A&O Shearman

Gold - Firms: litigation

Gold - Firms: transactions

“Allen & Overy is a standout, top-tier firm with an immensely strong patent team who handle the most significant cases in the UK. The team is responsive, with the depth and breadth of experience to deliver excellent advice and a high-quality client service.” The outfit boasts a raft of gold-ranked practitioners who have stellar reputations for securing victories in the most complex of disputes. Its glittering roster of litigators includes Neville Cordell, Mark Heaney, Mark Ridgway and Marjan Noor. “Neville's profound legal knowledge and deep understanding of legal frameworks allows him to navigate complex disputes with ease, including matters taking place in multiple jurisdictions, in which he strategically leverages slight differences in law and practices across Europe to develop the strongest approach. He carefully assesses the nuances of each case to design thoughtful and compelling strategies, and his unwavering attention to detail ensures that no crucial fact goes unnoticed. Neville also effectively collaborates with technical experts to dissect intricate technological details and deconstruct complex technical arguments. He demonstrates strong communication skills during negotiations, where he tactfully presents his points with the right mix of rigidity and flexibility, which allows favourable settlement agreements to be reached.” Heaney is described as “an excellent lawyer with a great strategic approach”; while Ridgway earns plaudits for his “excellent strategic thinking, responsiveness and great depth of knowledge”. The trio recently teamed up to represent Huawei in its closely watched dispute with IP Bridge, who brought an infringement action against the global telecoms giant based on nine UK patents alleged to be standard-essential patents (SEPs). Their expertise in the FRAND space has proven invaluable, as they quickly establish themselves as the go-to experts for SEP/FRAND disputes. Noor also comes in for high praise: “Marjan is an excellent patent litigator who is wonderfully strategic, technologically gifted and detail oriented. She operates at the very top of her field.” A safe and steady pair of hands for life sciences companies embroiled in tricky disputes, Noor does her best work when handling business-critical, high-stakes litigation. Further strengthening the set is Rafi Allos, who ascends into the silver tier this year on account of his stellar work in the life sciences arena. He has been busy supporting Bayer in the enforcement and defence of its patents, protecting its highest selling product, Xarelto®, a blockbuster blood thinner, and he is leading the team in UK proceedings against seven generics companies. Allos has earned rave reviews from an array of sources this year who describe him as “absolutely brilliant. Rafi is proactive, engaged, highly responsive and has excellent judgement. He knows the life sciences industry back to front and has a great track record handling major UK High Court litigation on behalf of industry leaders; he is completely unflappable when the stakes are high. Rafi is professional, super efficient, reliable and tuned in to clients’ goals, and works tirelessly to achieve them, which makes an otherwise stressful process much easier.” Handling major IP-rich transactions and deals with a deft touch, Nigel Parker and Jim Ford are talented commercial lawyers who strike the perfect balance between seeing the big picture and homing in on the details. They have recently teamed up to advise Nissan Motor on the IP, commercial and supply aspects of its alliance with the Renault Group and Mitsubishi Motors, one of the largest and most successful automotive partnerships in the world.

Bronze - Firms: litigation

A familiar name to leading companies in technology, life sciences and consumer goods spaces, Allen & Overy and its team of staunch trial attorneys are a smart choice for the most complex cases in every arena. William James II is the name to note for biotechnology and pharmaceutical patent matters, having represented clients in court for more than 25 years. He is currently representing pharmaceutical company Alcon in an infringement case in the District of Delaware. 

Recommended - Firms: transactions

Silver - Firms: litigation

Allen & Overy is no stranger to excellence, as exemplified by its California office, which is hailed as an “incredibly professional and first-rate firm; its business-savvy individuals dispense excellent legal knowledge on many issues that have never seen the light of day”. Spearheading the outfit’s global technology practice, Daren Orzechowski is heralded as “an expert in his field”. A sharp strategist with vast technological and legal acumen, he is known to be “thoughtful, responsive, business minded and practical” in his approach. Bijal Vakil is one of the group’s shining stars in patent litigation. With more than 170 patent cases under his belt, he is unwavering in his ability to tackle some of the most significant contentious patent matters, spanning multiple jurisdictions and emerging sectors. He is a go-to for clients who “rely on Bijal to work on the most complex IP matters”. Transactions heavyweight Alexander Touma champions an excellent IP practice. His sage counsel has been paramount in emerging technology transactions pertaining to gaming, fintech, software and crypto services, making him instrumental in expanding the firm’s influence across California.

Gold - Firms: litigation

Thanks to its robust litigation offering and seamless cooperation with colleagues across the globe, Allen & Overy is a favourite among major international companies operating at the very cutting edge of their technical fields. The team deftly manage huge cross-border disputes that shape the legal landscape and are leading specialists in preliminary injunction proceedings in France. Leading the Paris IP group to continued success, Laëtitia Bénard demonstrates exceptional litigation prowess when acting for major pharmaceutical and high-tech companies in significant high-value, cross-border disputes. Her elevated strategic thinking and refined advocacy skill make her a force to be reckoned with in the courtroom. Bolstering the outfit’s litigation offering with his expertise in the technology sector, David Por represents his clients with precision and sophistication. He is widely renowned for his superb performance in complex, multi-jurisdictional patent disputes, including those which involve SEP and FRAND licensing issues. Recently he has been busy representing Nokia in the French part of its worldwide battle against Oppo/OnePlus. Working closely with Por on this matter is Charles Tuffreau. A dual-qualified patent attorney and attorney at law, Tuffreau takes a bird’s-eye view of issues; he thinks about matters from every angle to advise patrons holistically and comes up with persuasive arguments that will land well in a courtroom. 

Silver - Firms: litigation and transactions

Allen & Overy has established itself as one of Poland’s go-to firms in all matters of patent litigation and transactions. From some of the most complex multi-jurisdictional contentious cases to technology-rich, high-profile patent portfolio management, A&O leverages its international acclaim and intimate knowledge of the IP landscape to achieve excellence. Krystyna Szczepanowska-Kozłowska proves herself to be an international virtuoso of IP law. Her career spanning three decades has equipped her with immeasurable legal and technical knowledge of the life sciences and pharmaceutical sectors. Equally impeccable across contentious and non-contentious matters, her work is shaping the IP landscape of Poland. 

Recommended - Firms

Marrying a fine-grained appreciation of IP-rich transactions with superb litigious capability, Allen & Overy is one of the few international law practices in China that remains laser-focused on growth. Of particular note is its associated firm, Lang Yue, which brings further law expertise in the People’s Republic of China to the table. Driving the practice forward is Jill Ge. Covering the full spectrum of IP litigation and transactions, she complements her contentious caseload with a slew of IP commercialisation and data-heavy counsel.

Highly-recommended - Firms: transactions

Silver - Firms: infringement

A&O Shearman is a stand-out name when it comes to intellectual property thanks to its highly skilled team who deliver an exceptional client-service and advice which is always grounded in business practicalities. Dishing out high-quality guidance to a wide range of sophisticated patent owners in the life sciences and chemical industries, Stephan Neuhaus is an adept litigator with a nuanced understanding of infringement proceedings at all court levels in Germany. Neuhaus is also a well-regarded name in the telecommunications and engineering sectors. On the high-tech side, Jan Ebersohl is the name to note. A trusted advisor to many market-leading companies, Ebersohl navigates infringement proceedings with a deft touch to ensure his clients’ rights are effectively defended and enforced in the courtroom. Masterfully handling an array of high-value patent transactions including licensing deals and R&D collaborations, Jens Matthes is a smooth negotiator who delivers business-oriented solutions to secure the best deal for his clients.