Profile: Howrey LLP

Howrey LLP - Who's Who Legal '70'

What is the Who's Who Legal '70'?

In 2007 and early 2008, Howrey made several key attorney acquisitions and opened offices in Munich and Madrid, and as well as opening an office in New York City. The firm performs well in our research overall with 51 listings from eight countries over nine practice areas.

COMPETITION
With approximately 300 antitrust lawyers and professionals, Howrey claims to have the largest antitrust practice in the world. It was rated among the leading practices worldwide by our sister publication Global Competition Review in its annual GCR 100 survey, and the competition chapter provides the largest contingent from the firm; 18 lawyers from four offices.

Howrey has been extremely busy in this field in recent months.

Matters include the representation of Nestlé before the FTC in the US, as well as the coordination of its global antitrust strategy, in its $2.5 billion acquisition of the Medical Nutrition business from Novartis AG. The firm also represented Schering-Plough in securing global antitrust clearances in connection with its €11 billion acquisition of Akzo Nobel’s human and animal health businesses, as well as the International Air Transport Association in the putative class actions filed by direct and indirect purchasers of air cargo services in the US and abroad.

Howrey LLP’s lawyers in the competition chapter are mostly split between the key markets of Brussels and Washington, DC. Seven practise in the US capital, including James Rill, regarded as “the dean of deans” and respected for his background as former chairman of the ABA’s antitrust section and as assistant attorney general in charge of the US Department of Justice’s antitrust division. Roxann Henry is described as a “leading light” and “a force in trial work”, while former chairman of the firm’s antitrust practice group John DeQ Briggs is known as a “great courtroom lawyer”. Mark Schechter is highly praised, and John Taladay and Alan Wiseman also performed well in the research. The “excellent” Sean Boland is a new addition this year and completes a “phenomenally impressive US presence”.

In Europe, head of the European antitrust practice and joint managing partner of the Brussels office Trevor Soames is seen as a “leading thinker” and “a real Brussels insider”, while Julian Joshua is “a leader in the field of cartels work”. Götz Drauz joined the firm in 2006 from the European Commission and is thought to be “just amazing” – “it was a real coup for the firm to get him” – while co-managing partner of the Brussels office Michael Schütte, who also joined the firm in 2006, is regarded as “great for state aid work”. Schütte also appears in the trade and customs chapter. Marc Reysen and Martina Maier are also highly rated, as are the “up and coming” Damien Geradin and the “impressive” Paris Anestis.

At the end of 2007, Howrey announced the acquisition of Martínez Lage, one of the leading specialist competition firms in Spain. Madrid managing partner Santiago Martínez Lage and Helmut Brokelmann both appear in our list. The firm can also claim an expert in London with the inclusion of the “very smart” Tom McQuail.

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
Howrey also has one of the world’s largest intellectual property practices, with 275 IP professionals. The firm has been involved in several high-profile cases recently: it successfully represented Boston Scientific Corporation in a claim over royalties on sales of Boston Scientific’s Liberte stent. In another case in late 2007, the Northern District of California entered judgment that all of the patent claims asserted against Howrey’s client Jenoptik were invalid, in a case which had been pending for 11 years. Howrey also received another win in Monsanto’s long-standing dispute with Bayer over Bayer’s patents asserted against Monsanto’s insect-resistant corn. The firm has 20 listings divided between the patent and trademark chapters, including 15 in the former from 10 offices – more than any other firm in our patent research.

Henry Bunsow in the San Francisco office has a “tremendous record” representing businesses in high-tech patent disputes, while William Rooklidge in the Irvine office is similarly well regarded for litigation and alternative dispute resolution. In Washington, co-chair of the IP practice group Cecilia Gonzalez stood out, as did William West for his “great strengths” in patent litigation. John Lynch is “a brilliant litigator” and appears in Texas, and Glenn Rhodes practises in the firm’s Taiwan office and offers expertise in several Asian jurisdictions.

Head of the European IP practice Benoît Strowel leads an impressive group from the continent. Carl De Meyer appears alongside him from the Brussels office, while Marina Cousté, managing partner of the firm’s Paris office, is a well-recognised figure in this area. Cousté is accompanied by another recent lateral hire, Denis Monégier du Sorbier – who joined from Linklaters in 2007. Interviewees from across the globe praised the work of Europe managing partner Willem Hoyng (“one of the best”). He is joined in this edition by partner and co-founder of the Amsterdam office Bart Van den Broek; a “star-quality litigator”. Richard Willoughby and Mark Hodgson appear from the London office. Joachim Feldges joined Howrey, and opened the firm’s Munich office, at the beginning of 2007 and is particularly well known in relation to biotech work.

Three of the five partners featured in the trademark chapter also appear as leaders in the patent research: De Meyer, Hoyng and Monégier du Sorbier. David Stone in London and Katherine Basile in California were also commended for their trademark expertise.

DEFENCE WORK
The firm is represented in several other areas. The “terrific” John Nields is co-chair of Howrey’s white-collar defence practice, appearing in the business crime chapter alongside Jan Handzlik – described as “fantastic” by our sources – and Michael Armstrong in New York. Howrey’s presence in the product liability chapter is limited to Europe; John Evans appears in London and Jean de Hauteclocque in Paris.

AVIATION, INSURANCE AND ENVIRONMENT
Already identified as one of the leading competition lawyers in the world, Trevor Soames also appears in the aviation chapter. He is joined by Geert Goeteyn from the Brussels office, who is similarly well known for his antitrust work in this area. The three partners we feature in the insurance and reinsurance chapter are all based in the States. Robert Shulman in New York has had “some very satisfied clients in some very complex matters”, and his fellow co-chair of the insurance recovery practice David Steuber is a “first-rate” policyholder’s lawyer who has “been one of the leaders for a very long time”. Jill Berkeley in Chicago is also co-chair of the insurance recovery practice and was commended for her diverse practice representing policyholders and claimants in coverage litigation. Thomas McMahon practises in the insurance coverage group and represents major companies in disputes relating to environmental matters; his “outstanding work” led to his appearance in the environment chapter. “Very smart guy” Christopher Marraro joins him in that section.