The IP STARS research team keeps a close watch on lateral hires, departures and other developments in firms. Below is a roundup of some of the recent people moves and firm news in Europe.
Bird & Bird promoted three practitioners
The firm promoted Rebecca O'Kelly-Gillard (London), Claudia Ricciardi (Milan), and Domien Op de Beeck (Brussels) to the position of partner. Op de Beeck is an all-round IP litigator whereas O'Kelly-Gillard specialises in soft IP disputes. Ricciardi is an IP transactional lawyer.
DLA Piper hired a new IP partner in London
DLA Piper hired Deborah Bould as a partner in its IP and technology practice in London. Bould, who specialises in patent litigation, joined from Pinsent Masons.
An IP Star launched a new boutique in Belgium
Paul Maeyaert left ALTIUS in July 2020 to establish a boutique law firm called Fencer. Maeyaert, who is best known for his trade mark practice, took three colleagues: Jeroen Muyldermans, Caro Van Wichelen and Andreas Reygaert.
Muyldermans is a founding partner while Wichelen and Reygaert are associates. The firm further strengthened in October 2020 by hiring former Novagraaf employees Daphne Vervaet and Stephanie Wuyts as partners.
Gorodissky & Partners promoted three practitioners
Russian IP firm Gorodissky & Partners promoted Sergey Vasiliev, Valentin Kirillov and Elizaveta Popova to the position of partner. Kirillov and Popova are patent attorneys whereas Vasiliev is a trade mark attorney/lawyer.
Harbottle & Lewis promoted Rising Star
Harbottle & Lewis welcomed Kostyantyn Lobov to the partnership in June 2020. Lobov, who specialises in soft IP disputes, was ranked in the 2019 edition of Managing IP’s Rising Star publication.
Herbert Smith Freehills launched an IP practice in Germany
Herbert Smith Freehills hired life sciences patent lawyer Ina vom Feld to establish an IP practice in Düsseldorf. The firm also hired former Simmons & Simmons disputes partner Behyad Hozuri as an associate.
Hogan Lovells hired an IP Star in London
The firm has announced that Herbert Smith Freehills’ head of IP Joel Smith will be joining the firm as a partner in its IP practice in London. Smith specialises in soft IP disputes and IP transactions.
Two Swiss IP firms merge
Keller & Partner and Schneider Feldmann have now merged to form Keller Schneider. The new firm has more than 10 European patent attorneys across its offices, but also offers trade mark protection services through a small team of trade mark attorneys including name partner Martin Schneider.
Deloitte acquired UK boutique
Deloitte announced in November 2020 that Kemp Little will become part of its of legal services business, Deloitte Legal. Managing IP understands that the acquisition is expected to complete next year and Kemp Little’s IP practitioners, including IP Star Paul Garland, will join Deloitte Legal.
Aros Patent has closed down
Swedish patent attorney firm Aros Patent announced in June that it has closed down. The firm, which was previously ranked, was founded by European patent attorney Anders Hedman, who has now joined AWA. Hedman specialises in computer technology inventions.
Murgitroyd strengthened patent team
Murgitroyd hired European patent attorneys Rosie Hardy and Catherine Coombes as patent directors in its York office. Hardy, who specialises in engineering and physics, was previously with Haseltine Lake Kempner. Coombes joined from HGF and specialises in life sciences patent work. The firm also welcomed European patent attorney Gabrielle Radault to the electronics team.
A new boutique launched in Munich
IP lawyer Martin Wintermeier has left IP boutique Ampersand to set up a new firm called Twainscore. Wintermeier’s co-founder Igor Schmulenson is an employment lawyer.
Baltic law firms merge
Derling Primus (Estonia) and Primus Derling (Latvia) have joined the Baltic law firm Walless. This is the latest significant change in the Baltic legal market and the newly merged firm will be seen as a challenger to TGS Baltic, Ellex, Cobalt and Sorainen. Walless was first established in Latvia in 2009 and has since expanded into Estonia (2016) and Lithuania (2019).
Wiggin expanded its IP team in London and Brussels
The boutique law firm hired former Barclays head of IP Calum Smyth as a partner. Smyth advises on technology-related IP disputes, licensing and strategy. He was featured in the 2019 edition of Managing IP’s Corporate IP Stars publication.
The firm this month announced the recruitment of IP Stars Carina Gommers and Carl De Meyer from Hoyng Rokh Monegier to strengthen its IP practice in Brussels. Gommers specialises in soft IP disputes while De Meyer deals with patent disputes. The partners brought along two associates: Eva De Pauw and Eleni Foscolos.
A new IP boutique in Belgium
The co-founder of Cape IP Law Patricia Cappuyns has set up a new firm called Fox IP Law. Cappuyns is experienced in dealing with patent and trade mark disputes.
An IP Star in Israel has retired
Trade mark star Ellen B Shankman has confirmed to Managing IP that she has retired and is “in the process of wrapping up” Ellen B Shankman & Associates, a firm she established in 2003.
Three IP Stars launch a new boutique in Israel
Patent Stars Ronnie Benshafrut, Ilan Cohn, Svetlana Stadler and David De Vries have left the IP powerhouse Reinhold Cohn Group. Cohn, Stadler and De Vries have set up a new firm called Cohn de Vries Stadler & Co while Benshafrut joined the Seligsohn Gabrieli Group, strengthening its Seligsohn Gabrieli & Co business. Cohn de Vries Stadler & Co has more than six partners who are qualified as patent attorneys.
More firm news and people moves
Read our previous roundups: EMEA here; Americas here and the Asia Pacific here.
