Mishcon de Reya strengthens patent partnership with Dentons hire

Campbell Forsyth is the latest addition to Mishcon de Reya‘s London IP and patent practice. Forsyth, who is set to move to the firm from the London office of Dentons, is the second patent-specialist partner to join Mishcon in the last year.

At Dentons, he was global co-head of the European litigation practice and the firm’s UK head of IP. Clients at Dentons include fibre-optic cable manufacturer Emtelle and generic drug manufacturer Zentiva.

Mishcon moving forward

Previously, Forsyth worked providing patent litigation and advice at multinational law firm King & Wood Mallesons. Between 2011 and 2014, he was a partner at Olswang, now CMS Cameron McKenna. In 2020, the UK judiciary named him as part of the new cohort of deputy High Court judges.

Mishcon de Reya’s recent hire of Forsyth brings its patent partner number to five, as well as three legal directors. In May 2021, the firm also hired Helen Conlan as a partner from Bird & Bird.

Previously, Mishcon de Reya has acted for Dr Reddy’s Laboratories in a damages enquiry against Warner-Lambert and Pfizer. This is a high-profile case relating to a second medical use patent which covers pregabalin for anxiety. The firm also acted for Lupin in a claim for invalidity against a Gilead SPC over HIV drug Truvada.

Campbell Forsyth

A mixed approach

Forsyth brings particular experience in patent disputes involving electronics and telecommunications cases, including SEP and FRAND. However, he also has experience in pharmaceuticals. This includes advice on patent and regulatory law, such as supplementary protection certificates for medicinal patents.

The addition of Forsyth will complement the existing specialties of the patent practice. IP head David Rose’s focus is on generic pharmaceutical companies, while other recent addition Helen Conlan helped bolster the firm’s telecommunications and electronics practice.

David Rose says, “Campbell’s hire is of significant strategic importance, underlining the firm’s ambition and clearly signaling our intent for further growth in our IP and patent litigation practice. His wealth of experience across high-profile cases and stand-out reputation will unlock new opportunities for our clients and team alike.” 

Dentons in Europe

The loss of Forsyth to Mishcon de Reya could cause problems for Dentons’ London IP practice, which now has just one patent-specialist partner. Currently Dentons has minimal patent litigation capabilities in the Netherlands following the move of Tjibbe Douma to Bird & Bird in 2021. In Germany, it also has no patent litigation partners.

On the other hand, in early 2021 the practice strengthened its visibility in France through the hire of Loïc Lemercier from Clifford Chance. It also has a very strong US patent team. Its patent prosecution arm remains visible in the European market, with partner Justin Hill leading the patent attorney team in the UK.