International law firm Bird & Bird has appointed IP specialist Thierry Lautier as a partner in Paris. He joined the firm on 31 July 2023.
Thierry is a patent litigator with a legal and engineering background in optics and electronics. He is also one of the very few patent litigators in France, who is qualified as both an attorney-at-law and a European patent attorney. Thierry is joining the firm from Reed Smith in Paris where he was a partner since June 2020. Thierry is experienced in all aspects of IP law, including litigation, as well as prosecution and transactions. He also has experience working in unfair competition, parasitism and trade secrets.
Thierry is a well-known patent litigator in the industry, as demonstrated by both his excellent client references and his rankings in legal directories. He has also been ranked in JUVE Patent, IAM Patent and Legal 500 for his outstanding work in the field.
His appointment is part of Bird & Bird’s strategy to support and further develop the firm’s renowned patent litigation practice in France. With the introduction of the Unified Patent Court, Bird & Bird anticipates an influx of patent litigation work in Europe and Thierry’s appointment will be instrumental in being able to support clients and meet the increased demand.
Peter Brownlow, Boris Kreye and Massimiliano Mostardini, co-heads of Bird & Bird’s international Intellectual Property practice, comment: “We are thrilled to have Thierry join the IP team at Bird & Bird. He’ll be the perfect addition to our team of patent litigators across all our offices, which offers a single seamless cross-border team tailored to each client. Thierry’s engineering background will provide a unique dimension to our offering and further strengthen the firm’s expertise advising clients on SEP matters.”
Alexandre Vuchot and Emmanuelle Porte, co-heads of Bird & Bird in France, say: “We are delighted to welcome Thierry to the firm. His arrival represents an important milestone as we continue to grow our French Intellectual Property team – a key part of Bird & Bird’s strategy since the opening of our office in France more than 20 years ago.”
Anne-Charlotte Le Bihan and Géraldine Arbant, co-heads of Bird & Bird’s French Intellectual Property team, comment: “France is one of the key jurisdictions for the UPC so Thierry’s arrival will be instrumental in maintaining our position as a leading French patent team. His extensive patent litigation experience will strengthen our capacity to represent our clients before this new court as well as before French national courts.”
Thierry adds: “I am very excited to be joining Bird & Bird’s renowned Intellectual Property practice. The firm’s reputation in patent litigation is unmatched both in France and internationally, and I am looking forward to working alongside the firm’s talented IP practitioners.”
