Practices

Intellectual Property

Our expertise:

We work with leading multinational and domestic clients on strategies to protect and enforce their IP rights across the life sciences, technology, telecoms, fashion and retail goods sectors.  We are recognised as market leaders across all areas of IP, both contentious and non-contentious, and consistently deliver creative solutions and positive outcomes for our clients.

Key areas:   

• In-depth experience of advising multinationals on patent litigation in the pharma, biotech and medical devices sectors, including trials in complex, multi-jurisdictional patent cases involving blockbuster medicines
• Significant experience advising on IP issues arising out of information technology and online transactions, including software licensing and development in all its aspects, outsourcing and business transformation
• We advise on IP aspects of many of the largest and most innovative IT procurement and outsourcing contracts
• Advising on copyright issues and infringement in various sectors - software/technology, retail, artists rights, literary estates and finance sectors
• Advising on all aspects of trade mark and brand protection enforcement and related proceedings
• Protecting and enforcing design rights, as well as successful defence of infringement claims
• Issues arising from parallel imports in various industries, including the drinks trade, motor companies and the pharmaceuticals sector
• Advice on counterfeit goods, including liaising with customs to control entry
• Contentious and non-contentious aspects of sponsorship and naming rights
• Securing protection of domain names, including preparing WIPO complaints
• Advising on protection of confidential information and commercial secrets and in disputes involving disclosure and/or use of trade secrets and confidential know-how
• Intellectual property issues arising out of all types of M&A transactions (including joint ventures), technology transfer and other commercial arrangements
• Dealing with issues arising out of IT contracts, including software licensing
• IP related pharmaceutical regulatory matters, from advertising to issues concerning regulatory authorities

 

Key highlights include advising:   

• Bristol-Myers Squibb Company in Irish Commercial Court patent/SPC litigation with Teva relating to BMS’s Eliquis® product (apixaban) including a successful appeal from the High Court and successful PI applications restraining generic entry.
• Biogen in Irish Commercial Court patent litigation against Neuraxpharm to prevent launch of generic dimethyl fumarate infringing Biogen rights protecting its Tecfidera® MS treatment.   
• Pfizer in Irish Commercial Court patent litigation against ModernaTX relating to Covid-19 vaccine.
• Gilead in Irish Commercial Court SPC litigation relating to Gilead’s TRUVADA® product and in patent litigation relating to bictegravir  
• Chiesi in Irish Commercial Court patent litigation against Teva in relation to combination drugs for the treatment of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
• Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, Ono Pharmaceuticals, Tasuku Honjo in Irish Commercial Court patent litigation s concerning the use of a monoclonal antibody to PD-1 for the treatment of cancer
• Ciba Vision and Novartis in Irish Commercial Court patent litigation against Johnson & Johnson in respect of Ciba’s patent-protected contact lens technology