French firm Ipsilon acquires IP Hills as part of Benelux expansion

IP firm Ipsilon is expanding its presence across Europe through the acquisition of Belgium-based IP services firm, IP Hills. Originally a patent attorney practice, Ipsilon became a mixed team in late 2020 when it took on Matthieu Dhenne, its first litigator in France. With the addition of Dhenne, the firm established a dispute and resolution practice group advising on patent law as well as trademarks, designs, copyright and mediation. The firm also has a lawyer in New York.

Ipsilon in Europe

French patent attorney Valérie Feray founded Paris-based Ipsilon in 2001. The firm now has eight offices across France with 50 patent attorneys, and 65 patent attorneys firm-wide. It is known for prosecution work in electronics, mechanics, process and mechanical engineering. Ipsilon is one of the top five largest patent prosecution firms in France and advises clients such as Assa Abloy, Cartier, GE Energy Products France and Renault. It also works prosecuting patents for Asian companies, including Chinese technology company, ZTE.

IP Hills was founded in 2010 and focuses on patent prosecution, as well as trademark, design and copyright law. The firm’s 22-strong team includes seven patent attorneys will now become integrated under the Ipsilon name.

A drive for growth

For several years, Ipsilon has focused on establishing its presence in Europe. In early 2020, Ipsilon launched an arm in Germany. After acquiring long-established French IP firm Nony in February 2023, Ipsilon then merged with Luxembourg-based IP firm Lecomte & Partners in March. Didier Lecomte, who previously spent seven years as a patent examiner at the European Patent Office in Munich, founded Lecomte & Partners in 2007 in Luxembourg. The firm has two patent attorneys and is active in filing and oppositions in the fields of chemistry, mechanics, electronics, biotech and computer-implemented inventions.

Now IP Hills is the latest firm to join the fold. Previously, Ipsilon maintained a Belgian office in Louvain-la-Neuve, but the addition of IP Hills brings offices in Ghent and Leuven, thus extending the firm’s reach across the Flemish part of Belgium.

Market consolidation

Ipsilon is not the only firm to expand its Benelux offering. Last year, international full-service firm Taylor Wessing bolstered its patent practice in Brussels in preparation for the Unified Patent Court.

Other French law firms have also been gearing up for the new court, whether by moving to a mixed line-up or bolstering their teams with patent attorneys or lawyers. As the host of one of three central division seats, Paris will be one of the major hubs of the UPC.

While the majority of traditional French law firms and small national boutiques are taking a wait-and-see approach with regards to UPC strategy, some have joined forces with firms in other countries, such as Amar Goussu Staub and British-German-Swedish outfit EIP, or the Santarelli Group with German firm Meissner Bolte. However, many remain cautious in committing to exclusive partners in France and abroad.

UPC not sole factor

As Luxembourg hosts the seat of the UPC Court of Appeal, and Brussels hosts a local division, an expansion into the neighbouring French-speaking Benelux countries is a logical move for French outfit Ipsilon. However, when it comes to the firm’s strategy, a spokesperson for Ipsilon says that, while the UPC plays a role, it is not the only reason for the acquisitions.

They say, “The Ipsilon Group project stems from the rapid consolidation of the IP market, which is currently facing several challenges worldwide. In this context, we have decided to accelerate our development and set the target of becoming a European leader in IP services. We activate three main levers to reach this ambition: external growth in key markets with the highest quality standards, increasingly integrated offer and cutting-edge services.”