Allen & Overy (A&O) has hired a third and fourth partner from Simmons & Simmons as part of its strategy to boost its international IP practice.
Simmons’ partners Mark Heaney and David Stone will bring A&O’s London IP litigation team up to seven in total.
The hires were motivated by a “five-year long high demand in life sciences for patent litigation”, according to practice head Nicola Dagg.
Dagg told The Lawyer: “We are embarking on a strategic plan to significantly grow patent litigation here in the UK and in Germany, and potentially further afield as well.”
In the UK, the firm hired Simmons IP head Marc Döring and Simmons partner Marjan Noor earlier this year, which Dagg considers to be a “major bite of the strategy and investment”.
Heaney was at Simmons for just one year, specialising in contentious matters. His practice covers a broad range of intellectual property work with a focus on patents, confidential information and copyright and related rights. He has a particular interest in matters that relate to telecommunications, computers, electronics and software and has been involved in a large number of such cases.
Stone, who was at Simmons since 2008 having joined from Howrey, specialises in trademarks, registered and unregistered designs, and copyright. His clients span a number of industries including fashion, life sciences, agriculture and heavy industry, entertainment, and TMT.
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