IP Seminar – Practical Tips to Maximise Success in EPO Oppositions and Appeals – Basel

Event date: 16th January 2019

The opposition procedure of the European Patent Office (EPO) provides a very cost-efficient way to challenge patents granted by the EPO.  However, securing a successful outcome requires careful planning and creative thinking to effectively deal with issues that can arise in the heat of a hearing.

Partner, Gareth Probert and Patent Director, Joanna Deas will provide an overview of the opposition and appeal process and what you can expect if somebody opposes one of your patents or if you want to attack a patent of one of your competitors.  They will focus on the practical side of handling an opposition and share with you their tips and advice based on their experiences of handling more than 200 opposition and appeals.

They will also explore how some of the recent changes to the opposition procedure introduced by the EPO could influence your opposition strategy. Looking to the future, they will also discuss what you need to do now ready for when your cases are handled by the modernised Boards of Appeal as radical changes are introduced in 2019.

We hope the seminar will be of interest to innovator companies with patents as well as patent professionals.

The seminar is free to attend. To register please contact Liz Davies or call +44 (0)113 233 0189.

Gareth Probert, Partner and Head of HGF Nottingham

Gareth is an Opposition and Appeal specialist and is very experienced at representing clients in proceedings at all levels of the European Patent Office. He has achieved many successes in high value and business-critical oppositions, often working in conjunction with parallel national litigation. Gareth and his team organise mock hearings in preparation for significant cases. He focusses on medical technology, pharmaceutical and life sciences cases, and also has considerable experience in the FMCG and food sectors.

Joanna Deas, Patent Director

Joanna is a European Patent Attorney and is based in HGF’s office in Nottingham.

Joanna specialises in representing clients at EPO Opposition and Appeal hearings, and regularly attends hearings in Munich and The Hague. Joanna has particular expertise in medical technologies such as medical devices and processes, and her practice also includes working in other areas such as chemistry, formulations, polymers and pharmaceuticals. She been responsible for a number of high profile cases for a well-known FMCG company. She has also been involved in important mock hearings for several clients.