HGF is one of Europe’s leading representatives for opposition and appeals at the EPO. We have a dedicated team of opposition specialists and pride ourselves on the strength of our technical and legal knowledge, commercial acumen, and advocacy skills.

We represent clients across all technical fields, including pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals, fast-moving consumer goods, construction, polymers, medical devices, video coding, and telecommunications. We also have significant opposition experience in emerging technologies, including CRISPR, bioinformatics, and AI, as well as opposing standards-essential patents (SEPs).

We represent clients before the Enlarged Board of Appeal, the highest judicial authority at the EPO (e.g. G2/21, G1/24).

We are frequently entrusted with commercially important cases, often as part of our clients’ broader litigation strategy. Working with our IP litigators, we are experienced in handling oppositions alongside post-grant invalidity proceedings in other jurisdictions. As a European firm, our opposition specialists have national qualifications across a range of European jurisdictions. We are live to the ways in which the courts of different European states apply the European Patent Convention and are well-versed in devising strategies to maximise our clients’ chances of success before the EPO and national courts.

Together with our pan-European litigation experience, our reputation as advocates makes us an attractive proposition for clients before the UPC.