Heavyweight French independent Gide Loyrette Nouel has formed a patent litigation partnership with Parisian IP law firm Regimbeau, in a move they say creates one of the strongest patent litigation teams in Europe. 

The two firms have worked together for more than 30 years and said the decision to form Gide x Regimbeau – Patent Litigation was in response to the increasing complexity of national proceedings and launch of the Unified Patent Court (UPC) on 1 June. 

The new system will enable uniform patent protection across all participating EU member states by way of a single patent application filed with the European Patent Office (EPO) in Munich – the unitary patent – and provide a centralised platform for Europe-wide patent litigation before the UPC.

France will be home to both the headquarters of the central division of the UPC's Court of First Instance and its French local division in Paris. Gide and Regimbeau said in a joint statement that the new jurisdiction would require mastery of all the components of French and pan-European patent litigation, within very short deadlines.

The alliance will see members of Gide’s Band 1 IP team, one of the largest in France, work with professionals from Regimbeau to defend clients in matters relating to patents, supplementary protection certificates and trade secrets before all French courts and, as of now, before the UPC. According to its dedicated website, the alliance will consist of around 60 professionals covering all technical fields from life sciences to new digital technologies, chemistry to mechanics and telecoms. 

“Proceedings before the UPC, which has its central division in Paris, will be significantly faster than before national courts,” the website says. “Given the legal and commercial stakes, only large and tightly integrated teams can rise to the challenge. This is precisely the purpose of the Gide x Regimbeau – Patent Litigation alliance.”

Both firms are headquartered in Paris and said that through the new partnership they could “coordinate all their offices and networks in France, Europe and internationally, wherever disputes may arise.”

Gide’s 27-lawyer IP practice offers a full service in the area and is noted by Chambers for its strong track record in multi-jurisdictional litigation. Led by partners Emmanuel Larere, Raphaëlle Dequiré-Portier and Jean-Hyacinthe de Mitry, the team advises French and multinational clients from various industries including L’Oréal, Amgen and BMW.  

The Gide partner trio will lead the new alliance alongside Regimbeau partners Anne Boutaric, Marie Audren, Stéphanie Massin Célaire, Emmanuelle Levy and Sylvain Thivillier.

For its part, Regimbeau is a major French and European IP firm with around 50 lawyers and professionals working on IP litigation matters within a wider team of around 200.  

Gide’s senior partner, Frédéric Nouel, said the alliance would enable the firm to have a “major impact on the market and a global solution designed to respond to significant developments in the sector and provide our clients with a more efficient service in the resolution of patent disputes.”

Regimbeau’s Boutaric added: “While all eyes are on the entry into force of the UPC, we are confident in our ability to respond together to the new challenges of this jurisdiction. Our in-depth knowledge of the French legal system and of the new UPC procedures gives us a competitive advantage in supporting our clients through this change.”