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International firm Simmons & Simmons draws a particularly strong client base from English and American clients, who view their French IP issues in the context of a global IP strategy. While partner Alexandre Regniault leads the team on the ground, senior associate Sarah Bailey and Frédérique Potin are also responsible for growing the firm's portfolio management business, covering clients in the paint and vanish, culinary, media research and music businesses. Recently, Bailey defended an international cosmetics company in copyright and design infringement proceedings related to the marketing of nail clippers that allegedly infringed upon a registered design. The team also notably assisted a major film production company in obtaining the removal from the French market of a champagne branded with the name of one of its films, together with the withdrawal of the related trade mark registrations and domain name reservations around the world.

Counting Burberry, Lacoste, GlaxoSmithKline and China Telecom as some of its active clients, Simmons & Simmons moves up the trade mark rankings this year. "We have found Simmons & Simmons to be thorough and very cautious before advising on taking any action. It has also been responsive when replying to our queries," says an in-house counsel who works with the firm on trade mark matters.

Lead partner John Slater receives this accolade from the same client: "He is responsive, thorough and cautious. He rarely advises taking strong action unless the benefits clearly outweigh any adverse consequences. He is candid and upfront about possible adverse consequences. He is experienced with trade mark prosecution work and is able to advise conclusively on this aspect."

A recent highlight saw Slater and team advise Renown on the sale of the Aquascutum clothing brand and the related Asian IP portfolio, which involved heavy due diligence work. Life sciences patent specialist Lewis Ho was promoted to the partnership in May 2010 and spends most of his time in the Shanghai office.

"It is absolutely top-notch, the best firm I have worked with," says an IP client of Simmons & Simmons. Overwhelming praise for the firm's patent litigation practice nudges it into the top tier this year. Despite the loss of noted disputes specialist Will Cook to Marks & Clerk Solicitors, the market acknowledges the dominance of its pharmaceuticals, life sciences, TMT and technology practices. Another client says the firm is "not cheap, but it is brilliant". The number of high-end clients flocking to the team is impressive, and these include Cargill, Bayer Healthcare, Kraft Foods, Lundbeck, Coca-Cola and Sandisk. At the moment, a team is advising a pharmaceuticals player on non-infringement and revocation claims made by a rival generics company in relation to a portfolio of patents protecting a blockbuster chemotherapy drug.

Simmons & Simmons' key captures of Bas Berghuis van Woortman and András Kupecz last year propelled the firm to almost immediate recognition as a leading IP firm, with the market speaking highly of both specialist IP lawyers. Following his departure from Freshfields, clients followed van Woortman to his new firm. One client says: "One day I had a different email address and a different phone number but that was about it."

Simmmons' stand-out case in 2010 was Bayer Healthcare v Abbott, with both van Woortman and Kupecz advising the plaintiff on the enforcement of the client's patent. The firm has also advised Abercrombie & Fitch and Ericsson on anti-counterfeiting and on patent infringement cases respectively.