multijurisdictional strategies for clients and specialises in the medical devices, pharma, and biotech areas.
Practice head(s):
Marie-Aimée de Dampierre; Stanislas Roux-Vaillard; David Taylor; Jane Seager
Testimonials
‘Stanislas Roux-Vaillard works with a lean team with clear responsibilities for the team members so hours of discussions or consultation within the team are avoided, keeping the billable time within reason and appropriate for the matter being handled by this office.’
‘The HL team, led by Stanislas Roux-Vaillard, has represented us in France with respect to patent related litigation efficiently and effectively, identifying and making arguments that have provided excellent results.‘
Key clients
Eli Lilly
Icos Corporation
Vegro ApS
Work highlights
- Represented Vegro ApS in a patent assignment dispute initiated by Vestergaard Frandsen regarding long-lasting insecticidal net.
- Represented Eli Lilly in the French disputes of generic attacks on its oncology product Alimta.
- Represented Icos Corporation in two distinct litigations in France respectively before the First Instance Court of Paris and before the Court of Appeal of Paris in relation to validity and infringement actions.
Pinsent Masons LLP
Pinsent Masons LLP‘s team is best known for its industry-driven approach and expertise in dealing with cross-border issues impacting several jurisdictions. Emmanuel Gougé heads the practice and has strong expertise in the electronics, automotive, and aerospace sectors. Jules Fabre focuses on the life sciences sector.
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Testimonials
‘Reactivity – flexibility – expertise.’
‘Pinsent Masons IP litigation team in France is very client-friendly and service-minded. They are ready to help immediately. They give excellent advice and work very well as contributors in a multi-national patent litigation setting.’
‘Emmanuel Gougé is very service-minded and quick to understand complicated technical matters and to give excellent advice in a multinational and French patent litigation setting; Virginia de Freitas is very responsive and service-minded and quick to understand complicated technical matters and to give excellent advice in a multinational and French patent litigation setting.’
Key clients
Scania
Accord Healthcare
Teva Pharmaceuticals
Landis+Gyr
France Brevets
Expliseat
Work highlights
- Represented Accord Healthcare in a high-profile patent litigation (fast-track preliminary injunction and revocation action) against Sanofi in relation to its generic version of Sanofi’s blockbuster prostate cancer treatment Jevtana.
- Represented Global Wheel in pan-European patent litigation covering France, Germany and the UK against Hutchinson.
- Advised Expliseat, a French start up specialising with a new generation of airplane seats, in negotiating IP related agreements
Cabinet Schertenleib
Boutique law firm Cabinet Schertenleib has built a strong reputation in patent litigation, with a strong presence in the technology and life sciences sectors. The team handles multi-jurisdictional litigation for many domestic and international companies, with expertise including supplementary protection certificates, regulatory law, data protection, and trade secrets. Denis Schertenleib specialises in patent litigation, arbitration, technology licensing, and European competition law. Ombeline Degrèze-Péchade is an expert in medicine and biology.
Practice head(s):
Denis Schertenleib; Ombeline Degrèze-Péchade; Estelle Vard; Yasmine AZZAOUI; Alexis Augustin; Marc Lauzeral
Testimonials
‘Very specialist and technical boutique in terms of scientific appreciation and knowledge of patents.’
‘Denis Schertenleib is very experienced both technically in the science of patents and the workings of the patent laws and systems.’
‘Very strong patent litigation team (especially with regard to life sciences and pharma).’
‘Denis Schertenleib is an excellent litigator.’
Key clients
Amgen
Bio-Rad
TCL
Biogen
Laboratoires Fill-Med et Filorga
Mylan
Zentiva
Sandoz
Groupe HLD (société Sodel)
Simmons & Simmons
Simmons & Simmons' international IP practice makes the firm an excellent choice for multi-jurisdictional matters. The team is particularly adept at contentious work and transactional matters, thanks to lead duo Marina Cousté, a mediation and arbitration expert, and François Jonquères, who specialises in licensing, transactional matters, and tax-related issues.
Practice head(s):
Key clients
Thales Digital Identity & Security
Novozymes
Bayer Healthcare
Bell Textron Helicopters
Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
Sigos
Sika
JC Bamford Excavators Ltd
United Orthopedic Corporation
Neo Medical
Généthon
Merck KGaA
Alkermes
H. Lundbeck A/S
IDEMIA
Work highlights
- Represented J.C. Bamford Excavators in multiple patent actions before the Paris Judicial Court, the Court of Appeal of Paris and the Supreme Court, concerning validity and enforcement of three of its patents related to excavators against one of its main competitors.
- Represented Merck KGaA in a patent validity action initiated by a group of patients using Levothyrox.
Taliens
Intellectual property boutique Taliens is well known for cross-border litigation, but also has strong expertise in complex transactional work, including due diligence. Jean-Frédéric Gaultier heads the practice and has strong expertise in patent disputes in France and in multijurisdictional contexts.
Practice head(s):
Testimonials
‘Excellent IP firm.’
