Described by one client as ‘leaders in UK patent practice,’ Kirkland & Ellis International LLP is frequently tasked by globally active clients with representing them in UK SEP/FRAND licensing disputes, with the firm marshalling its international network to oversee parallel proceedings in Europe, Asia and the Americas. ’Force of nature’ Nicola Dagg takes the lead on such disputes, with expertise in both the pharmaceutical and tech sectors. She heads the firm’s patent litigation efforts alongside Daniel Lim, whose practice is centred on life sciences patent disputes, and Steven Baldwin, whose focus lies in SEP/FRAND issues in the telecoms sector. Emma Flett heads the practice’s transactional arm, taking the lead on the IP aspects of multi-jurisdictional public and private transactions, with experience handling deals in sectors as diverse as software, pharmaceuticals and energy, among others. Jin Ooi adds further contentious expertise across matters involving companies in the pharmaceutical and chemical industries.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Accolades
Client satisfaction
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
‘Kirkland & Ellis are the leaders in UK patent practice. Their team is excellent at all levels. They are not afraid to push boundaries and develop new law, to their clients' advantage. Their ability to tackle a range of different subject matter is truly impressive.’
‘Nicola Dagg is truly excellent, you couldn't have somebody better on your side. Daniel Lim is intelligent, commercially focused and great to work with. He will work at a problem in an innovative way to get the best result for his clients. Jin Ooi is a brilliant legal and strategic mind. Excellent on disputes with multi-national dimensions. Steven Baldwin is wonderful to work with and incredibly bright.’
‘Absolute powerhouse on FRAND litigation in the UK, no firm has as much as experience as the K&E team on FRAND issues.’
‘Adept at handling complex litigation. Nicola Dagg is a force of nature, she always has an exceptional grasp of the key legal, factual and technical issues, whilst fighting hard for her client's commercial and strategic interests.’
‘Nicola Dagg is the head of the IP team and is amazing at bringing the work in. She effectively manages her team to keep all the plates spinning. Daniel Lim is excellent on technical cases. Steve Baldwin is another great lawyer for complex telecoms litigation.’
‘One of the busiest teams in London. Disruptive litigators who get results for their clients.’
Key clients
- Advanced Bionics
- Alcon
- Astellas
- Boehringer Ingelheim
- Intel
- Lattice
- Lenovo
- Meril Life Sciences
- Pfizer
- Pharmathen
- Samsung Electronics
- Thales
Work highlights
Represented Xiaomi in its defence of global enforcement proceedings launched by Panasonic in the UPC and the UK, Germany and China, obtaining declarations from the Court of Appeal that Panasonic should grant Xiaomi a short-term interim license, pending the FRAND trial.
Represented Lenovo and Motorola Mobility in SEP/FRAND proceedings with Ericsson, with parallel proceedings in the UK, the US, Brazil and Colombia, concerning global licensing royalty rates.
Represented Astellas Pharma Europe Ltd. and The Regents of the University of California in defeating validity challenges brought by multiple generic companies on patents covering Xtandi.
Lawyers
Hall of Fame
The lawyers at the very top of the profession, widely known and respected by peers and clients for their longstanding involvement in market-leading work.
Next Generation Partners
Junior partners with significant recognition from clients and peers in the market and key roles on multiple matters.
Practice head
Nicola Dagg; Daniel Lim; Steven Baldwin; Emma Flett
Other key lawyers
Jin Ooi