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.
Silver - Individuals: litigation
“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.