Intellectual Property: France

THE FIRM Sources agree that this international firm continues to be one of the market leaders for IP. Its principal focus is on high-profile, multi-jurisdictional patent litigation cases, especially in the pharmaceutical sector but also in hi-tech and other areas. Lately, the group has been developing its trade mark and copyright activity, and has built up strong relations with players from the media. Recent work highlights include assisting Novartis, one of the team’s most important clients, with the definition and implementation of an IP strategy to prevent the unlawful entry of its generic competitors into several of Novartis' markets.

Sources say: “An excellent team, which can reach out to the firm’s network of highly qualified individuals in other important jurisdictions when it needs expertise on international issues.”

KEY INDIVIDUALS Laetitia Benard “is becoming increasingly important” in the practice and is “a true rising star,” agree peers. Clients observe that “she has developed profound expertise in the pharmaceutical and biotech areas, both in regulatory and contentious areas.” Long-established patent litigation expert Pierre Lenoir maintains his formidable reputation but is less visible on cases nowadays.

THE FIRM This sizeable IP practice is a well-established leader in the French market and benefits from the firm’s strong practice on a global scale. It handles major pharmaceutical patent disputes, as well as important soft IP cases in the areas of trade marks, Community design and unfair competition, for a varied and international clientele.

Sources say: “Often our cases require interaction with lawyers from numerous jurisdictions. We have been fully satisfied with the team’s abilities and skills of co-ordination when it comes to handling situations with international elements.”

KEY INDIVIDUALS “Excellent and well-known patent litigator” Yves Bizollon is “calm, subtle and eloquent whilst vehemently driving his clients’ interests forward.” He is “an exceptional strategist with long IP experience.” His main area of practice is patent litigation but he also handles a small amount of trade mark work. His skills will be a valuable asset to the firm now that Isabelle Leroux has left to join Salans.

THE FIRM The large IP team at this major French firm is a clear leader in the field. It is active on an impressive range of contentious and non-contentious patent, copyright and trade mark cases and other matters. The team's size and international connections enable it to represent major global clients on multi-jurisdictional files.

Sources say: “An extremely visible, talented and large team covering the full spectrum of IP.”

KEY INDIVIDUALS Long-standing partner Grégoire Triet is a famous and widely respected name in the IP field. He focuses on patent litigation but also has ample experience in other IP areas. Emmanuel Larere wins praise for his trade mark litigation work. Arnaud Michel is particularly well known for his licensing activity.

THE FIRM This four-partner boutique focuses entirely on patent litigation, and continues to have a stellar reputation amongst peers and clients. The firm places great emphasis on the technical components of its work, and employs a scientific consultant, an economic litigation consultant, a graphic designer and an integrated translation service to complement the lawyers’ expertise. The group’s work is highly international in nature. The pharmaceutical sector is the most significant source of instructions, but the telecoms and aviation sectors are also important. Major clients include Novartis, Air Liquide and Nokia.

Sources say: “The leading patent litigation boutique in Paris.” 

KEY INDIVIDUALS Peers hail star patent litigator Pierre Véron as “a role model” and confirm his “phenomenal reputation” in the field. Clients also view him as “extremely well reputed for patent litigation” and appreciate that “he tries to be conciliatory and helps us to find the right route.” “Very clever” fellow partner Isabelle Romet also has a robust reputation for patent litigation. Her practice covers patent validity, infringement and licence disputes, especially in complex technological fields with an international context.

THE FIRM This compact French boutique is a famous name in the IP world, with a strong reputation for both patent and trade mark-related work. It handles a large number of files a diverse client base which includes a number of blue-chip companies, such as ArcelorMittal and L'Oréal. 

Sources say: “An excellent and very busy domestic IP boutique.” 

KEY INDIVIDUALS Name partner Jacques Armengaud is a “talented and active patent litigator.” Fellow name partner Stéphane Guerlain has “an excellent reputation for trade marks and design.”

THE FIRM Sources agree that this compact boutique, which is fully dedicated to IP, is a strong choice for traditional domestic IP matters. It has a particularly noteworthy reputation for patent litigation.

KEY INDIVIDUALS “Very smart and calm” founding partner Pierre Cousin has an excellent and long-standing reputation, particularly for patent litigation. He also has considerable expertise in trade marks. Partner Myriam Moatty is well recognised on the trade mark side.

