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In addition to adding noted partners Huw Evans and Neville Cordell from rival firms last year, Allen & Overy continued to boost its ranks with no less than 10 new associate hires. Its growth is very telling of the firm's determined focus to develop the most specialised and expansive IP offering of the magic circle players. Among a sea of boutiques, A&O has held its own very well with its five-partner group involved in numerous interesting and high-calibre cases this year. For example, a team including partner Nicola Dagg is acting for Novartis in a cross-border patent dispute with MedImmune in relation to its anti-blindness drug Lucentis. Pfizer is another pharmaceutical company enlisting the firm for representation in a High Court action, where it is challenging a competitor's patent on an injection device. In trade marks, a team worked with Research in Motion on issues relating to the launch of the new BlackBerry Playbook tablet computer.

Allen & Overy's IP team is led by Katia Manhaeve, who officially became an A&O partner in 2010. Manhaeve is the president of the Association Benelux pour le Droit des Marques et Modèles, the main Benelux association for trade mark and design law. The team includes counsel Cyril Pierre-Beausse, a former IT professional and regular adviser to the government and expert on IT and digital trust regulations, and associates Elisabeth Guissart and Catherine Di Lorenzo. Di Lorenzo joined the firm at the start of 2011 from Noble & Scheidecker to replace associate Thierry Schiltz who left in September 2010.

Manhaeve and Guissart have been active in several cases that concern IP rights online, including advising a Fortune 500 online marketplace on IP and contractual matters relevant to the development of online selling. The pair also advised an international pharmaceutical company on a drug-lifecycle management project, taking on first-time issues for Luxembourg relating to patent, regulatory and procedural issues. A third notable case of 2010 saw Manhaeve act for an international fashion group on the transfer and restructuring of its IP portfolio. Elsewhere, Pierre-Beausse acted as lead coordinator in A&O's advice to eBay on the drafting, filing and negotiation with EU data protection authorities of binding corporate rules allowing worldwide transfers of personal data amongst group companies (a first in Luxembourg). "Manhaeve is certainly outstanding in her dedication to the matter as well as clear presentations to the court", says one client. "Excellent quality" and a "very dedicated team" says another.

Partner Paul Reeskamp oversees all areas of the IP team at Allen & Overy for patents, trade marks and copyright. The firm is advising a television production company on a programme that is being replicated under a different name. Allen & Overy also advises US media company Warner Bros.

Allen & Overy is most praised by clients for its efficiency and smooth operation internationally and across departments. One client recommends global head of IP Geert Glas "because of his capacity to manage the provision of legal services by his team without wasting clients' time". The team is "pragmatic, solution-driven and able to work seamlessly on cross-border IP issues" says another client.

Head of IP Belgium Filip Van Elsen is also praised as "very knowledgeable, driven and able to activate the A&O network on a cross-border basis for the customer," says a client. The strong duo took the reins after the departure in February 2010 of renowned trade mark specialist Thierry Van Innis.

The past year saw Glas win a landmark decision in the Brussels court for eBay against L'Oréal relating to eBay's responsibility for offers on its platform. The case will continue its journey to the Court of Justice of the EU (CJ) and UK courts through 2011. Glas also successfully advised Cargill before the CJ on a dispute related to its imports of genetically modified soya bean products. Van Elsen acted for reMYND on key pharmaceutical products, and advised SunGard Systems on complex finance industry software licensing.