Most Highly Regarded Firms: Patents 2011
In this section we analyse the findings of our research in greater depth to identify the firms and practitioners who stand out worldwide.
| THE INTERNATIONAL WHO’S WHO OF PATENT LAWYERS 2011 | |
|---|---|
| Most highly regarded individuals | |
| Lawyer | Firm |
| Trevor Cook | Bird & Bird LLP, London |
| Donald Dunner | Finnegan Henderson Farabow Garrett & Dunner LLP, Washington DC |
| Don Martens | Knobbe Martens Olson & Bear LLP, Irvine |
| Sally Field | Bristows, London |
| Kevin Mooney | Simmons & Simmons, London |
| Pierre Véron | Véron & Associés, Paris |
| Ford Farabow | Finnegan Henderson Farabow Garrett & Dunner LLP, Washington DC |
| Jochen Pagenberg | Bardehle Pagenberg, Munich |
| Morgan Chu | Irell & Manella LLP, Los Angeles |
| Daniel Bereskin QC | Bereskin & Parr LLP, Toronto |
International Leaders
Bird & Bird leads our research in terms of the number of inclusions – 21 lawyers from this firm have earned a listing, earning it our Patent Law Firm of the Year award for the first time this year. Its strength is evident not only in the number of listings, but also in their geographical spread – seven jurisdictions are represented in Europe and Asia. Trevor Cook is the overall highest nominated lawyer and the winner of our Patent Lawyer of the Year Award for the sixth time. He has over 30 years’ experience and is one of seven lawyers listed from Bird & Bird’s London practice. Morag Macdonald is joint head of the international IP group and her recent work includes coordinating pan-European patent actions including NovoNordisk v DSM, Halliburton v Smith and Baxter v Pharmacia & Upjohn/Genetics Institute. Neil Jenkins is “at the top of his game” and Jane Mutimear “has an unparalleled instinctive understanding of the process and a good feel for the way a case should be run in order to win,” according to one client. Four lawyers gain inclusion at the firm’s Düsseldorf office, including Wolfgang von Meibom, chair of the German practice and founder of the German IP group. In Brussels, Bruno Vandermeulen is “outstanding” and Matthew Laight, the managing partner of the firm’s China offices, “has decades of local experience”.
Thirteen patent experts from seven jurisdictions are listed from Hogan Lovells. Andreas von Falck is one of three Düsseldorf-based lawyers included here. He leads the international IP group and is “a phenomenally talented litigator”. In Amsterdam, Bert Oosting is “renowned” for litigation related to pharmaceuticals, medical devices and biotechnology patents. Consultant Nicholas Macfarlane and senior partner Robert Anderson are at the London office. Macfarlane is called an “eminence gris” by our sources while Anderson was highlighted in our research as “a smart lawyer with an outstanding track record”.
Simmons & Simmons earns six inclusions. Four are in London, where Rowan Freeland’s work on multi-jurisdictional patent litigation for pharmaceutical companies in particular has earned him an “excellent reputation”. In Amsterdam, Bas Berghuis van Woortman’s recent work has included representing the likes of Microsoft and GlaxoSmithKline in patent infringement litigation. In Shanghai, Lewis Ho is “well known” for representing multinational pharma and tech companies in patent litigations in China.
United States & Canada
The “excellent firm” Fitzpatrick Cella Harper & Scinto gains 10 inclusions in New York and Robert Baechtold is regarded as “one of the top patent lawyers in the US”. He has 40 years of IP litigation under his belt and has represented Bristol-Myers Squibb, AstraZeneca and Bausch & Lomb among many other prominent companies in related matters. Lawrence Scinto is “just superb” and has extensive experience advising and litigating on patent matters relating to industries as varied as automotive parts, explosives, circular knitting needles and pharmaceuticals. Nicholas Canella is praised for his “broad experience” and his client roster includes Canon, BP and the Walt Disney Company.
Nine lawyers are included from Finnegan Henderson Farabow Garrett & Dunner LLP. Donald Dunner is one of the most highly nominated practitioners overall and he is “always a pleasure to work with and very bright individual.” Ford Farabow is also listed in Washington, DC, and he is “extremely well respected” and Charles Lipsey in Reston, Virginia, is “great for pharma and biotech litigations.”
