US Firms Prioritise Europe as UPC Countdown Begins

The Unified Patent Court (UPC) is expected to be operational by the end of 2022, causing many law firms to develop strategic plans to grow their litigation presence in Europe. Managing Intellectual Property interviewed Finnegan partners Jochen Herr and Anand Sharma to discuss Finnegan’s recent expansion in Munich, Germany, and how it will strengthen Finnegan’s litigation base in Europe. 

Anand, the firm’s managing partner, explained, “Once we sensed that the UPC was on the horizon, the concept of adding a European litigation practice came back to the forefront.”

He continued by stating that Germany is a significant litigation venue regardless of the addition of the UPC. He added, “No one can predict how much the UPC will be used at this stage, but the goal is to have growth based on both the UPC and national German litigation.”

Jochen, who spent nearly a decade building a litigation practice in Germany prior to joining Finnegan as the Munich office managing partner, sees the UPC as potentially as important as the United States for global IP disputes. He said, “While it is very difficult to predict how the UPC will be used, the new system certainly has the potential to provide a similar impact when you consider the comparable market size, significantly lower litigation costs, and speed of the proceedings.”

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