Below are some of the latest senior practitioner moves and firm news across the world. Readers should note that this sort of news can also be found on a firm's review page.
EMEA
Two practitioners leave PONS IP
Trade mark star Jean Devaureix and soft IP lawyer Elena Orduñez have left PONS IP. At the time of writing, we understand Orduñez joined ECIJA while Devaureix’s status is unclear.
Simmons & Simmons expands European IP team
Patent specialists Paula Gallego, Diptanil Debbarma and Atze van Stralen joined Simmons & Simmons’ Amsterdam office in October 2022. Head of patent administration Gallego arrived from Octrooibureau Los & Stigter.
Brinkhof loses IP partner
Soft IP lawyer Kurt Stöpetie left Brinkhof in October 2022. Stöpetie’s status is unknown at the time of writing.
Gulliksson hires patent star
Gulliksson welcomed patent attorney and lawyer Magnus Johansson from Valea in September 2022.
LSW Leśnodorski Ślusarek & Partners loses two partners
Copyright stars Maciej Ślusarek and Maciej Kubiak left LSW Leśnodorski Ślusarek & Partners in July 2022 to run a new firm, SKP Ślusarek Kubiak Pieczyk.
Venner Shipley appoints COO
European IP firm Venner Shipley appointed Simon Pettinati as its new Chief Operating Officer (COO) in June 2022. He joined from real estate firm CBRE.
Haseltine Lake Kempner expands its IP practice
Chartered trade mark attorney and senior associate Rachel Hearson joined from Womble Bond Dickinson in June 2022. Associate Flora Hachemi arrived from Lawrie IP in March 2022. Solicitor Sanjeet Plaha was promoted to partner in May 2022.
German law firm Schalast merge with Lichtenstein & Körner
Lichtenstein & Körner merged with law firm Schalast on October 01, 2022. The merger saw trade mark star Kerstin Gründig-Schnelle, Alexander Hauch and Thomas Sambuc join the firm.
Pérez-Llorca hires new partner
Pérez-Llorca hired Rais Amils Arnal as a partner in January 2022. Arnal was previously with Clifford Chance.
Pinsent Masons appoints a new head of life sciences
Patent star Judith Krens joined Pinsent Masons’ Amsterdam office this year to head up its life sciences practice. Krens joined from Taylor Wessing.
Patent star leaves Mewburn Ellis
Biotech patent attorney Sean Walton is no longer with Mewburn Ellis. The practitioner’s status is yet to be confirmed at the time of writing.
Stobbs IP and LMCA announce a new partnership
Stobbs IP and brand licensing agency LMCA announced a new strategic partnership. The new initiative will be supervised by IA director Esther Jolley.
Herbert Smith Freehills appoints new co-head of IP
Herbert Smith Freehills’ Milan office managing partner Laura Orlando has been appointed to co-lead the firm’s global IP practice in EMEA. Orlando will lead the practice with Sydney-based IP Star Rebekah Gay, who oversees the practice across Asia and Australia.
Mathys & Squire hires life sciences patent attorney
European patent attorney and biotech specialist Iain Armstrong has joined the firm as a partner in the life sciences department. Armstrong joined in May 2022 from HGF.
Delucenay & Staeffen and Lambert & Félix merge
Delucenay & Staeffen and Lambert & Félix have combined to create new IP firm called ARDAN. Stève Félix, Julien Delucenay, Pascale Lambert, and Véronique Staeffen are notable IP practitioners in the firm.
AMERICA
Lloreda Camacho & Co hires a new patent director
María José Lamus Becerra joined Colombian law firm Lloreda Camacho & Co as a patent director in September 2022. Becerra was previously a delegate superintendent at Industria y Comercio, a government body responsible for IP.
Two IP Stars appointed to lead Norton Rose’s US IP practice
Trade mark star Tim Kenny has been appointed as the co-head of Norton Rose Fulbright’s US IP practice, effective from January 1, 2023. IP Star Felicia Boyd was promoted to head of IP brands. Kenny will lead the IP practice together with James W Repass, who is also an IP Star.
IDEAS IP hires new partner
Trade mark star Gustavo Noyola joined IDEAS IP in April 2022 from Central law.
Patent attorney departs Frost Brown Todd to establish a new law firm
Patent attorney Dennis Schell left Frost Brown Todd to establish Innovation Law Office in May 2022.
Debevoise & Plimpton hires Neukom
IP trial lawyer John (Jay) Neukom joined Debevoise & Plimpton’s San Francisco office as a partner in its IP litigation practice. Neukom was previously with Skadden, where he was co-head of the IP litigation practice in the Palo Alto office.
ASIA-PACIFIC
Osha Bergman Watanabe & Burton recruits new global trade mark manager
Osha Bergman Watanabe & Burton appointed soft IP practitioner Motasem Abu Ghazaleh as the CEO of its Singapore office. The former vice chair at Abu-Ghazaleh Intellectual Property (AGIP) joined in August 2022.
Two Chinese law firms announce a strategic merger
Chinese law firm Yuanhe Partners and boutique IP firm Twelve Tables Law Firm merged in May 2022.
Kim & Chang loses soft IP practitioner to NAM & NAM
Senior foreign attorney Alex Hyon Cho left Kim & Chang to join rival firm NAM & NAM.
Anaqua acquires competitor
IP management company Anaqua acquired Practice Insight and its software business WiseTime from IPH Limited.
Ghows expands IP team
Trade mark star Teresa O’Connor and Patsy Koh left Infinitus Law Corporation in April to join Ghows, a boutique firm founded by IP practitioner Bryan Ghows.
King & Wood Mallesons hires a team from Fangda Partners
King & Wood Mallesons hired patent star Gordon Gao and his team members Sherry Yao, Zhang Xuting and Cassidy Guo as partners in May 2022. They were previously with Fangda Partners.
James & Wells hires new trade mark partner in Australia
James & Wells hired Mark Williams in May 2022 to lead its Australian trade mark practice. Williams joined from Marquette IP, where he was managing associate.
Advanz Fidelis IP joins Davies Collison Cave
Malaysian IP firm Advanz Fidelis IP merged with Davies Collison Cave in October 2022 to form DCC Advanz. Both firms are part of QANTM IP Group, an ASX-listed IP company.
More firm news and people moves
Read our previous coverage here.
Other news published on this site
The latest news on mRNA patent cases - follow the news here
Global law firms quit Russia: the latest updates - follow the news here
The latest featured articles - follow the news here
The latest news on the DABUS patent case - follow the news here
The latest IP developments in Ukraine - follow the news here