Hogan Lovells

Recommended - Firms

Recommended - Firms: prosecution

Highly-recommended - Firms: transactions

Recommended - Firms: litigation

Hogan Lovells is home to a market-leading Greater China IP practice. Its Hong Kong office collaborates closely with colleagues in the Greater China branch to deliver the unrivalled breadth and quality of work across the region to industry icons in the field of life sciences and technology, media and telecommunications (TMT). The wider network of Hogan Lovells also provides clientele with global one-stop IP support, including cross-border litigation scheme and strategic counsels. Building on his 30 years’ experience in IP law, Hong Kong-based Andrew Cobden is a number to have on speed dial when it comes to life sciences-related patent litigation and licensing matters.

Highly-recommended - Firms: litigation and transactions

Blending a cosmopolitan mindset, technical expertise and solid legal knowledge, the Japanese arm of Hogan Lovells offers top-tier, innovative solutions backed up by industry-leading technological tools. The squad of eight multilingual, culturally savvy practitioners is qualified to advise on patent matters not only in Japan, but also in the United States, Hong Kong, and England and Wales. In especially complex multi-jurisdictional cases, local experts can leverage the global Hogan Lovells network of more than 400 IP professionals. The outfit also offers its patrons access to sophisticated tools such as an integrated Knowledge Bank full of example documents, and a highly secure deal room platform to exchange client documents for live cases. Oxford-educated scientist Frederick Ch'en leads the charge. Cosmopolitan and full of pragmatic solutions, he excels in representing marquee players in cross-border disputes and transactions, especially in the field of life sciences. He recently represented Merck Sharp & Dohme in litigation against Pfizer. Similarly seasoned is Hiroto Imai, who also hails from a technical background. As an engineering expert, he specialises telecoms and technology matters, and often advises electronics companies. Debuting in IAM Patent 1000 in 2023 is Mizue Kakiuchi, who has over two decades of experience in contentious and non-contentious matters. Her international expertise allows her to smoothly assist foreign names and excel in multi-jurisdictional cases.

Recommended - Firms: transactions

Gold - Firms: litigation

With a rich tradition of excellence spanning all aspects of its IP practice, Hogan Lovells is a force to be reckoned with in the Italian market. Boasting a team of over 240 patent specialists around the globe, the firm has established itself as the prime choice for cross-border matters. A testament to its strengths and sterling reputation, the group is regularly enlisted by an elite clientele in a range of industries, including life sciences, telecommunications and automotives. At the forefront of the Milan office are tenacious litigators Luigi Mansani and Giovanni Ghirardi. In a league of his own, Mansani is a highly reputable figure and academic among peers, judges and patrons. He is a brilliant strategic adviser and has an excellent grasp of complex technical details and the commercial needs of the client. An expert in cutting-edge technology and also no stranger to complex cases, Ghirardi has been involved in numerous precedent-setting disputes – especially those with pan-European implications. Offering clear and practical advice, he is a safe bet for those involved in FRAND issues. 

Silver - Firms: litigation

With a broad ranging and top-ranked international IP media and technology practice, Hogan Lovells is undoubtedly a world leader in cross-border patent litigation. The French office is no exception, boasting the presence of the “very well-regarded and universally admired litigator” Stanislas Roux-Vaillard. Roux-Vaillard has legal expertise which cuts across the life sciences, telecommunications, electronics and chemicals. A smooth and savvy courtroom operator, Roux-Vaillard has accrued over 20 years’ experience crafting cutting-edge strategies to secure client success in international litigation. Recent highlights include representing Eli Lilly against generic attacks; defending Dürr Systems’ mechanical and plant engineering patents against infringement claims launched by a competitor; and the representation of Astronics in a case involving electronic systems for aircraft. Another matter involving the firm in the United Kingdom and Germany as well as France sees GE Renewable Energy taken on by Siemens involving GE’s largest offshore wind turbine.

