The European Unified Patent Court (UPC) – What’s in it for US corporates?

Happy Hour Drinks and Snacks Across the Street at Chancery Market After Presentation.

The Unified Patent Court is the forum for central litigation of European patents across 17 participating EU countries, and in the coming years will be the sole venue for litigation of such patents.  Since the court opened its doors just over 2 years ago, it has proved to be hugely popular, receiving around 1000 cases, and establishing a substantial and solid line of case law.

With the court now trusted by major corporations around the world, Paul Dunne and Jonathan Wills will guide us through the ways in which US companies can factor the UPC into their commercial strategies, and weave the court into global patent challenges.  They will explore, in particular, the leverage that such fast-paced cases can bring in securing settlements, and the importance of preparing for the possibility of defending against UPC actions.

Alongside the European perspective, we will also hear from Tom Holsten – Chief IP Counsel at International Flavors & Fragrances in Wilmington – about his experience of UPC actions, how the court cases have felt compared to other court actions, and how he now views the court from a commercial perspective.

About the speakers:

Dr Jonathan Wills and Dr Paul Dunne are UPC Representatives and European Patent Attorneys, Partners within the Chemistry Team at leading European IP firm, Mewburn Ellis LLP.  Having established a strong reputation for securing excellent results in European opposition and appeal procedures, they are now bringing this experience to bear at the UPC, as part of Mewburn’s growing presence representing corporates in active UPC litigation.

Tom Holsten is a US patent attorney, serving as the VP, Chief Intellectual Property Counsel at US corporation International Flavors and Fragrances (IFF).  He leads an international team developing IP strategies to protect the company’s commercial activities across a diverse range of technologies.  Prior to joining IFF, Tom worked within in-house teams and at leading private practice firms, giving him broad experience across all aspects of IP, including patent preparation, prosecution and transactions, as well as litigation.