JUVE Comment

The large international law firm has a fully integrated international patent litigation practice with market-leading teams in many important UPC locations, as well as in the UK. Like competitors Bird & Bird or Freshfields, Hogan Lovells has deployed cross-border teams in pan-European proceedings for years. The firm is now continuing this strategy at the UPC, as demonstrated by the representation of long-standing client Meril Life Sciences against a claim by Edwards Lifesciences. The German team is also coordinating the overall Europe-wide dispute in national courts for Meril. Xiaomi also relied on Hogan Lovells in the high-profile lawsuit brought by Panasonic before both national courts and the Munich local division. Freshfields is conducting the parallel proceedings in Mannheim for the Chinese implementer.

In addition to these core clients, Hogan Lovells’ UPC litigation experience also impresses new clients such as SodaStream and Supponor. The latter retained a team led by Düsseldorf-based partner Henrik Lehment to defend it against AIM Sport over perimiter advertising in sports stadium at the UPC. The firm cooperated with Gleiss Lutz, which represents the London-based company in the German proceedings.

Although the firm is involved in proceedings across a wide range of technologies, disputes over digital communications and IT dominate, for example for Xiaomi, Amazon and Tecno Mobile. Thanks to its large team of patent attorneys in Germany, the firm can quickly put together effective teams for international patent disputes. For example, a German-Italian team is representing Gucchi in its dispute with Agfa.

The German partners have often taken the lead, but now the teams are beginning to strike a balance. For example, the Amsterdam team is taking the lead for Yealink and Aiko. Nevertheless, Hogan Lovells still does not yet rival the market leaders in terms of international teams and partner visibility at the new court.

Strengths

Large European patent practice, litigation across a broad range of technologies, especially telecommunications, including SEPs and FRAND.

Recommended individuals

Henrik Lehment (“luminary”, “good in developing technical arguments in the framework of the UPC system”, competitors), Andreas von Falck (“the best litigator in Europe”, client)

Team

48 lawyers, 12 patent attorneys, 3 dual qualified

Clients

Meril Life Sciences against Edwards Lifesciences over heart valves; BSN Medical against Advancis Medical and Brightweik over wound care technology; SodaStream against Aarke over carbonators; Gucci against Agfa over leather printing; Supponor against AIM Sport over sports stadium advertising; Yealink Network Technology against Barco over electric communication technology; Reel against Fives over control units for aluminium melting furnaces; Xiaomi against Panasonic over mobile communications (stayed in 2024); Amazon against Nokia over video codec SEPs; Amazon against Seoul Semiconductor over video coding; Tecno Mobile against Qualcom over coding and wifi technology.