JUVE Comment

The IP practice of this national full-service firm is among the market leaders in patent litigation. August Debouzy boasts a large number of dual-qualified lawyers, allowing it to handle both French proceedings and the associated EPO proceedings for its clients. This effective strategy as a one-stop shop combined with in-depth technical understanding are what impress clients. Like competitor Hoyng ROKH Monégier Véron, this is one of the few teams with an impressive track record in high-stakes cases, such as Peugeot Citroen Automobiles against NPE Papst Licensing. Practice head Grégoire Desrousseaux is one of the most experienced litigators with a deep technical understanding of mobile communications patents. He successfully litigated this year, for example, for Asus in a suit against Philips regarding graphical user interfaces, as well as for Huawei against Intellectual Ventures over SEPs. The second, also dual-qualified partner, François Pochart, is renowned for his in-depth pharma sector expertise. He conducted the proceedings for Fresenius Kabi against Amgen concerning Humira, which were much observed across Europe. Although both partners are among the most renowned litigators in the French market, they will have to pave the way for younger lawyers to join the partnership in the years ahead if the team is to remain on a par with the large partner team of competitor Hoyng ROHK Monegier Véron. The team lost an experienced counsel and an associate to Clifford Chance. But the task is manageable. The firm recently welcomed an experienced young lawyer from Gide who has already been noticed in the market. The very large client base and the firm’s involvement in numerous major patent litigation cases in France offer younger lawyers excellent conditions to raise their market profiles and make their way into the partnership.

Strengths

Litigation before the French courts and the EPO. In-depth telecoms, electronics and pharma sector expertise.

European strategy

The leading patents team has strong client contacts, partly because both dual-qualified partners frequently represent their clients before both the national French courts and the EPO. If the UPC arrives, this experience will be a trump card that few European firms can play. This makes August Debouzy an interesting partner for lots of international firms, especially those with a similar full-service approach. But the team is more limited in its opportunities for closer cooperation than pure IP boutiques.

Recommended individuals

Grégoire Desrousseaux (“recommendable”, client; “deep knowledge of the telecoms field, sharp litigator”, competitor; “quality of the work and quantity of cases are simply great”, competitor), François Pochart (“good litigator and strategist”, competitor; “really good work, I must hire them too sometime”, client about the team)

Team

2 partners, 3 counsel, 10 associates, 7 of whom are dual-qualified as patent attorneys and litigators

Specialties

Patent litigation in all technical fields, EPO oppositions, also general IP advice, small filing practice.

Clients

Litigation: Huawei (defendant) against Intellectual Ventures over SEPs; Peugeot Citroen (defendant) against Papst Licensing over a diesel injector patent; Asus (defendant) against Philips over European patents covering graphical user interfaces; Eurofeedback (defendant) against Dermeo over pulsed light devices (including EPO procedeeings); Fresenius Kabi (claimant) against Amgen over Humira; Nutricia/Danone (claimant) against Nestlé group and Even Santé over enteral nutrition products. Frequent advice to: Teva, Valeo.