THE FIRM This prestigious French firm's large IP team benefits from the firm's full-service nature, and is able to advise on a broad spectrum of IP issues, including patent litigation, trade marks and copyright. It is present in a wide range of sectors: on the patent side in pharmaceuticals, biotech and hi-tech; on the soft IP side in areas such as media, publishing, motion pictures and music. The group is best known for soft IP matters and IT-related work. It advises many US clients on trade mark and copyright issues.

Sources say: “Especially well reputed for soft IP.” “Extremely responsive, available and understands how we work. It has numerous US-based clients and there is no sense of any linguistic or cultural gaps – geography hasn’t been an issue.”

KEY INDIVIDUALS Well-known name partner Louis De Gaulle has a “very strong strategic sense – he is good at understanding a situation and leading the best way forward,” report clients. He has a broad practice that covers multiple IP areas in depth. Partner Frank Valentin has been very visible in the IP area of late, and wins glowing client feedback. He provides counsel on trade mark and patent litigation to clients from the entertainment and internet industries before the French and European IP authorities.

THE FIRM Soft IP, and particularly trade mark-related work, is this team’s standout area of strength, although it also handles advisory and contentious patent matters. It acts for a mix of domestic and foreign clients, the latter coming particularly from the USA, the UK, Eastern Europe and Asia. It is especially well known for its activity in the fashion industry, but is present in a variety of other sectors including life sciences, food and publishing.

KEY INDIVIDUALS Gérard Delile has been an IP specialist for many years, focusing on soft IP. Generalist IP lawyer David Masson leads the practice. Peers particularly recommend him for trade mark and copyright-related advice. Isabelle Leroux focuses mainly on trade marks and is widely acknowledged as “a leader in her field.” She recently moved from Bird & Bird, where she built a formidable practice.

THE FIRM This eight-partner boutique specialises in IP and has been one of the best-known and most active players in the field for many years. It covers contentious and non-contentious issues relating to patents, trade marks, copyright, designs, models and IT. The firm is also able to advise on general litigation, employment law and corporate matters.

Sources say: “A sizeable team specialising in IP, with an excellent reputation.”

KEY INDIVIDUALS Senior partner Thierry Mollet-Viéville is a renowned patent litigator who continues to be “highly active on important cases.” He commands the serious respect of peers, who comment that “he is a dangerous opponent – he really has the knack of court, and a lot of people lose against him.” He also has experience of trade marks, design, copyright and unfair competition.

THE FIRM This high-quality, active boutique is best known for patent and trade mark litigation, but also handles other areas such as designs, models, unfair competition and public auctions of art.

Sources say: “Excellent IP litigators with decades of experience.” 

KEY INDIVIDUALS Standout partner Geoffroy Gaultier is “a really brilliant man” and remains active on a variety of IP litigation cases.

THE FIRM The IP team at this international firm is best known for its trade mark and copyright litigation relating to the internet. Sources admire the group’s high level of activity and expertise in this area, pointing to its impressive track record of innovative work on behalf of internet providers, most notably Google. Other clients include Jimmy Choo, Amazon.com and Institut Pasteur.

KEY INDIVIDUALS IP and TMT practice head Alexandra Néri is a celebrated trade mark litigation lawyer, with a marked focus on cases in the internet field. In particular, she receives widespread recognition for her trail-blazing work on behalf of Google. Peers acknowledge that she “has had some extremely interesting cases and successes recently” and is “really a leader for internet issues.”

THE FIRM Whilst peers inevitably comment upon the recent departure of Grégoire Desrousseaux to August & Debouzy, this sizeable IP firm retains a strong capacity and reputation for patent litigation and other contentious and non-contentious IP areas. Several of the lawyers are dual-qualified as engineers or scientists and, unusually, the firm also houses a number of patent attorneys. Foreign clients praise the team’s capacity for international work.

Sources say: “Provides top-quality advice and client service.” 

KEY INDIVIDUALS Primarily a trade mark litigator, Gérard-Gabriel Lamoureux has been a well-recognised name in the IP field for many years.

THE FIRM This relatively large and highly regarded team handles a wide range of patent, trade mark and IT-related matters. It is particularly active in the pharmaceuticals, life sciences and telecoms areas, but also represents clients from sectors including energy, automotive, consumer, food, entertainment and media. The firm’s extensive global network makes the group very well placed to advise foreign clients on cross-border matters.