Gold - Firms: litigation

Bronze - Firms: transactions

The London branch of Hogan Lovells boasts one of the country’s strongest benches of patent litigators. The team has wide-ranging expertise, an enviable success rate for some of the world’s most well-known companies and works incredibly cohesively like a well-tuned machine. The litigation practice has especially deep experience working on SEP and FRAND matters – department head Paul Brown is an accomplished disputer in the space. Brown is a tenacious, fearless and strategic advocate for such contentious matters. Stephen Bennett is another seasoned hand in the telecom licensing disputes arena. His unrivalled expertise in the field has given him the ability to see around potential corners and predict the right path forward. Daniel Brook also has significant FRAND expertise but is equally comfortable taking on big-ticket pharmaceutical litigation. Katie McConnell takes on both contentious and non-contentious patent work and advises clients in telecoms and the life sciences. Her major transactional practice saw her advising on the IP aspects of a $16 billion portfolio. The other significant non-contentious expert at the firm is Joel Smith. With wide-ranging sector expertise, Smith’s substantial enforcement offering informs his transactional expertise – he knows how to secure and assess the legal liabilities of all the most important commercial deals. With a practice mainly gauged to the commercial goals of pharmaceutical companies, Emma Fulton dispenses high-quality advice to help her clients secure their business objectives both inside and outside the courtroom. Joining this core of top-flight patent professionals this year in the IAM Patent 1000 is Stella Wong. A qualified medical doctor, Wong has in-depth technical proficiency in the life sciences and has developed an equally robust knowledge in the area of 3D printing in the sector. 

Gold - Firms: litigation and transactions

Full-service firm Hogan Lovells has an impressive IP offering across the globe, and in Amsterdam has a team of nine dedicated IP lawyers on call to tackle complex mandates. The outfit handles instructions across the industry spectrum and is especially well equipped to tackle life sciences mandates. One matter that has kept three of its ranked practitioners busy is its work for Amgen. Ruud van der Velden, Bert Oosting and Dirk-Jan Ridderinkhof have successfully represented the multinational biotechnology company in patent invalidity proceedings relating to its product cinacalcet, which is used to increase the sensitivity of calcium-sensing receptors in the body. IP department head van der Velden thrives in cross-border patent infringement matters and is also a reference for trade secrets litigation; for over three decades Oosting has been developing patent strategies that take into consideration business goals and the European market; and IAM Patent 1000 newcomer Ridderinkhof demonstrates tremendous capabilities in both patent and trade secrets litigation. Van der Velden and Oosting also linked up with Rik Zagers to represent BMS against Teva in patent revocation proceedings, and against Sandoz in a patent infringement dispute. Physicist Zagers easily gets to grips with the technology and delivers the best protection. The Dutch team also deepened the strength of its bench in March 2023 with the addition of Gertjan Kuipers, who made the move from De Brauw Blackstone Westbroek. He is at home with cases that have multi-jurisdictional elements, is passionate about the law, develops creative strategies for solving issues and quickly understands the technology his clients are working in, thanks to his scientific background.

Gold - Firms: litigation

A leading player on the global IP scene, Hogan Lovells excels at navigating technically complex and cross-border briefs. Its international teams leverage the wider firm’s resources and cutting-edge systems to deliver a wonderfully joined-up service, and its Spanish outpost is lauded by peers and patrons alike. “Ana Castedo and Inmaculada Lorenzo are superb lawyers – skilled, diligent and really strategic in their approach. They demonstrate a tremendous ability to understand complicated technical issues and really make an exceptional pair.” Ascending into the gold tier this year, “Castedo is a remarkable litigator and really devoted to her clients”, while Lorenzo, an IAM Patent 1000 debutante, “is extremely dedicated and hard working”. “Ana and Inmaculada’s ability to comprehend hard-core technology is one that is rare among lawyers. They are meticulous and never miss a thing in any case they take on. Simply, they are outstanding.”

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Always at the forefront of innovations and technologies, Hogan Lovells has positioned itself as the helmsman of an illustrious list of global innovators in the ever-changing IP landscape. Thanks to its exclusive relationship with its joint operation, Fidelity, the international outfit boats a truly one-stop China IP capability. The ambidextrous team of local lawyers work hand in glove with colleagues across the world to steer the course in the global patent litigation sphere. The multifaceted IP practice houses attorneys and lawyers with a diverse range of scientific backgrounds, satisfying every need of its clientele. Admitted in both New York and China is IP all-rounder Zhen (Katie) Feng, who is the driving force behind the growth of Hogan Lovells’ Asia-Pacific presence.

