Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer

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Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer operates out of its Shanghai and Beijing offices. The team includes two partners and 10 IP professionals largely based in Hong Kong. Notable clients include PepsiCo, Tingyi-Asahi and Kohlberg Kravis Roberts.

Richard Bird is advising a leading international car company on all aspects relating to development of a new vehicle under a new brand targeting the Chinese market. Bird is advising on all R&D related legal activities in China, including setting up its employee patent compensation scheme that was recently introduced.

Mark Parsons and Longbo Wang undertook an analysis of the social network patent landscape across China, the US, Europe, Korea and Japan. The duo was able to provide a global patent strategy examining existing patent rights and ongoing high-profile litigants in each respective jurisdiction.

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Germany

Magic circle firm Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer boasts an international reach that is almost unrivalled among German IP practices. The firm's 27 offices are spread across Europe, America, Asia and the Middle East.

Nationally, it has five offices and a nine-partner IP practice known for the high quality of its patent litigators, who represent Apple and Nintendo among others. Peers single out Frank-Erich Hufnagel as the most talented among them. The firm moves up a tier on strong feedback from peers. One explains: "It does a lot of patent work for Apple nowadays, and is doing a good job."

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Spain

In Spain, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer's IP/IT practice is led by counsel Sergio Miralles. The firm, with offices in Barcelona and Madrid, has a small IP presence of Miralles and two associates. It does contentious work in copyright, patents, trade marks and unfair competition. It also advises in software development, licensing arrangements, systems procurement and compliance with data protection regulation.

The firm acted for Sony in litigation against the Spanish distributors of PS3 modchips. It was the first time that there was an enforcement under technological protection measures in the Spanish Copyright Act. Moreover, the firm acted for SCA Hygiene Products in respect to advertising and unfair competition litigation with Arbora & Ausonia.

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Netherlands - Benelux

Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer is ranked in tier 2 of the patent and trade mark contentious tables. It was one of the first international firms to establish itself in the Netherlands and its IP team has been particularly active in patent litigation. Driven by the highly regarded litigator Peter Hendrick, the firm has been visible in recent times for its role representing Apple against Samsung in the high profile global patent dispute. "It has a small but good team of people in the patent field," one partner says. "In the UK it has Justin Watts and remains a force to be reckoned with."

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