JUVE Patent promote Herbert Smith Freehills in the UK patent litigation rankings 2021

JUVE Patent has today published the latest UK patent litigation rankings 2021, naming our UK Intellectual Property (IP) practice and practitioners in the top seven most recommended firms for patent litigation.

Sebastian Moore and Sophie Rich were also recognised alongside only 15 individuals who were recommended in the rankings by JUVE Patent.

Both received recommendations from competitors and clients along with Jonathan Turnbull. Sebastian for being “fantastic in life sciences” and Sophie and Jonathan were regarded as "highly-qualified trial lawyers, especially impressive in co-ordinating cross-border litigation."

JUVE Patent is based in Cologne, Germany and provides daily coverage on the European patent market. Each year, JUVE Patent rankings are carefully researched by an independent team of journalists, who send out questionnaires and conduct interviews with lawyers, clients, legal academics and judges. In the reports you will find UK patent practices which, and solicitors and barristers who, according to the research, have leading reputations in the UK patent law market.

Comments from JUVE 

"The IP litigation team at the London office of international firm Herbert Smith Freehills is excellently-positioned in the pharmaceutical sector. Indeed, the practice has recently consolidated its position as a clear challenger to the UK patent market leaders in this sector through consistency in high-profile life sciences cases and a partnership which gains large numbers of recommendations. Over the past year, the practice has retained core clients, including originator Gilead for which it is conducting several litigation proceedings, e.g. against ViiV Healthcare over HIV inhibitor bictegravir. Here, the Herbert Smith Freehills London team also advises and co-ordinates Gilead’s strategy in several other jurisdictions in and out of Europe.

Away from drug-based pharmaceuticals, the firm also demonstrated its expertise in biotechnology and diagnostics through several core clients. Its work for Ariosa Diagnostics against claimants Illumina and Sequenom, led by recommended partner Sebastian Moore, demonstrates the firm’s ability to effectively manage multiple parallel proceedings in a complex dispute with much at stake.

The team’s win for a US client, which focuses on diagnostic sequencing technology, highlights its aptitude for the policy and regulatory aspects of the sector. Herbert Smith Freehills also continues to work in litigation and advice around SPCs, currently being involved in four references concerning SPCs, such as for core client Gilead. This involvement is sure to support the firm well following Brexit and any potential amendments to existing SPC legislation."

Read the full analysis here.

Learn more about the impact of 2020 on the UK patent lawyer and patent barrister market in this video by Juve Patent, featuring journalist Amy Sandys and co-editor Mathieu Klos. Despite a challenging year, the UK's patent firms continue to perform strongly.