Laurent Labatte

Working as Counsel in our Paris Intellectual Property Group, I draw on both my R&D engineering experience and on my registered French and European patent attorney experience to advise our clients on all phases of patent litigation matters.

My thorough knowledge of European patent law and enthusiasm for complex technological issues have equipped me to effectively navigate patent litigations in numerous technical fields, ranging from video coding to concrete mixes, coffee capsules, telecoms and industrial mechanics to name just a few.

From software engineering to judicial litigation, my professional career has been built upon three complementary professions. I started out working as an R&D engineer for five years, in a large defence electronics company, working on the design and development of engineering projects. The discovery of law practice triggered my interest and led me onto a registered French and European patent attorney's path. I worked at the French office of an international IP firm for six years where I assisted innovators in protecting their inventions by drafting and prosecuting patents in a number of patent offices. I was also given the opportunity to act as a reference in European patent law for a large New Zealand industrial property firm for a few months.

Now, as part of the Paris team and together with my colleagues across Bird & Bird, I am always keen to delve into our clients' various activity fields and to guide them through the maze of patent litigation. I'm eager to assist with devising the most effective strategy in order to achieve practical defensive or offensive results before the French courts, or for the purpose of negotiations. My former experience in patent prosecution allows me to better discern the opposing party's weaknesses and anticipate potential risks arise from a competitor's patent portfolio.

Aside from pure litigation proceedings work, I also regularly advise our clients on freedom-to-operate matters, risk assessment, and other opportunities offered by their patent assets.

Since 2014 I have been lecturing on patent law at Paris-Sud University and I have been a member of several professional associations such as LES France and APEB.