The UPC in Action: What Can we Learn From the First Life Science Cases?
Sponsored by: df-mp
Dr. Elisabeth Greiner has been active in intellectual property since 2005 and is a partner of df-mp. Her technical expertise spans the areas pharmaceuticals, small molecules, organic and medicinal chemistry, formulations and biotechnology. Her legal qualifications enable her to represent clients before the German Patent and Trademark Office (GPTO), the European Patent Office (EPO), the German Federal Patent Court (GFPC), the German Federal Supreme Court (FSC; in appeals from the GFPC), the Unified Patent Court (UPC) and the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO). A main aspect of Dr. Greiner’s practice is advising and representing clients in opposition proceedings, nullity actions and patent infringement proceedings and providing corresponding opinions. She has successfully defended her clients’ interests in various high profile patent disputes. Another aspect of her practice is drafting and prosecuting patent applications before the GPTO and the EPO. She has furthermore comprehensive expertise in advising on supplementary protection certificates and coordinating the filing and prosecution of corresponding applications in Germany and throughout Europe. Dr. Greiner has been listed in the IAM patent 1000 as recommended individual („one of the top pharmaceutical patent practitioners“, „outstanding at communicating her technical points to technical judges; her pleading style is genuinely impressive. She is hard-working, dedicated, articulate and creative“), JUVE-Handbook („cooperative, friendly and highly experienced in infringement cases”, “impressive in pharmaceuticals cases”), and IAM 500 (Highly experienced in patent litigation, knows all the tricks and trimmings. Highly technically qualified. Perfect work results, very thorough, very careful and very fast). Managing Intellectual Property lists Elisabeth Greiner as IP Star for Germany.
Henry Gu is Senior Vice President, Head of Intellectual Property at Zentalis Pharmaceuticals. Henry has extensive experience in the areas of patent prosecution, trademark clearance and registration, client counseling, patentability assessments, freedom-to-operate, competitive landscape analyses, due diligence, life cycle management, non-infringement and invalidity opinion, market exclusivity (IP and regulatory), global IP litigation and arbitration, Inter Partes Review (IPR), ex-US opposition, IP strategy and policy; as well as transactional work, including CDA, MTA, R&D Collaboration Agreements, Development & Master Service Agreements, Clinical & Commercial Supply Agreements, and IP Licensing Agreements. Henry also has significant experience supporting global drug development, product launch and commercialization, acquisitions, integration, and international expansion and alliance, in addition to managerial experience building, developing, and leading high-performing in-house teams. Henry is a frequent speaker at national IP conferences on IP protection, strategy and policy. He is licensed to practice in Massachusetts, New Jersey, District of Columbia, and USPTO.
Daniella Kinkeldey, a partner in our intellectual property team in Munich, advises and representsclients in IP law, particularly in life sciences. While her technical specialty is in organic and pharmaceutical chemistry, she also represent our clients in other fields of chemistry including fibres and inorganics, as well as medical devices such as IV catheters, artificial heart valves and respiratory masks.
She has in-depth experience in European and German patent law, obtaining patents, defending and attacking patents in opposition proceedings before the German and European Patent Office and acting in nullity suits before the German Federal Patent Court and the Federal Supreme Court. In addition, she is also involved in infringement proceedings together with our litigation team, and have expertise in the coordination of international proceedings across multiple jurisdictions. She also advises clients on questions of the German employee inventors' law.
Sandra Pohlman is co-founder and partner of df-mp. She heads the firm’s large and diversified biotechnology and pharmaceuticals practice group together with Dr. Dörries. A main part of her practice is oppositions and prosecution before the European Patent Office, where she has consistently obtained favorable results for her clients. Additionally, Ms. Pohlman is qualified to practice before the Unified Patent Court (UPC), the German courts and is a registered U.S. Patent Attorney. She has served as lead counsel in notable opposition cases relating to patents for blockbuster drugs and groundbreaking technologies including, more recently, Tecfidera®, Tysabri®, and attacking and defending CRISPR patents. In IAM 1000: The World's Leading Patent Practitioners 2013-2023, Ms. Pohlman was recommended for her expertise in patent prosecution and invalidity actions including the following comments about her skills: "She displays a matchless knowledge of her law, her writing is brilliant, and she is hugely responsive", and: "She can handle high-pressure briefs with a cool head and is the first choice for North American law firms". Managing Intellectual Property lists Sandra Pohlman as IP Star for Germany in their MIP Handbook 2014-2023, and she is listed in Chambers 2021-2023. She was listed as one of the Top 250 Women in IP (worldwide) by Managing IP in 2016-2023. In 2023, Managing IP awarded her the prize of Germany’s Attorney of the Year for Patents.
