Herbert Smith Freehills has hired leading IP lawyer Dr Ina vom Feld, who will join its Düsseldorf office on 1 May 2020 as its first IP partner in Germany. Ina joins, together with associate Behyad Hozuri, from Simmons & Simmons in Düsseldorf, where she was a partner in the firm’s dispute resolution group.
With nearly 20-years’ experience, Ina specialises in contentious and non-contentious IP, with a strong focus on patent and regulatory law in the life sciences sector (pharma, biotech, medtech). Ina has spent her career advising originator pharma companies. Additionally she has extensive experience in TMT, electronics (including e-cigarettes), engineering and chemistry patent disputes.
She acts not only in patent/utility model matters – but also litigates supplementary protection certificates (SPCs) before the German Patent Office and the German courts. Further, she advises on regulatory and contractual matters (including research and development, clinical trials and other agreements).
Ina has been selected by the US Federal Circuit Bar Association as a Global Fellow.
Herbert Smith Freehills has been continuing to expand its global footprint across Europe for a number of years now. It further strengthened its European IP offering in January 2018, with the recruitment of Partner Laura Orlando and the opening of the firm’s Milan office. It also welcomed Partner Frédéric Chevallier in Paris in September 2018.
Europe is the second largest market for pharmaceutical companies, after the US, and Germany has a strong and growing biotech and pharmaceuticals industry. Further, Germany continues to be the country with the most patent litigation proceedings in Europe.
Mark Shillito, Global Head of Herbert Smith Freehills’ IP Group, said:
“We already have the leading pharma client base in the London market, with strong bases in Milan and Paris too. This hire will both further strengthen our pharma patent litigation capability and further extend our position as the premium adviser to innovator pharma across Europe as well as enabling us to offer patent litigation more generally in Germany.”
Dr Nico Abel, Managing Partner of the firm’s German offices, commented:
“We are pleased to welcome Ina to Herbert Smith Freehills’ German practice. Ina’s expertise, covering both contentious and non-contentious IP work, is an important addition to our service offering in Germany and is a reflection of the strong client demand for our disputes expertise throughout Europe. Her appointment is an important step in pursuing our ambitions to grow our German practice and add to our leading pan-European pharma patent litigation practice.”
Commenting on her appointment, Ina added: “I am delighted to be joining Herbert Smith Freehills to develop a leading IP practice in Germany, in collaboration with the outstanding IP practice it has globally.”