‘Competent and efficient team.’
‘The team is user-friendly whilst thorough. Jean-Frédéric is responsive and first-class.’
‘Jean-Frédéric Gaultier is precise, fast and efficient. He inspires confidence and is pragmatic. He is also very available.’
‘The team led by Jean-Frédéric Gaultier is very clever and client-friendly with amazing response times and availability. They have a great client-first attitude and are also good fun to work with.’
‘Very competent team and close to its clients.’
‘Jean-Frédéric and his team are unique in the French market place in providing holistic and commercially focused and cross-disciplinary advice. They know that an IP problem may not always need an IP-only solution. Their advice is responsive, practical and to the point.’
‘Jean-Frederic is a delight to work with – responsive, direct, commercial and strategically creative in how to use French law and procedure to further advance his clients’ global interests. He is a joy to work with.’
Key clients
Aptargroup
Sagemcom
ZTE
ArcelorMittal
Marin’s International
Tractel
AT&T
Envases
Lazer Sport
Work highlights
- Represented ZTE in two patent infringement claims before French courts.
- Advised Facebook AI Research (FAIR) Paris laboratory on developing collaboration deals and R&D projects with French and foreign research institutions and universities.
- Represented Lazer Sport in fast-track summary proceedings regarding an alleged patent infringement.
DLA Piper
DLA Piper has a strong track record across all aspects of intellectual property-related matters and advises clients on creating, managing, enforcing, and defending their patent portfolios. The group is active in transactional and litigation matters, both specialisms of practice head Frank Valentin, who has more than two decades’ experience in intellectual property law and is particularly well versed in the technology and media sector.
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Other key lawyers:
Testimonials
‘Personalised service from people who are genuinely invested in getting a result for the client. They are happy to engage and take input from others to build the strongest possible case.’
Abello IP Firm
Abello IP Firm has a proven track record of success in IP litigation, with a strong presence in telecoms and mechanics patents and a growing practice in the life sciences and pharmaceutical sectors. FRAND litigation and disputes involving employee inventions are areas of particular strength. The team includes lawyers, patent attorneys and engineers and is active in domestic and multi-jurisdictional matters, often involving parallel proceedings in other European countries. Michel Abello specialises in patent office proceedings and jointly heads the practice with Jean-Baptiste Thibaud, Aimée Dadoun, who is in charge of the newly opened Nice office, and Marie Liens.
Practice head(s):
Michel Abello; Jean-Baptiste Thibaud; Marie Liens; Aimée Dadoun
Testimonials
‘A team at the intersection of law and technology, associating lawyers and patent attorney under a leader – Michel Abello – in search of innovative solutions.’
‘Michel Abello is certainly one of the most brilliant French intellectual property lawyers. He has been able to surround himself with an exceptional team that he highlights and that gives the best of itself.’
‘Michel Abello: a brilliant mind, immense availability and unfailing pragmatism.’
‘Very good, pragmatic and great availability.’
‘Michel Abello and Marie Liens are extremely clear and precise in their explanations. Nothing is left to chance in the management of disputes.’
Key clients
SFR
Nokia
Manitou Bf
GTT
Felco
Orange
Normalu
ViiV Healthcare UK
Cayago
Kerlink
Work highlights
- Represented SFR in multiple SEP infringement cases brought by INTELLECTUAL VENTURES.
- Represented MANITOU BF in several cases of patent infringement brought by JC BAMFORD, with stakes of about €270m.
- Represented ViiV Healthcare UK in a SPC nullity suit brought by Biogaran.
Armengaud Guerlain
The IP specialists at Armengaud Guerlain have a strong reputation for their litigation prowess, with clients including blue-chip companies, SMEs, and individuals from across the globe. Co-heads Stéphane Guerlain and Catherine Mateu offer extensive experience in patent cross-border litigation and licensing matters in addition to their strong soft IP practice.
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Other key lawyers:
Key clients
Merck Millipore
ESTAR–MEDICAL
CASTORAMA–KINGFISHER
IMV TECHNOLOGIES
Quadlogic
WIKO
NOVAPET
TTK
Telecom design
Perrein
Work highlights
- Represented QUADLOGIC CONTROLS CORPORATION in patent infringement litigation against French government-owned company ENEDIS (electricity distributor) regarding electric meters.
Bignon Lebray
Bignon Lebray's multidisciplinary practice covers patent law in addition to other areas of IP. The team works with a diverse set of clients, including start-ups, SMEs, multinationals, public sector companies, and investment funds. Nicolas Moreau heads the firm's intellectual property group. Elise Dufour specialises in new technologies law and Barbara Bertholet is particularly active for healthcare clients.
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Testimonials
‘Speed, simplicity of relations, availability, efficiency and great mastery of the subject of the team dedicated to IP.’
