JUVE Comment

This well-positioned, small IP boutique primarily advises and litigates for clients from the life sciences, mechanics and electronics sectors in patent disputes. Recent months have seen the firm sharpen its profile in pharma litigation. The defence work for Hoffmann-La Roche in the French part of the pan-European patent dispute against Celltrion over a biosimilar showed the IP boutique’s good position in complex pharma proceedings, despite its relatively small size. Like similarly positioned competitor Cousin & Associés, Szleper Henry nurtures close contacts with German clients. But it has harnessed this potential even more effectively than its competitor and built up a solid base of clients. Traditional family-owned German companies like Schwan Cosmetics and engineering company Herrenknecht bank on the small team before the French courts, as do major corporations of the calibre of Bayer. The firm litigated for the latter in the dispute with French competitor Guerbet concerning a contrast agent. Szleper Henry frequently works with the German patent attorneys as well.

Strengths

Patent litigation focusing on pharma, mechanics and electronics.

European strategy

The small IP boutique has no fixed network of partner firms in Europe. But due to its strong focus on German clients, Szleper Henry maintains close connections to German patent attorney firms and works in cooperation with these.

Team

2 partners, 1 associate

Specialties

Exclusive activity in IP with a strong focus on patent litigation and trademarks and unfair competition.

Clients

Litigation: Atelier Robert (defendant) against Emily over agricultural machine; Bayer IP (claimant) against Guerbet over contrast agents for Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), Hoffmann-La Roche (co-defendant) against Celltrion over a biosimilar; Herrenknecht (claimant) against NFM/Creusot over technology for tunnel advancing; Hussor (claimant) against Outinord over construction technology; Sphere (defendant) against Melitta over plastic bin bags; Toymaster and E-Clypse (defendants) against Cayago over jet ski; Kindermann (defendant) against Barco over wireless technology; Royal Distribution (defendant) against Kaloud over smoking apparatus; Schwan Cosmetics (defendant) against French competitor over eyeliner (revocation).