Casalonga strengthens Munich office with Stolmár partner

For the past nine years Denise Nestle-Nguyen has worked for German IP firm Stolmàr & Partner. She became partner in April 2024.

Nestle-Nguyen is qualified as a German, Swiss and European patent attorney. Holding a PhD in molecular biotechnology, she advises clients in the life sciences and pharma sectors, with a particular focus on opposition and appeal proceedings at the EPO.

Denise Nestle-Nguyen ©Ludovic MARIN/AFP

At her previous firm she represented clients such as Novartis, Egis Pharmaceuticals, ETH Zurich and Université Fribourg as well as smaller German and Swiss startups.

Nestle-Nguyen, who speaks fluent Mandarin, will also be expanding Casalonga’s business in China.

Part of the life sciences team

In Munich the law firm will operate with three fee earners, including two lawyers in addition to Nestle-Nguyen.

At Casalonga she will boost the firm’s life sciences group comprising several patent attorneys and lawyers. The practice focuses on both litigation and prosecution.

The team represents companies such as the Institut Pasteur, Biogaran, Sanofi, Institut Gustave Roussy, PolTreg, and Cellectis. In France Casalonga is well known for representing generic drug companies such as Biogaran or Zentiva against originators in various national pharma disputes.

Next stop Düsseldorf

Casalonga has announced further expansion plans for Europe. “Our vision is to become a major European IP litigation and counseling actor with teams of lawyers and patent attorneys in Germany, France and Italy,” says managing partner Caroline Casalonga.

She adds, “In Germany, we will soon open a second office in Düsseldorf. Qualified not only as German and European, but also Swiss patent attorney, Denise is particularly suited to represent clients all over Europe.”

Nestle-Nguyen says, “I’m a firm believer in the European idea and I’m thrilled to be joining Casalonga, where collaboration between offices and across borders is more than a keyword.”

Long history

Founded in 1867 in Paris, Casalonga is now a European IP firm with patent attorneys and lawyers across offices in France, Germany, and Spain. Casalonga opened its Munich office in 1978.

Currently 28 patent and trademark attorneys as well as 14 lawyers work at Casalonga. Of these, 24 are UPC representatives. Prior to hiring Nestle-Nguyen, Casalonga took on patent attorneys from French competitors such as Santarelli and Plasseraud.

Now, the firm is pushing ahead with its expansion into other UPC countries. So far, Munich and Alicante are the firm’s only offices outside France.

At the UPC’s local division Paris, the firm is currently defending Maguin SAS against Tiru in an application for provisional measures over a patent related to a technology for burning trash (case ID: ACT_66560/2024).