HGF ranked 'Gold' in the Financial Times special report

Europe's Leading Patent Law Firms 2020

June 2020

More than 10,000 patent attorneys working in patent law firms or in the patent departments of companies, as well as clients, were directly invited to take part in the survey. Survey participants could recommend firms both in general and by specialities, categorised into six sectors.

The sample was collected via research conducted by Statista on relevant company websites, in publications and from the EPI (the Institute of Professional Representatives Before the European Patent Office), the professional body representing European patent attorneys.

HGF has been ranked in Gold "very frequently recommended" for

  • Chemistry & Pharmaceuticals
  • Electrical Engineering

Silver for " frequently recommended" for

  • Mechanical Engineering
  • Biotechnology & Food

And Bronze "recommended" for

  • Materials & Nanotechnology  

HGF has been ranked in the 'Gold', 'Silver' and 'Bronze' bands in The Financial Times special report 'Europe's Leading Patent Law Firms' published on the 18th June 2020.

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

Dr Andrew Wells, Head of the Chemistry team commented, "I'm delighted that our excellent reputation in the chemistry field has been recognised.  This is an excellent achievement for the HGF Chemistry team and for HGF as a whole. We have a large team of chemical patent attorneys located throughout Europe and we pride ourselves on providing commercially relevant and strategic IP advice to our clients.  We cover the whole chemistry landscape and have seen significant growth in the key areas of pharmaceuticals, formulation science, materials science, agrochemicals, process chemistry, fuel cells and electrochemistry. We also have a significant oppositions practice that continues to go from strength to strength".

Harry Hutchinson, Head of the Electronics team commented, "I'm delighted that the contributions of our electronics team attorneys have been recognised at this level by our clients and peers.  In keeping with our values of Teamwork and Excellence, we've worked hard and invested heavily in building teams of specialists across many electronics sectors that truly appreciate their clients' business environments and that understand the commercial relevance of IP within that business context, coupled with a depth of technical and legal knowledge second to none in ensuring their IP advice and strategy integrates seamlessly with our clients' commercial and intellectual property objectives. I'm naturally delighted and proud of our electronics team".

Lucy Johnson, Head of the Engineering team commented, "We are delighted. Receiving a silver ranking recognition from our clients and peers is a reflection of the exceptional quality of the HGF Engineering team across Europe. The team has a wealth of technical and in-house expertise enabling us to provide strategic and relevant IP advice across the Engineering landscape.  Our work and reputation in the energy, automotive and healthcare sectors, in particular, is key to continuing to grow and develop our client partnerships".

Kate Taylor, Head of the Life Sciences team commented, "Receiving this ranking is testament to the exceptional technical and legal knowledge of the life sciences team in what is a continuingly evolving sector. We have a depth of expertise across the spectrum, of particular note is the work we have been undertaking in the area of CRISPR, Microbiome and Anti-infectives".

Jan Robert Naefe, Partner in Munich commented, "We are delighted that the firm is being recognised in Europe by the firm's peers and clients. The German team has a wealth of technical expertise working within multidisciplinary teams in the firm, across borders to deliver a high-quality service to a global client portfolio, across chemistry, electronics, engineering and life sciences. These rankings are a reflection of the hard work from the whole European team and we are justly proud".

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 continue to deepen our understanding of the client experience and provide tailor made solutions for our clients in Europe and around the world. We are delighted to have been ranked in Gold, Silver and Bronze, and believe it is our integrated approach providing multidisciplinary teams of patent attorneys, trade mark attorneys and IP solicitors; each guided by the great value we place on People, Teamwork, Excellence and Progressive.  

For the full report see here  

Originally published June 17, 2020.

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