The Unified Patent Court
How we can help you
At Freshfields, we have highly-rated patent lawyers in the key jurisdictions for patent litigation in Europe - Germany, the Netherlands and the UK.
We have implemented for our clients global strategies across a range of technologies – from pharma to telecoms.
We have also acted for clients in some of the highest profile multijurisdictional patent litigation across Europe. Our experience means we can represent you in all courts and divisions of the Unified Patent Court (UPC), as well as in national courts and at the European Patent Office.
We have been closely involved in the development of the UPC and we can help you prepare for the new regime. We are already advising many of our clients on the best way for them to hold and litigate their patents in the new regime.
The last decade has seen an increase in litigation and regulatory scrutiny at the interface of intellectual property and competition law. The technology sector in particular has seen a huge growth in litigation involving patents and fair, reasonable, and non-discriminatory (FRAND) commitments.
Alongside our patent team, Freshfields has a leading competition and antitrust practice and we have worked together to represent our clients before the European Commission and other competition authorities on patents and antitrust matters.
The UPC system will have a dedicated Patent Arbitration and Mediation Centre in Lisbon and Ljubljana. Freshfields has a top-ranked arbitration practice and lawyers with broad experience in IP arbitration and mediation.
Working with our patent team will also give you all the advantages of working with Freshfields. We are one of the leading international law firms and the only firm in the world that is ranked top for litigation, arbitration, competition and investigations.
Whether you are preparing your portfolio for the UPC, planning a campaign to stop infringement, responding to an attempt to invalidate your patents or seeking to ensure freedom to sell your innovative products, we can help you plan and execute a strategy to achieve your commercial goals.
More information
Team
Laura Whiting Partner
London, Dublin
Dr. Nina Bayerl (née Schäffner) Partner
Munich, Düsseldorf
Frank-Erich Hufnagel Partner
Düsseldorf
Rutger Kleemans Partner
Amsterdam
Wolrad Prinz zu Waldeck und Pyrmont Partner
Düsseldorf, Munich
Dr. Christopher Stothers Partner
London, Dublin
Jelle Drok Partner
Amsterdam