Difficult cases

Because of our reputation in oppositions and litigation, we are frequently approached on cases where an unusual difficulty has arisen. Many of these cases are prosecution cases on the brink of refusal or, less so, cases which have inadvertently been lost through default and require restoration.

Rightly or wrongly (we think rightly), there are those in the business community who are prepared to suggest to others that our firm may be able to bring new insight to an unsolved problem. We are always pleased to try to do so and as a result we are frequent visitors to the EPO in Munich to attend Examiner interviews, prosecution oral proceedings and to appear before the Legal Board of Appeal.

Case studies

In one case, we handled the earliest European patent applications for a Californian startup company. Prosecution at the EPO required attendance at an interview with the Examining Division to overcome serious and entrenched objections. Our advocacy during the interview resulted in very broad claims of significant commercial value, and the resulting patent has served to underpin the European IP for that client (which is currently undergoing an IPO). We now handle all European IP matters for that client.