Highly-recommended - Firms: transactions

Gold - Firms: infringement

The German patent market has unanimously urged the elevation of Hogan Lovells from silver to gold tier. The firm boasts a raft of top-notch litigators with the technical acumen and courtroom polish to secure success in almost any dispute – though the team performs with particular finesse in the world of technology and FRAND licensing. Leading litigator Andreas von Falck is an acknowledged maverick in court, whose dizzying command of oral argument inspires awe in his clientele and fear in his foes. “Andreas is a masterful strategist who oversees case tactics and logistics with ease. He updates his clients in a timely manner and instils confidence in his communications. He puts the right people into team positions, building a strong front legally and technically to suit the details of each case. He is an excellent court speaker and is calm and resolute, even under tough questioning from the opposite side. He is deeply familiar with courtroom procedure and develops his arguments in a logical and tailored manner to suit the court.” Regularly appearing by his side to deliver technical expertise is dual-qualified lawyer and patent attorney Alexander Klicznik. “Alex is very responsive and timely with his communications, He provides sound advice, with respect to validity and the chances of success. His knowledge of patent law and the German courts is deep and often on point. There are no surprises when working with him – he is personally pleasant and always well informed. His support is instrumental to client success.” Department head Miriam Gundt is deeply experienced on the life sciences end of the spectrum, from pharmaceuticals to biotech. She has skill in navigating hard-fought courtroom battles and is a savvy negotiator and overseer when it comes to licences and other IP-rich transactions. “Miriam is highly capable and knowledgeable, with enormous experience and understanding of the life sciences industry and patent litigation in Germany.” She and von Falck recently teamed up for Merck to overcome a nullified SPC via appeal to the Federal Court of Justice. Martin Fähndrich is an engineer by training, now specialising in litigating the most technically challenging patent infringement proceedings. He is skilled in cross-border disputes and has experience at almost every patent venue in the country. He and Henrik Lehment team up to support OPPO in a 14-patent litigation against Nokia. Another multi-jurisdictional litigation specialist, Lehment has particular acumen in telecommunications, consumer electronics and automobiles. Along with his work for OPPO, he also supports von Falck and Klicznik in a defence against infringement allegations for Palo Alto Networks, and helps to defend Vodafone from attacks launched by Intellectual Ventures. Patent attorney Andreas Schmid is a star performer when it comes to technically complex litigation in the tech sector. With detailed knowledge of the ins and outs of 2G, 3G and 4G technologies, he can navigate the difficult SEP disputes in the field with ease. Benjamin Schröer is another SEP/FRAND expert best known for his creative and outside-the-box approach to securing patent litigation success. An IP all-rounder, Schröer takes a comprehensive approach to protecting his patrons’ most valuable assets. He often collaborates with fellow Munich-based practitioner Steffen Steininger, a litigator with 15 years’ experience who has fought over 250 cases. With Schmid, Schröer and Steininger take on IP Bridge, Sisvel and MiiC for Ford in extensive patent disputes with infringement and invalidity elements. The Hamburg-based Christian Stoll is a patent licensing expert. He brings this familiarity with such agreements to his infringement practice, ensuring that no detail is overlooked, whatever the dispute. Clemens Plassmann earns rave reviews from his patrons: “Clemens is extremely experienced, knowledgeable and a strategic thinker. He is very quick witted, creative and thorough. The ease with which he understands and applies the science behind patents is impressive. He is calm and well spoken in court – his demeanour commands the judge’s respect. His writs are perfect to the letter. It is a real pleasure to work with Clemens. He communicates well, has a way of putting people at ease, can explain complex issues really well and has a great sense of humour.” Events in eastern Europe have brought the firm’s star Russian litigator, Natalia Gulyaeva, to Germany. “Natalia is very professional, client oriented and knows business very well. Her sense of urgency and level of responsiveness are highly appreciated. Her support is always precise and resolute – she is creative in finding solutions and takes all options into consideration. Her competency and skills make Natalia a very reliable and recommendable expert in the field, who brings a high level of competence to all IP disputes.”