JUVE Comment

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 in the dispute against Philips, which saw the London, Munich and Amsterdam offices work in close cooperation. Cases like these steer the attention of further major players towards the team. Chinese electronics manufacturer Oppo, for example, relied on the firm to defend it in an important FRAND dispute.

The UK team underscored its focus on tech fields with the arrival of a senior associate experienced in SEP suits from Gowling, where he was part of the team active for TQ Delta in the dispute with Zyxel over DSL patents. The Taylor Wessing team also stepped up work in trade secret issues, for example for Zidiapharma. There is potential here to widen the client base further.

Strengths

Pharmaceutical litigation including for generics companies.

European strategy

Taylor Wessing’s offices across Europe are not fully integrated. Its teams develop joint work between offices less frequently than some of the European market leaders, such as Hogan Lovells and Allen & Overy. Nevertheless, the patent team’s set-up in all major jurisdictions is a good base for more cross-border work, with a strong presence in London, Munich and Düsseldorf. As well as its well-positioned teams in Amsterdam, Eindhoven and Paris, the firm also has a small offering in Brussels. In France the patent team’s visibility is not as high as some of its main European competitors such as Hogan Lovells and Bird & Bird.

The firm has a presence in most of Europe’s important patent venues. But Taylor Wessing is, compared to the market-leading practices, seen less often representing key clients in pan-European disputes over multiple offices. With its litigation for mobile communications company Asus in the Netherlands, UK and Germany, the practice has taken an important step towards redressing the historic emphasis on pharmaceutical cases. However, unlike Bird & Bird and Hogan Lovells, Taylor Wessing has not built up its own patent attorney practice yet.

Recommended individuals

James Marshall (“pays attention to every detail and coordinates arguments with international strategy”, “superb in the tech sector”, competitors), Simon Cohen, Michael Washbrook

Team

7 partners, 2 of counsel, 10 associates

Specialties

Broad range of patent litigation activity, especially pharmaceutical and life sciences for generics companies and originator companies. Less activity in the telecommunications sector, but experienced in SEP and FRAND cases on the defendant side. Advisory work, for example SPC regulation. Transactions.

Clients

Litigation: Mylan (claimant) against ICOS and Eli Lilly in revocation case over tadalafil; Mylan (defendant) against Warner-Lambert in an infringement and revocation case over pregabalin; Lupin (defendant) against Teva over asthma product; Pfizer (claimant) against Hoffmann-La Roche in infringement and revocation case over bevacizumab including arrow declarations; Accord and Mylan (claimants) against Gilead concerning infringement and validity of SPC for tadalafil; Ericsson (co-litigant) against Unwired Planet Huawei in Supreme Court case on FRAND and jurisdiction; Oppo (defendant) against Sisvel and Mitsubishi Electric in infringement and revocation case over SEP and FRAND including jurisdiction; Asus (defendant) against Philips in infringement and revocation case over SEP and FRAND; Abbott (claimant) against Edward Lifesciences regarding infringement of medical device products.