JUVE Comment

The well-positioned London team at US firm WilmerHale handles substantial litigation and enjoys strong relationships with its US clients. This is best exemplified by extensive proceedings for Apple against Optis in the UK, where renowned partner Anthony Trenton and rising star Annsley Ward draw on their considerable FRAND expertise. The firm represents Apple in parallel US proceedings, effectively leveraging its strong US-UK axis. This case has produced some of the UK’s most significant FRAND and licensing rulings.

In life sciences, WilmerHale’s work for Bristol-Myers Squibb includes one of the sector’s most commercially significant cases. While the team led by Matthew Shade shares the UK proceedings with Hogan Lovells, it plays a key coordinating role across numerous European jurisdictions. The UK proceedings have since been concluded, but WilmerHale continues to coordinate the pending proceedings in other European countries.

The WilmerHale team has thus established itself in both FRAND and life sciences litigation. The UK team has a strong client base, occasionally including joint work with the US practice. Although WilmerHale maintains continental offices, these focus primarily on soft IP rather than patent litigation. Consequently, the London patent team cannot rely on referrals from continental practices.

European set-up

Although WilmerHale has experience coordinating pan-European proceedings, as demonstrated by its work for Bristol-Myers Squibb on apixaban, it lacks the patent litigation expertise in other European jurisdictions that competitors such as A&O Shearman can offer. Its Belgian and German teams remain relatively small and have yet to establish significant visibility in patent litigation.

This could prove disadvantageous as the UPC gains prominence. WilmerHale has not yet appeared in major UPC proceedings, and the US firm may face increased competitive pressure from large pan-European practices such as Hogan Lovells and Freshfields. Many US clients favour firms with strong German teams for UPC work, as German local divisions currently prove particularly popular. For example, key client Apple works with German firm Bardehle Pagenberg in its first UPC case.

Strengths

Big-ticket litigation for US clients in telecommunications, life sciences and medical devices.

Recommended individuals

Anthony Trenton (“great expierence”, competitor), Matthew Shade, Annsley Ward, Justin Watts

Team

10 lawyers

Clients

Litigation: Apple against Optis over SEP infringement and revocation (including FRAND); Bristol-Myers Squibb/Pfizer (co-counsel with Hogan Lovells) against Sandoz and Teva over anticoagulant apixaban/Eliquis; Gyrodata against Scientific Drilling over oil well bores (settled 2024).