HGF reinforces teams in Paris and Munich

As of September, HGF has added two partners to its French practice, headed by patent attorney Vivien Verbrugge.

Laurent Barbe joins from French firm Gevers, where he spent just under 13 years and was IP counsel. He is a qualified French and European patent attorney focusing on mechanical technical fields, such as aeronautics, automotive, and packaging. Barbe is also a qualfied UPC representative.

French and European patent attorney Benoît Liénard joins from French IP firm RVDB, where he spent just under two years as partner. Prior to this he spent almost 9 years at biotech IP platform Histide. He brings expertise in life sciences, including agrochemistry, microbiology, pharmaceuticals, biotech, medtech, and green chemistry.

Liénard says, “After nearly two decades working across the IP landscape (…) I have seen how transformative a well-tailored IP strategy can be for innovative businesses. HGF’s integrated expertise and collaborative approach create the ideal environment to support biotech start-ups.”

Both join HGF as partners in Paris. The launch of a Paris office in December 2024 comes after HGF opened its first French office in Rennes in 2021.

Boost for UPC stronghold

Meanwhile, Felix Daul joins HGF’s Munich office from Page White Farrer. He is a qualified German and European patent and trademark attorney, as well as a UPC representative. He brings expertise in engineering, electronics, and mobile communications, especially SEPs.

Daul spent just over a year at Page White Farrer, having previously worked at Hoefer & Partner and Braun-Dullaeus Pannen Ermmerling. He joins HGF as partner.

The reinforcement comes after HGF lost three patent attorneys from its Munich office in July. Jan Robert Naefe, Markus Zoller and Aušra Naefe left to open a Munich office for the German patent attorney firm WSL.

Munich is arguably currently the most active patent location in Germany, with statistics showing the city’s national courts had the most cases last year as well as its UPC division. Daul’s litigation experience is thus a boon for the German practice.

UPC activity

HGF has 24 offices in seven European countries. In addition to the UK, Ireland and France, HGF has a presence in Switzerland, Austria, Germany, and the Netherlands. HGF is best known in the UK, with 13 offices across the region. The new additions are part of its European expansion strategy following recent private equity investment in 2024.

The firm regularly litigates for its prosecution clients, including in EPO oppositions, as well as infringement and nullity suits before civil courts.

HGF is also involved in a UPC case. Together with lawyers from Krieger Mes, patent attorney Bernhard Ganahl represents Expert Klein and Expert e-commerce in two disputes with Seoul Viosys that began at the Düsseldorf local division and have now reached the Court of Appeal. The Seoul Semiconductors subsidiary claims two LED patents are infringed by the resale of Emporia smartphones by the Expert retailers.

The Court of Appeal recently handed down a decision in the case concerning costs and a referral to the CJEU. Now the parties await decisions in the main infringement appeals, which are expected in autumn.