Key clients
Ermete Giudici spa
NG Biotech
Sandoz
De Gaulle Fleurance & Associés
De Gaulle Fleurance & Associés is known for its ability to project manage matters, staffing each case according to the requirements of the client. In addition to its expertise in patent litigation and transactional matters, including in M&A and joint venture contexts, the team also has experience in tax issues and licensing agreements. The practice is led by the very experienced Louis de Gaulle, Francine Le Péchon-Joubert and Julien Horn.
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Testimonials
‘Excellent professionals who master their subjects perfectly, they are extremely efficient in handling matters.’
‘Efficiency, responsiveness, proactivity.’
Key clients
B&F
Hoya Surgical GmbH
Tyron Runflat Ltd
Gallagher
Verkor
Dentons
Dentons’ IP and technology team represents both domestic and international companies in IP disputes covering various sectors such as life sciences, information, and technology. The team has expertise in licensing, negotiating, and drafting research agreements and other contracts relating to patents. It also acts for inventors and small companies in enforcing or defending against patent claims. Practice head Loïc Lemercier specialises in patent litigation, with a particular focus on the pharmaceutical and telecoms area.
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Testimonials
‘Loïc Lemercier and his team demonstrate responsiveness and present a realistic vision of the outcome of a patent case both in counsel and in litigation.’
‘Loïc and his team work closely with the best lawyers in the market to deal with the technical aspects of patent litigation. This teamwork allows them to be reactive and show great creativity.’
‘Loïc is intelligent, attentive, and extremely responsive.’
Key clients
CNRS and INSERM
Zama
Lactalis
MyRobotics
Al.Chi.Mia. S.R.L. and Ophta France
Zuru Inc
Goliath France
Université de Rennes / Rennes University
Work highlights
- Represented CNRS in a patent litigation covering a wideband compact volume loop antenna.
- Represented Al.Chi.Mia. and Ophta France in a patent litigation dispute before the Paris Court, claiming that the manufacture and marketing of Alchimia’s products and devices of ophthalmic gas injection sets infringe Arcadophta’s patent.
- Represented Goliath France in a patent litigation dispute brought by Robotswim and Mr. Tiraby before the Paris Court.
Herbert Smith Freehills LLP
Herbert Smith Freehills LLP assists with a wide range of patent matters, including litigation and strategic advisory work, with particular expertise in the TMT and life sciences sectors. The team has a proven track record of assisting clients from the pharma industry with designing and implementing patent enforcement strategies in addition to advising on complex regulatory aspects related to data exclusivity. Alexandra Néri has solid trial experience of representing clients before French and European courts. She jointly heads the practice with Frédéric Chevallier, who specialises in cross-border patent litigation.
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Sanofi
Work highlights
- Advised Sanofi on the patent protection of one of its fastest-growing products, Jevtana®, for the treatment of prostate cancer (cabazitaxel).
Reed Smith
The Reed Smith patents and trade secrets practice includes transactional work and litigation, both in court and in arbitration proceedings. The team has extensive trial experience in matters involving multiple jurisdictions and impresses with its wide sector range. The entertainment, energy, financial services, life sciences, and transport sectors feature prominently in the caseload. The team is led by the very experienced Marianne Schaffner and Sophie Goossens. Thierry Lautier has a particular focus on the engineering sector.
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Testimonials
‘Reed Smith offers transversal and multi-territorial expertise in subjects related to intellectual property and new technologies, with specialists in several countries.’
‘I work more particularly with Sophie Goossens, who has an excellent ‘client-oriented’ approach and understands the strategic issues well. Sophie masters French, English and European legislation and is also sensitive and open to various areas of law; this atypical profile enables her to provide clear advice by adopting diverse points of view and very complementary reasoning.’
ADVANT Altana
ADVANT Altana’s IP team assists French and foreign clients with all aspects of protecting and using their intangible assets. The group’s litigation practice includes search and seizures, infringement litigation and interim injunctions. The transactional practice includes stand-alone licensing matters, including co-ownership agreements, and the management of employee inventions. Armand Aviges, Pierre Lubet and Jean-Guy de Ruffray head the practice.
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CMS
The team at CMS covers patent litigation in infringement disputes, revocation actions, and employee invention issues. It also assists with licensing matters, including research and development contracts, and with portfolio audits in different industrial sectors. Jean-Baptiste Thiénot, who heads the patent team, is particularly well versed in the life sciences, mechanics, and electronic sectors. Anne-Laure Villedieu heads the wider IP and technology team.
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Testimonials
‘Team that is able to deal with all areas of IP, expertise in particular in the field of patents.’
‘Jean-Baptiste Thiénot has great expertise in patent law, and a very sharp general vision in all areas of IP.’
Key clients
E-Diagmed
Trilogiq
Work highlights
- Represented E-DIAGMED in proceedings before the Paris Court regarding the ownership of an invention (diagnostic software invention incorporating AI).
- Represented Trilogiq in three parallel patent infringement proceedings : (i) the appeal before the Court of appeal of Paris, (ii) the damage calculation proceedings and (iii) seeking an indemnity against the seller of the patents.