JUVE Comment

Of all the international firms, this IP boutique is the clear market leader in France. With its broad team of renowned partners, loyal clients in high-level litigation and continuous representation of clients from all technological fields, the firm is in great shape for both purely national litigation and pan-European or international litigation.

Clients value Sabine Agé and Amandine Métier for their work in high-profile telecoms cases and for the French component of pan-European life sciences litigation in equal measure. One example that stands out from the past year was the successful decision in the court of first instance for Illumina against BGI regarding DNA sequencing. The team also managed to find a solution for INPI in an extremely complex dispute involving an unsuccessful SPC approval.

A whole host of new clients have hired the mixed team over the past year, albeit primarily for background advice – including relating to the new opportunities offered by the UPC.

Strengths

Cross-border litigation over pharma, electronics and telecoms patents.

European set-up

The UPC launched in 2023, eight years after the merger of international IP boutique Hoyng Monegier and German IP firm Reimann Osterrieth Köhler Haft. In 2018, the European IP heavyweight brought in the Véron team led by Sabine Agé – as reinforcements in France, uniting the two market-leading French boutiques at that time. This merger was not entirely driven by the UPC, although Willem Hoyng and Denis Monégier du Sorbier both played pivotal roles in the preparations for the court, but many did see it as a wake-up call to gear up for the UPC.

Hoyng ROKH Monegier has used the past eight years wisely to establish its brand internationally, to manage the initial conflicts of interest, especially in life sciences, and to perfect joint client litigation. Now that the UPC has opened its doors, the lawyers are brilliantly positioned to represent their clients. One of the first battles involving French lawyers from the firm is being fought at the Düsseldorf and Mannheim local divisions for Fujifilm against Kodak. So far, competitor August Debouzy has been more active in UPC suits at the local division in Paris.

When it comes to pan-European proceedings, Hoyng ROKH Monegier plays in the same league as European market leaders like Bird & Bird and Hogan Lovells but is much more strongly positioned in France than these two firms.

Recommended individuals

Sabine Agé (“top”, competitor), Marta Mendes (“good coordinator”, competitor), Amandine Métier (“very professional”, competitor), Benoît Strowel (“great to work with in pan-European cases”, competitor)

Team

18 lawyers, 2 patent attorneys

Specialties

Pan-European IP boutique focusing on patent infringement, proceedings and nullity suits. Also licences, R&D cooperations and transactions. Trademarks and unfair competition.

Clients

Litigation: Illumina (claimant) against BGI/MGI over DNA sequencing technology; Biogen (claimant) against Viatris/Mylan and Neuraxpharm over MS drug Tecfidera; Orphalan (defendant) against Seratec on medicinal product Cuprior for the treatment of Wilson’s disease; Jouffray Drillaud and Danstar Ferment (claimants) against Lesaffre over fermentation plant products; Philips (claimant) against Thales over SEPs; Bouygues Telecom and Orange (both defendants) against Intellectual Ventures over SEPs for DSL; Michelin (defendant) against Continental over truck tires; BIA (defendant) against Illinois Tool Works and Instron France over reverse sled for car collision test devices; Prysmian (claimant) against Nexans over electric cables; Sony (claimant) against Subsonic over games console controllers (Cour de cassation); Nintendo (claimant) against Under Control Group over games console controllers; Duplo (defendant) against MGI over printing machines (Supreme Court); Vorwerk (claimant) against Lidl over several patents for Thermomix (public knowledge); INPI (defendant) against Daiichi Sankyo regarding revocation of an SPC. UPC: Fujifilm (claimant) against Kodak over printing plate technology.