This roundup features Awapatent, Covington & Burling, Dentons, EIP, Eversheds Sutherland, Gowling WLG, Hoyng Rokh Monegier, Mewburn Ellis, Pinsent Masons, Reddie & Grose, Spruson & Ferguson and Véron & Associés.
ASIA
Charlie Liu has joined Awapatent as partner in Hong Kong. Liu’s practice focuses on trade mark prosecution and portfolio management. He was previously a partner at Wilkinson & Grist.
Australian IP firms Fisher Adams Kelly Callinans, Cullens and Asia-Pacific IP firm Spruson & Ferguson have combined to operate under the Spruson & Ferguson brand from April 2018. All three are members of the IPH Group.
EUROPE
Rupert Bent has rejoined Eversheds Sutherland as a partner, moving from his position as head of IP and partner at Walker Morris. Bent specialises in IP litigation.
IP star Marianne Schaffner has joined Dentons as partner in the IP and technology practice in Paris. Schaffner brought along her two IP colleagues from Dechert, where she was head of IP and co-head of the life sciences group.
European boutique IP firm Hoyng Rokh Monegier and French patent litigation firm Véron & Associés announced that they will officially merge this summer to become Hoyng Rokh Monegier Veron in France. Until then, both firms will remain structurally independent. This is indeed a significant merger in the French market considering that both are top-tier ranked firms in France.
Trade mark specialist Claire Lehr has joined EIP in London as partner and head of its brands practice. Lehr joins from Cooley, where she was special counsel.
Thomas Mayer has joined Gowling WLG as a partner in its Munich office. He was previously at Maiwald and his primary focus is patent litigation.
Mewburn Ellis has increased the size of its partnership with the promotion of European patent attorney Paul Dunne. Dunne, who joined the firm in 2010, has a chemistry background. He handles patent work in the industrial chemistry, nanotech and pharmaceutical sectors.
Reddie & Grose elected Alice Findlay as its chair. Findlay, a patent and trade mark attorney, joined the firm in 2007. The firm also promoted Paul Loustalan to partner. Loustalan is a European patent attorney with expertise in engineering. The promotion increases the number of partners in the firm to 22.
Covington & Burling hired six partners from corporate law firm Heymann & Partner to launch its German office on April 3. One of the partners, Moritz Hüsch, has an IP/tech practice.
Pinsent Masons hired former Squire Patton Boggs partner Florian Traub to establish its European trade mark and designs filing practice. Traub specialises in brand protection and management.
