< Back to latest news & events

Awards

HGF ranked ‘Gold’ in the Financial Times special report

July 2019

HGF has been ranked in ‘Gold’ for:

  • Chemistry & pharmacy
  • Electrical engineering & physics
  • Mechanical engineering
  • Biotechnology, food & healthcare

And ‘Silver’ for:

  • Materials & nanotechnology
  • IT & software

HGF has been ranked in the ‘Gold’ and ‘Silver’ bands in The Financial Times special report ‘Europe’s Leading Patent Law Firms’ published on 9 July 2019.

The firm is one of the largest firms of IP specialists in Europe, with 21 offices across the UK, Ireland,  Germany, The Netherlands, Austria and Switzerland, and is internationally recognised by its peers across these 6 core areas of technology.

Kate Taylor – Head of the Life Sciences team commented, “I am delighted to receive this level of recognition from our clients and peer group. The team comprises some exceptional attorneys with in-depth experience from in-house roles and academia. We have a wealth of expertise across the life sciences spectrum, and of particular note is the firm’s technical and legal reputation in the area of CRISPR, led by Cath Coombes and Dr Claire Irvine.” 

Matt Dixon – Head of the Engineering team commented, “Receiving a gold ranking is testament to the exceptional quality of the team we have built across Europe. The work we are undertaking in the fields of energy and medical devices are particularly key to the growth we have experienced.”

Dr Andrew Wells – Head of the Chemistry team commented, “The chemical team has grown significantly in the last 5 years and our client base is international and representative of all the key areas of chemistry and pharmaceuticals. We have a large number of attorneys who have in-house backgrounds and this has been a strong benefit for advising clients on IP strategies in this often-complex sector.”

The research was undertaken by The FT’s partner Statista, the market research provider, who compiled the list based on the survey results. A special report featuring the final list and articles exploring the work and role of European patent attorneys appeared in print in the Financial Times and on FT.com on July 9 2019. The survey collected peer recommendations from patent attorneys registered with the European Patent Office (EPO) as well as names from clients who have used a patent law firm in one of the 38 member states of the Munich-based EPO.

As a firm we are committed to building strong client relationships and delivering outstanding service from our offices in Germany, The Netherlands, Switzerland, Austria, Ireland and the UK we are delighted to have been ranked in Gold and Silver. HGF has a clear strategic growth plan under the leadership of Paul Sanderson, CEO.

The firm’s expansion across Europe has continued in 2019 with the merger of Patronus IP which expanded HGF offices into Munich, Heidelberg and Salzburg. This year the firm has also opened Dublin. Unlike other multi-office IP firms, HGF is one integrated firm that draws on its expertise across all offices and across all our attorney teams of: Law, Trade Marks, Electronics, Engineering, Chemistry and Life Sciences to assemble multi-disciplinary client teams that work together to meet clients’ needs.

For the full report see here.

Latest updates

Agritech Thymes: Arusha Protocol Enters into Force

Since being introduced in July 2015, the Arusha protocol for the protection of novel plant varieties in Africa has finally entered into force on the 24th November 2024, after ratification …

Read article

HGF office closures in December 2024 and January 2025

Please note that our offices will be closed for business in accordance with national holidays on the following dates.  Please plan accordingly and provide us with your instructions in advance …

Read article

Central Division takes pragmatic approach to late-filed submissions and revokes VMR’s patent for lack of inventive step

In Njoy v VMR (UPC_CFI_308/2023), the Paris Central Division confirmed that the “front loaded” provisions of the UPC should be interpreted in line with the principles of proportionality and procedural …

Read article

Celebrating Success – Director Promotions

We are proud to announce that 7 of our team have been promoted to director effective from 1 December 2024! These promotions recognise the outstanding contributions demonstrated by these individuals, who …

Read article

G2/24: A new referral to the Enlarged Board seeks to clarify whether a third party who intervened during appeal proceedings can acquire full appellant status

In the referring decision, T1286/23, the Board of Appeal referred the following questions to the Enlarged Board of Appeal: After the withdrawal of all appeals, may the proceedings be continued …

Read article

UPC first FRAND judgment results in injunction against OPPO

Panasonic Holdings Corporation v Guangdong OPPO Mobile Telecommunications Corp. Ltd & anor UPC_CFI_210/2023 – Mannheim Local Division (Tochtermann, Böttcher, Brinkman & Loibner) – 22 November 2024. The UPC issued its …

Read article