Knobbe Martens Olson & Bear LLP has five experts in these pages, including the “superlative” of counsel Don Martens. He is “one of the icons” of US patent litigation and “highly recommended”. Alongside him, Joseph Re is “a great man to have in your corner”.
Five lawyers are included from Ropes & Gray LLP, which has “a much respected patents practice”. James Haley in New York is the former head of the patents and corporate IP group and his past infringement cases include representing Biogen in a number of matters, acting in Schering-Plough v Sterling Winthrop and Amgen v TKT/Aventis. Robert Goldman is in Silicon Valley and he has asserted patents from AstraZeneca, Compaq and Purdue Pharma.
Sidley Austin LLP also has five inclusions in this edition. Thomas Beck heads the IP group in New York and has represented clients such as ConvaTec, LSI and Bristol. Commenters called him “thoughtful” and “a great adviser and counsel on any patent matter”.
Morgan Chu is one of the most highly nominated individuals overall. He is the only partner listed from Irell & Manella LLP and he is “at the top of everyone’s list” and “has a fine reputation”. He chairs the firm’s litigation group and has been lead counsel on such cases as Stac Electronics v Microsoft, City of Hope v Genentech and Immersion v Sony.
John Bochnovic is the chair of Smart & Biggar/Fetherstonhaugh and one of six lawyers included. He has over 30 years’ experience of advising on IP matters and is the vice chair of the AIPPI and its incoming president. Michael Manson is “very highly recommended” and “a great patent litigator” and Gunars Gaikis is “top tier”. Gaikis specialises in pharma and biological patent litigation and advisory work while Manson focuses on IP litigation.
Bereskin & Parr LLP has two inclusions and founding partner Daniel Bereskin QC is considered “a don of the Canadian IP bar”. Robert MacFarlane heads the litigation practice and he is “an outstanding lawyer with tremendous experience”.
UK & Europe
Sally Field is one of the most highly rated patent lawyers in the world and is one of eight lawyers featured from Bristows. Her experience in IP disputes covers the gamut of technologies – including pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals, media, mechanical products and medical devices. Edward Nodder heads the IP practice and has worked on cases such as 3M v Plastus Kreativ and Unilin v B&Q. Brian Cordery is “a talented disputes lawyer who is a pleasure to work with” and he focuses on pharmaceutical, biotechnology and electronics patent disputes.
Seven patent experts are included from IP boutique Powell Gilbert LLP. One source noted that he was “very impressed with their work and they are extremely skilled in the technical fields involved and very thorough in the way they approach their cases. I think this makes a big difference to clients.” Penny Gilbert, one of the founding partners, specialises in life sciences-related patent litigation and advisory work. Tim Powell works on complex multi-jurisdictional patent litigation and Ari Laakkonen, the former head of European and Asian litigation at Nokia, focuses on electronics- and IT-related patent disputes.
IP boutique Hoyng Monegier LLP, which was established in January this year, has already made its mark on the European IP scene with seven individuals listed here. One client said that “these lawyers have broad experience, understand our business and have a clear, no-nonsense approach”. Managing partner Willem Hoyng litigates patent and trademark cases before national and European courts and Carl De Meyer’s clients include Philips, Procter & Gamble and Mega Brands.
Reimann Osterrieth Köhler & Haft stands out in Germany with seven nominees featured, including the “excellent” Thomas Reimann and Christian Osterrieth, who is praised for his “innovative and effective” multinational patent litigation strategies.
Four nominees are selected from Bardehle Pagenberg, including name partner Jochen Pagenberg – “one of the premier patent lawyers in Europe”. He is joined by two highly rated colleagues in Germany, and a further nominee in France in the form of the “top-drawer” Julien Fréneaux.
Patent litigation boutique Véron & Associés earns four inclusions, making it the most well-represented French firm in our research. Pierre Véron is the most highly-nominated lawyer in France and one commenter called him “the number one for patents in the country”. Isabelle Romet at the same firm is “very impressive”.