JUVE Comment

This IP boutique is well positioned in patent litigation, often acting for an international client base. This includes renowned life sciences companies like Merck Millipore and Estar Medical, which have banked on the small law firm for years. French mobile phone manufacturer Wiko also features on the regular client list. Catherine Mateu is currently representing Wiko in a dispute over mobile phone packaging. This set-up regularly attracts new clients, including most recently a US technology group and an Asian mobile phone manufacturer, which the team advises on FRAND issues, among others. If the latter case leads to litigation, it could help the IP boutique gain greater visibility in the telecoms sector, which is currently less strong than at competitors such as Amar Goussu Staub or Loyer & Abello.

Numerous French midsized companies ensure a steady stream of litigation, especially from the packaging sector and mechanical and plant engineering, such as TTK and Perrein. Mateu’s close contacts to Spanish companies like Novapet are another source of regular work. In addition to a strong focus on litigation, the team advises on employee invention rights, R&D agreements and licensing.

Strengths

Patent litigation across a variety of sectors, close contacts to Spanish clients.

European set-up

Despite frequently advising international clients – including in the pharma and telecoms sectors, two important fields for patent litigation – the firm is seen far less frequently in the French parts of pan-European litigation than Aramis and Schertenleib, which have similarly sized teams.

Nevertheless, the firm nurtures long-standing, informal contacts to IP firms in key European patent jurisdictions. Like many other national IP boutiques, Armengaud Guerlain is holding fast to its strategy of non-exclusive alliances with law firms and patent attorney firms abroad and in France as it awaits the arrival of the UPC. Given the UPC’s tight deadline regime and the larger teams this will require, closer partnerships could be advantageous in the future so as to attract clients for UPC cases. However, the national boutique will have to compete with other traditional French outfits for the small pool of potential cooperation partners in other countries, especially in the Netherlands and UK.

Recommended individuals

Catherine Mateu

Team

5 lawyers

Specialties

Exclusively litigation and advice in IP with a strong focus on patents.

Clients

Litigation: Wiko (claimant) against Modelabs over telephone packaging; Perrein (defendant) against Ecoceps over agricultural machine; Merck Millipore and Merck Biodevelopment (defendants) against Sartorius over bioreactors; Estar Medical against Regenlab over platelet-rich plasma; Novapet (claimant) against PDG Plastiques over packaging; Telecom Design against former employee over employee invention rights after transfer of company assets to another company (settled in 2022); TTK (claimant) against former employee over breach of contract involving trade secrets. Advice: Asian phone manufacturer on FRAND.