Solicitor firms in litigation – UK 2021

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The list of high-profile clients retained by Bristows indicates that, despite two high-profile partner retirements in as many years, its reputation as a market leader remains as strong as ever. In 2019, Alan Johnson left the practice, followed in 2020 by globally-renowned litigator Edward Nodder. Although the latter continues to do some consultancy work for the firm, the remaining partners have hit the ground running in their bid to reshape the practice to meet the demands of its extensive client list.

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There was always bound to be speculation about a boutique firm’s market position in Europe after Brexit, and most competitors have looked towards Powell Gilbert as a test case of the viability of independent London practices. Going into 2021, the firm finds its exceptionally strong position unchanged, with high levels of activity throughout the corona-era. The firm is, together with Bristows, the undisputed market leader in UK patent litigation.

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The London litigation team at global firm Allen & Overy has once again to overcome the departure of a key partner, this time the early retirement of life sciences specialist Marc Döring, to remain a main challenger to the UK’s market-leading firms. But under the steer of recommended partners Marjan Noor and Neville Cordell, the London team has retained its reputation in the UK market as strong and capable in both life sciences and technology disputes. "They belong among the UK's leading litigators", says one competitor. "You don't want them...

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Bird & Bird’s patents practice is one of the leading teams in Europe. And in the UK over 2020, it has challenged the national market leaders more than in previous years. The London team is traditionally well positioned in litigation involving life sciences patents and made a name for itself here in work for regular clients like Takeda and Allergan. Medical technology manufacturers also rely on Bird & Bird, among them New Zealand company Fisher & Paykel in a major series of proceedings.

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The IP litigation team at the London office of international firm Herbert Smith Freehills is excellently-positioned in the pharmaceutical sector. Indeed, the practice has recently consolidated its position as a clear challenger to the UK patent market leaders in this sector through consistency in high-profile life sciences cases and a partnership which gains large numbers of recommendations. Over the past year, the practice has retained core clients, including originator Gilead for which it is conducting several litigation proceedings, e.g. aga...

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The London patent team of Hogan Lovells has all-round expertise and especially strong court visibility. Its high-profile clients across both the pharmaceutical and mobile communications sectors means it remains in an excellent position to challenge the market leading firms, a position reinforced through the breadth of experience across its small team. But even with only four partners, Hogan Lovells has been especially active in the UK High Court over the past year, including a particularly strong run in pharmaceutical cases such as MSD against ...

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The well-positioned London litigation team of the Anglo-Canadian firm has historically stood for a broad approach to patent law, under the careful steer of international IP Team Leader Gordon Harris. However, it is particularly visible in the technology and mobile communications area. For example, from the firm’s eight-strong partnership, at least five partners have technology as their core focus. Its work for Interdigital is led by tech-specialist partner Alexandra Brodie, keeping the firm busy with six trials over standard essential patents a...

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The patents practice of this full-service firm is strongly positioned in patent litigation. It is best known in the life sciences sector for its work for long-standing clients, including Teva and Accord. But the team has diversified the pharma practice far beyond its traditional focus on generics manufacturers. It has thus landed several notable originators as clients and branched out into advising biotech companies. The patent team has skilfully taken advantage of its good contacts from the international network, for example from the transacti...

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This international full-service firm’s patent team is strongly positioned in the UK and traditionally enjoys an excellent profile for pharma litigation. Activity for regular clients Mylan, Pfizer and Abbott in infringement proceedings and nullity suits is once again a source of much work for the London practice. But the team has consistently branched out in recent years into the hard-fought mobile communications sector, earning a solid reputation through pan-European disputes for notable clients. One high-profile example is litigation for Asus ...

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The well-positioned London patent team of the US firm remains stable in the UK market. The core of the practice – and certainly what governs the perception of Wilmer Hale – remains the litigation for Apple in a whole series of suits which has guaranteed a high profile. Over the past few years, the work for Apple has become synonymous with the reputation of the firm across Europe.

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This well-established UK litigation team traditionally advises notable companies from sectors ranging from life sciences to sports equipment, transport and food. The team defended globally active construction materials manufacturer Knauf in its dispute against Rockwool in a nullity suit over a key insulation patent. Besides patent litigation, the UK practice frequently provides advice out of the courtrooms, for instance to regular client GE Healthcare on licensing. Overall, however, it does not enjoy as strong a market image as similar sized te...

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After a turbulent couple of years, the London patent team at this well-positioned international firm is firmly finding its feet. Although historically strong on the side of life sciences clients, Freshfields has recently taken instruction from some major players in the mobile communications industry. Perhaps most impressive is the firm’s win for client Facebook in a High Court dispute over the ‘live’ function on the Facebook mobile app. Although a long-standing client for the firm's European practice, the social media giant is new to the UK pat...

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Thanks to its strong position in life sciences patents, this mixed patent firm has made good headway in the year of the coronavirus pandemic. This allowed the patent attorney branch at the Birmingham office to complete a generational change with two retirements and at the same time appoint three new partners in Glasgow and London.

Other Rankings

• Patent Filing

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The well-positioned London team fosters a mixed approach, with solicitors and patent attorneys represented to an equal degree, although these operate in two different branches of the firm. The litigation practice has a strong focus on pharma disputes, where it frequently brings its expertise in SPC advice and regulatory into play, for example in disputes with the European Medicines Agency over the licensing of medicines. The team around Gareth Morgan worked exclusively for generics manufacturers before now, but recently won a notable originator...

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The well-positioned mixed patent practice of international law firm Dentons is especially visible in London for technical patents, e.g. for telecommunications solutions providers and fibreoptic cabling. In the UK, the firm is well-regarded for its use of patent attorneys alongside its litigation lawyers, leading to an array of clients in the patent filing field. In London, aside from traditional patent attorney firms that have branched out to litigation such as Marks & Clerk or EIP, only Simmons & Simmons and CMS Cameron McKenna are cur...

Other Rankings

• Patent Filing

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Despite its small size, the well-positioned IP boutique continues to impress with a client list containing some high-profile names on the generics pharmaceutical, side such as Dr Reddy's against global healthcare company Novartis. Innovate Legal is also very active for generic companies Aspire and Accord in important litigation concerning travoprost, which treats internal eye pressure.

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Litigation work at the well-positioned patents practice of this global firm has seen a shift in the past year. The practice had a strong specialty in life sciences disputes for many years, in cooperation with the other European offices, especially Munich and Paris. But litigation with a strong tech focus now dominates its work. The team is currently litigating for Lufthansa Technik over energy supply in air seats, and for Solid over antenna systems.

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The well-positioned London patent litigation practice of this international law firm has maintained its good reputation in pharmaceutical disputes for high-profile clients. "First-class outfit for patent litigation“, says a competitor. Some of its partners are also highly-regarded in the market, with the UK judiciary recently appointing lead partner Ian Karet as a deputy judge. Sanofi remains a stand-out client for the European patent team, with the London office continuing to instruct the originator company in two disputes over important chole...

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Over 2020, the well-established UK litigation team at international firm Osborne Clarke has emerged as a solid patent practice with particular expertise in competition law. Its patent practice was especially boosted when the firm co-counselled, alongside EIP, for Unwired Planet in the globally-significant dispute against Huawei over SEPs and FRAND licensing. It was this case which highlighted the firm’s telecommunications expertise in the UK market under the impressive steer of Arty Rajendra. Its prowess in the area is further confirmed in the ...