Sources say: “Extremely reactive, professional and creative in their solutions and advice.” “An excellent and large IP team with a great client base.”

KEY INDIVIDUALS “Excellent” trade mark specialist Marie-Aimée de Dampierre is “very thorough and a great strategist – she is someone who takes us in the right direction,” enthuse clients. She receives special mention for her aptitude for advising US companies. Widely respected IP expert Xavier Buffet Delmas receives particular mention for his recent trade mark activity. Clients commend his “huge knowledge, excellent advice and understanding of all the nuances of complex IP issues.” Long-established IP expert Dominique Ménard is particularly well recognised for patent litigation, and maintains a solid reputation in the market.

THE FIRM The IP team at this international firm is best known for its soft IP and IT-related work, and handles slightly more advisory than contentious matters. It acts for domestic and foreign clients, with Asia being a key source of instructions, and is present in a diverse range of sectors including luxury goods, automotive, hi-tech, pharmaceuticals and alcoholic beverages. Major clients include Moët-Hennessy and The Swatch Group.

Sources say: “The team has great clients and an excellent international network.” 

KEY INDIVIDUALS Long-standing IP practice head Jean-François Bretonnière handles a range of contentious and advisory IP work and has huge experience of the Asian market, with particular expertise in advising Japanese clients. Virginie Ulmann provides counsel on the negotiation of IP agreements and litigation relating to trade marks, domain names, design, copyright and unfair competition. 

THE FIRM Although less visible than in the past, this French boutique maintains an excellent reputation for its main focus of trade mark litigation. Peers remark upon the high quality of the team’s clients, which come from sectors such as fashion and luxury goods.

Sources say: “It has a wonderful portfolio of clients in the trade mark area.” 

KEY INDIVIDUALS Founding partner Michel-Paul Escande has been a well-recognised trade marks specialist for many years, and remains the standout figure at the firm.

THE FIRM This compact team has a solid reputation for advisory and contentious IP work. In recent times it has seen an increase in corporate support work. Its contentious activity includes patent disputes in the pharmaceuticals and automotive industries, as well as trade mark and copyright litigation.

KEY INDIVIDUALS Highly regarded IP specialist Jean-Frédéric Gaultier leads the practice. His recent files include advising Caisse des Dépôts on the purchase of its first patent portfolio. He is an experienced hand in the international market and has several US clients.

Since publication, Jean-Frédéric Gaultier has joined Olswang

THE FIRM The three-partner team at this recently created IP boutique enters the rankings following positive feedback relating to the swift impact that it has made on the market. It covers a wide range of IP matters, with particular renown in patent litigation. The group handles a substantial number of cross-border cases, and is able to draw upon the expertise of IP specialists in the firm’s offices in Amsterdam, Brussels and Madrid.

Sources say: “The firm has quickly built up a strong reputation.” 

KEY INDIVIDUALS “Outstanding and extremely experienced” Denis Monégier du Sorbier co-founded this firm in January 2011, having previously been at Howrey. He is one of the top patent litigators in the country and most of his practice is in this area, but he also handles disputes relating to soft IP matters including trade marks, design and unfair competition. Peers acknowledge that his new venture has been a success and “he has built up a great team.” Previously of Cotty Vivant Marchisio & Lauzeral, Marie George-Picot’s practice is a balance of contentious and non-contentious work and encompasses trade marks, copyrights, patents and unfair competition.

THE FIRM This relatively new team has established a robust position in the market, especially for trade marks, which account for a large portion of its activity. Much of its work is cross-border in nature, drawing upon the firm’s extensive international resources. Work with the Chinese market has been particularly important of late. The group is active in sectors including media, luxury goods, fashion, pharmaceuticals, biotech, energy, food and retail.

Sources say: “The group’s work is of really excellent quality.” 

KEY INDIVIDUALS “Fantastic” department head Emmanuel Baud receives shining client endorsements and is especially well reputed for his trade marks work. “He is extremely reactive, client-friendly, talented and creative, and I know that I can trust him completely,” enthuse clients. They also highlight his expertise in geographical indications, stating that “he is one of the most important lawyers in France in this area and has a full vision of the concept.”