Welcome to OPEN Special 2022:
Time: 1 April – 16:00 – 22:00
Place: Hotel Cecil, Niels Hemmingsens Gade 10, Copenhagen

This year the UPC will finally enter into force and this event will inspire you in your preparations for a new aera in European IP litigation.

Richard Hung takes us through the dynamics of big scale IP litigation in the US, while Willem Hoyng will explain how the UPC will change the landscape of Europe. Finally Stephanie Southwick gives us an introduction to the field of litigation funding.

Join us for a day with important insights, inspiration, music, and delicious food and drinks in the company of like-minded people.

Richard Hung (MORRISON & FOERSTER): Why bother with IP litigation in the US?

US IP litigation is from a European perspective perceived as costly, not worth it. It is complicated and longsome and you rarely hear people in the states say that they love IP litigation. But what can we learn from perhaps the most hyped IP litigation case ever, the “Apple vs Samsung” case and the seven-year-long patent fight over iPhone copying? Richard Hung who led the case on behalf of Apple will guide us through.

Richard Hung is the co–chair of Morrison & Foerster’s IP Litigation Group and the cross–disciplinary Intellectual Property Group. He handles complex technology matters for clients in state and federal trial and appellate courts. He has represented plaintiffs and defendants in high–stakes patent litigation, competitor‑on–competitor cases, non–practicing entity assertions, and trade secret misappropriation disputes—obtaining consent judgments in multiple cases. Richard Hung also represents clients in adversarial proceedings before the USPTO and advises clients on strategic offensive and defensive patent licensing and acquisition issues.

Willem Hoyng (HOYNG ROKH MONEGIER): The wolf IS coming – future IP litigation under the UPC

What will change strategically when the UPC enters into force in the fall? Will Scandinavian industry now be haunted by obscure patentees, will we see trolls gearing up in Europe, or will everybody opt out? How do we prepare?

Professor Willem Hoyng is a partner at HOYNG ROKH MONEGIER. He was a member of the drafting committee of the Rules of Proceedings of UPC and member of the Advisory Committee of the UPC Preparatory Committee. He also advises the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs on UPC matters.

His practice primarily consists of litigating in the field of intellectual property law. He acts before all the national courts (the courts of first instance, the courts of appeal and the Supreme Court), and regularly litigates before the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) and the European Patent Office (EPO). He is also involved in advising on European patent strategies and coordinating and conducting European patent proceedings. He is the adviser of many innovative Dutch and foreign multinationals, including pharma and biotech companies.

Stephanie Southwick (OMNI BRIDGEWAY): Is litigation funding friend or foe?

Litigation funding is a widespread business in the US, but not as well-known in Europe. However, it may very well be a solution worth investigating for many European SMEs faced with infringement cases caused by the coming unitary patent system. Stephanie will teach us why and how the underwriting process shapes the deal.

Stephanie Southwick is an Investment Manager for Omni Bridgeway. Prior to joining Omni Bridgeway, Stephanie was the Managing Partner of Greenfield Southwick LLP, a boutique business and intellectual property litigation firm. She is experienced in representing start-ups, tech companies, investors, and manufacturers in IP disputes and trade secret cases.

Stephanie’s guiding principle is “do not stop at the obvious. Whether shaping a legal theory or uncovering a witness, creative strategy is key to achieving results.” She brings this approach into her litigation funding deal structuring and diligence process, partnering with claimants and law firms to design deals that work for all parties involved and facilitate the pursuit of optimal litigation outcomes.

Jacob Bellens:

Thanks to his unique voice and his talent for heart-touching melodies, Jacob Bellens has become one of the most distinctive figures on the Scandinavian music scene. From 2004 to 2011, he released eight albums with his bands Livstrompet, Murder, and I Got You On Tape, before he debuted as a solo artist with The Daisy Age in 2012. Since then, five solo albums from Bellen’s hands have seen the light. His solo work spans over many different genres, but always shows his distinctive sense for melodies and his characteristic voice.

On this occasion Bellens will perform with his trio set up and present songs from his solo repertoire, including his latest album My Heart Is Hungry and The Days Go By So Quickly from 2020.

Programme:

16.00   Registration and coffee

16.30   Welcome

16.45   Richard Hung: Why bother with IP litigation in the US?

17.15   Willem Hoyng: The wolf IS coming – future IP litigation under the UPC

17.45   Break

18.00   Stephanie Southwick: Is litigation funding friend or foe?

18.30   Panel discussion – moderator: Henrik Skødt, aera

19.00   Food and drinks

21.00   Concert: Jacob Bellens

22.00   Open ends*

*After 22 it will be possible to stay in Stuebar and after 23 in Hotel Cecil’s night club Cecil AM.