Sector group

Chemistry

Acquiring robust patent protection for chemical and pharmaceutical products and technologies, and possessing a good appreciation of any freedom-to-operate risks, is critically important to these industries.

Image of technician working in a chemistry lab

HGF has one of the largest and most experienced teams of chemistry and pharmaceutical patent attorneys in Europe.  We have over 45 patent professionals located in the UK, Germany, Austria, The Netherlands and Switzerland, and collectively we have a diverse blend of high-standard degrees and doctorates in specialist areas.  Many of our attorneys also have extensive in-house experience acquired working for large multi-national companies.

We act for a global client base and cover the full spectrum of chemical technologies, including pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals, foodtech, cosmetics, household products, materials/metallurgy, energy.

We have established an enviable reputation in the chemistry and pharmaceutical field and continue to grow our client base, predominately by recommendation.  Working closely with our clients, we devise the optimal IP strategy to achieve the best commercial outcome.  We have extensive experience in the drafting, prosecution and management of world-wide patent portfolios, as well as conducting freedom-to-operate assessments, handling IP due diligence evaluations and oppositions and appeal proceedings before the European Patent Office.  We also have a specialist supplementary protection certificates team for pharmaceutical and agrochemical products. In addition, our chemistry and pharmaceutical attorneys work closely with our IP lawyers in relation to life cycle agreements such as R&D collaborations, companion diagnostics, IP licensing, clinical trials through to commercial manufacturing and supply, and litigation.

Latest updates

HGF

Patent restoration

Inadvertent or accidental loss of patent rights can be distressing for patent holders and indeed for IP practitioners. The most common reason for restoration is when a patent has lapsed …

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SPCs for Combination Products – Will CJEU need to look again?

Key takeaways National courts have diverged on the interpretation of the EU Court of Justice’s latest decisions on SPCs for combination products – in particular on whether data in the …

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Event - 16th September 2026

Basel seminar - New developments in SPCs

VENUE – Der Teufelhof Basel, The Archaeological Cellar Join us on Wednesday 16th September 5:30 – 8:00 pm (CEST) for our seminar on the latest developments in Supplementary Protection Certificates …

Event details

Playing Loose – CJEU asked to decide on combination SPCs

In a new referral (C-262/26), the EU’s Court of Justice has been asked to decide whether a medicine which receives a marketing authorisation (MA) as a monotherapy, but labelled with …

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Excipient or active ingredient? Look to the marketing authorisation…

In his recently issued (non-binding) Opinion in the Halozyme referral to the Court of Justice of the EU (C-456/24), the Advocate General has delivered a decisive “no” to the question …

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Six Sectors. Six Golds. Financial Times: Europe’s Leading Patent Law Firms 2026

HGF has once again been recognised with ‘Gold’ rankings across all six sectors in the Financial Times Special Report – Europe’s Leading Patent Law Firms 2026. We are one of …

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Pro = Active? CJEU asked to decide

In a new referral to the EU’s Court of Justice (C-794/25), the CJEU has been asked to rule on the question whether an approved pro-drug of a previously approved active …

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HGF

Santen Revisited – CJEU asked to think again on “first authorisation” for SPCs

A new referral to the Court of Justice of the EU (C-15/26) will once again consider what is meant by the “first marketing authorisation” requirement of Article 3(d) of the …

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