The Patent 1000 focuses exclusively on patent practice and has firmly established itself as the definitive 'go-to' resource for those seeking world-class legal patent expertise.
Bronze - Individuals: litigation
Full-service Vinge practises at the vanguard of the Swedish patent litigation scene, and its crew of exceptionally strong advocates can regularly be found on some of the country’s most precedent-setting cases and high-value deals. One such practitioner is Håkan Borgenhäll, “a brilliant litigator and the lawyer you need by your side in the toughest of cases. He is extremely skilled, very meticulous and handles an impressively large caseload with ease.” Working alongside him is newly elected partner Malin Malm Waerme, “an absolute star from both a legal and technical perspective. She possesses extensive experience within the pharmaceutical and life sciences industries, and is really lovely to work with.” On the transactions front, Stojan Arnerstål has asset commercialisation down to a fine art. He recently assisted Expedition Growth Capital in connection with Storykit’s investment round of $10 million, which was led by the London-based growth equityfund.
Malin Malm Waerme is a partner at Vinge with extensive and, for her age, unparalleled experience in a very broad range of IP rights-related matters, representing national and international clients in a wide range of industries. Her deep experience in all aspects of IP law has been gained managing both commercial (eg, complex transactional IP issues, M&As, IP portfolio management and IP-related agreements) and contentious high-profile mandates. She also has valuable insights and experience from her work at the Patent and Market Court.
Ms Malm Waerme has developed a particular focus on litigation and enforcement of IP rights and is frequently retained as counsel for multinational enterprises in the most prestigious patent litigations, including invalidity and infringements disputes, as well as supplementary protection certificate proceedings. Clients praise her dedication, analytical skills and broad knowledge across the entire IP area. Her work highlights include patent litigations concerning infringement of patents in the areas of pharmaceuticals, chemistry, chemical and mechanical engineering.
Ms Malm Waerme is frequently appointed by national and international clients in commercial IP matters. She advises clients in all sorts of IP related contractual work, including agreements regarding research and development, license arrangements, as well as strategic advice in relation to transaction and portfolio management.
Vinge’s IP team includes 28 carefully selected IP lawyers, many of whom are well known in Sweden and internationally. Our team’s diversity covers a wide spectrum, from the most respected seniors with admirable experience to the most striking rising stars with new perspectives. We can quickly assemble front-edged groups for specific matters or customize a force to be reckoned with in every practice area. Our intact collaboration with the academic sector contributes to Vinge’s ability always to keep one step ahead in a new innovative world. Our broad team can help in disputes and contract negotiations, transactions, strategic work and other areas of intellectual property law. Our expertise includes copyright law, patent law and trademark law, including monitoring and renewing existing registrations, market law, design law and trade secrets.
IP practice specialisms
We offer seamless assistance across contentious, non-contentious and prosecution of trademark applications. Notably, we are one of the few law firms offering trademark, design and domain name administration. Our prosecution department has also grown significantly during the past year, having been assigned a number of important trademark portfolios such as The Nobel Foundation and Star Stable Entertainment.
Particular strength within IP disputes
The number of IP disputes handled by the firm has grown during recent years. We are currently acting in some of the most complex and important IP disputes before the Swedish courts and in Swedish arbitration proceedings, and this is an indication of our premier position in the contentious IP market.
The clients
The Vinge IP group advises a host of stand-alone clients. We estimate that approximately 65 per cent of our IP clients have instructed us directly and are not referrals from other practice groups. Many of our clients entrust us with their entire IP portfolios, as well as with one-off work, illustrating the faith they place in our team. Our domestic client list includes renowned Swedish brands such as Hästens, Trygg-Hansa, Swedish Match, Essity (SCA), The Absolut Company, The Nobel Foundation and Canal Digital. Our international client roster includes Eli Lilly, MSD, Apple Inc, Estée Lauder, Pernod Ricard and UEFA.
A leading role in the most important matters on the market
Our work highlights this year once again showcase a broad range of work, including trademark, patent, copyright disputes and IP portfolio management. Many of our matters have involved extensive cross-border coordination challenges. Several of the matters we were involved with this year were among the highest-profile, most innovative pieces of work in the market, and we continue to advise on market firsts and matters with major consequences for our clients and often with impact on the wider market.
International presence and alliances
We have senior IP specialists based across Sweden, a particularly vital offering where local knowledge is key in cases of infringements. Vinge is also a member of the international Lex Mundi network of law firms.
Ongoing growth and development
Vinge’s IP group has grown significantly in recent years. In 2021–2022, the IP group experienced outstanding growth. In the past couple of years, we have grown about 20 per cent per year. Recently, it was announced that two of our most prolific up-and-coming practitioners would be promoted: Stojan Arnerstål was promoted to counsel in July 2021 and Malin Malm Waerme was promoted to partner in January 2022. This is a reflection of our team’s growing workload and the increasing profile of our group in the market.
Strong ability to draw on the firm’s other expertise
The IP group works closely together with several other highly ranked groups and practice areas within Vinge, including EU, competition and regulatory, dispute resolution, tax, corporate commercial and the firm’s China desk. This co-operation makes it possible to deliver premier advice in relation to complicated legal issues while maintaining a business focus highly appreciated by our clients. Vinge’s intellectual property law specialists focus on providing commercially targeted support by combining thorough legal knowledge with great understanding of the functioning of the regulatory regime in a commercial context.