Litigation: Lawyers – France 2026

JUVE Comment

The French patent practice of this international law firm continues to hold a strong position in national proceedings, which often form part of pan-European patent battles. Renowned life sciences expert Laëtitia Bénard represents long-standing clients among innovative pharma companies such as Bayer and MSD, especially when they need to defend their blockbusters from generic drugs entering the French market. For example, she represented Bayer in the high-profile litigation over Xarelto, succeeding in having the case heard under the accelerate...

JUVE Comment

This IP-focused international law firm is a market leader in Europe and one of the most dynamic challengers to the top dogs in French national patent infringement cases. Its success rests on a substantial roster of international and domestic clients who regard Bird & Bird as their first choice. The French team is one of few in Paris that not only handles numerous long-running infringement cases in high-volume, high-stakes disputes, but also initiates new infringement actions. For instance, it has acted for long-standing client Edwards Lifesc...

JUVE Comment

The patent practice of this national full-service firm enjoys an exceptional reputation for litigating life sciences cases, with highlights including work for Bristol Myers Squibb and Teoxane. Pharma clients frequently benefit from the team's in-depth expertise in SPCs. Gide was again active in various proceedings against the French patent office (INPI) concerning rejected SPCs, for example for Janssen, Boehringer Ingelheim's veterinary medicine division, and Ono Pharmaceutical. After Genmab was refused several SPCs for a cancer treatment, t...

JUVE Comment

For several years, Hogan Lovells' French practice has established itself by representing international clients in the French leg of pan-European disputes. Through this work, currently including for Hoffmann-La Roche against Accord Healthcare concerning a cancer drug, the team led by lead partner Stanislas Roux-Vaillard and the up-and-coming Adrien Bonnet is closing in on the market leaders. The firm recently demonstrated its appeal to French companies by securing instructions from Orange in extensive litigation, placing the team in one of th...

JUVE Comment

Of all the firms in the French market, mixed practice Casalonga has undergone perhaps the most significant development over the past year, consistently driving forward its strategic transformation. The firm aims to join European market leaders in UPC litigation such as Bardehle Pagenberg. To this end, Casalonga has recently integrated lateral hires in Munich and Amsterdam and is fostering close inter-office collaboration across all offices. The firm's culture has traditionally embraced close cooperation between lawyers and patent attorneys o...

Other Rankings

• Patent Filing

JUVE Comment

The patent practice of this national full-service firm is well known for litigation. Clients from a wide array of technical fields seek out the team for their cases. Its extensive experience in the national courts makes it a strong choice for proceedings in France, as shown for example in the litigation for Japanese client Bigben in its dispute with Nintendo. Recent work also includes litigation in pharma and medical technology, software and telecoms as well as in the automotive sector. In other cases, the team successfully advised on settle...

JUVE Comment

This French patent litigation practice led by the renowned Thomas Bouvet has recently strengthened its position as a sought-after, experienced outfit whilst competitors grapple with declining caseloads. Jones Day handles patent litigation for regular clients such as Coloplast and new clients including Wybotics.

Beyond its established specialism in pharmaceuticals, biotechnology and medical device manufacture, the team maintains expertise across a wide range of technologies. The practice recently bolstered its team with an experienced ...

JUVE Comment

The French IP boutique around name partner Denis Schertenleib is a powerhouse for representing generic drug companies in high-profile pharmaceutical cases. The litigators can draw on extensive experience and are called on by Viatris, Sandoz and Zentiva for numerous suits against originators. A particular highlight was the successful representation of Viatris, Sandoz and Zentiva against Bayer in the dispute over cancer drug Nexavar.

The firm also plays a central role for its regular clients at the UPC, despite traditional disputes betw...

JUVE Comment

The newly reshaped patent practice led by experienced practitioner Benjamin May represents medium-sized companies and large corporations across diverse technologies in patent infringement proceedings. With the arrival of the team under the renowned May at the start of 2025, major French firm Jeantet now has a solid foundation for providing comprehensive support to regular clients at the interface of patent law with other practice areas. The newly acquired team's regular clients include long-standing representation of Fresenius Medical Care r...

JUVE Comment

The hallmark of Linklaters’ patent practice is its work for innovator pharmaceutical clients, often in high-profile cases with pan-European relevance. For example, the team around Pauline Debré represents Sanofi and Regeneron in the French part of the dispute with Amgen over blockbuster drug Praluent/Repatha. The practice's life sciences expertise also came into play for AFM Télethon, when the team represented the French non-profit organisation in a dispute over co-ownership rights and breach of confidentiality. This was in the context of a ...

JUVE Comment

Lavoix remains one of the top mixed patent firms in France, built on a strong and internationally renowned prosecution practice, especially for EPO oppositions. The firm advises an impressive list of core clients such as ArcelorMittal, L'Oréal, Thales, Total Energies and Sanofi on all prosecution matters.

In recent years, Lavoix has visibly intensified the internal teamwork between its patent attorneys and lawyers, a development that is increasingly bearing fruit in litigation. Litigator Camille Pecnard has gained visibility in French...

Other Rankings

• Patent Filing

JUVE Comment

This small IP boutique remains highly active in litigation before national courts. While the international client base spans a broad range of industries including medical devices, consumer goods and mobile communications, the team around Catherine Mateu stands out mainly for pharma work. For example, it represented Estar Medical in a dispute over patents for an anti-aging procedure. The practice also brought a long-running national case to a successful close, achieving a final win for Merck Millipore against Sartorius over bioreactors. A not...

JUVE Comment

This traditional IP boutique maintains a busy patent litigation practice across a broad range of technologies. Midsized clients from different sectors such as mechanical engineering, consumer goods and medical devices deliver a steady stream of litigation work. This is rooted in the team’s traditionally excellent contacts among midsized companies as well as law firms and patent attorney firms in Germany, which lead to regular referrals. For example Guillaume Henry represented German provider of telecommunication cables Telenco against Prefor...