The IP Lounge: EUIPO top job race, UPC countdown, and more

Managing IP is part of Legal Benchmarking Limited, 1-2 Paris Gardens, London, SE1 8ND

Copyright © Legal Benchmarking Limited and its affiliated companies 2026

Accessibility | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Modern Slavery Statement

Cookies Settings

The IP Lounge: EUIPO top job race, UPC countdown, and more

MIP Podcast newsletter header banner sample-2000.jpg

In the first of a new monthly podcast, the Managing IP editorial team unpacks the race for the top job at the EUIPO, the key UPC trends to watch, and the biggest stories in Asian IP

The search for a new EUIPO executive director is on and competition is fierce. There are three candidates already in the public domain, each with significant ties to the office. In the first episode of The IP Lounge podcast, our team runs through the contenders and explains how we got here.

We also discuss the official start of the Unified Patent Court and what to watch from now until the end of the sunrise period on June 1.

Finally, we look at the proposed overhaul of China’s trademark laws and India’s possible abandonment of more than 180,000 trademark filings.

more from across site and SHARED ros bottom lb

More from across our site

Armstrong Teasdale’s Jim Heinen Jr discusses the challenge of balancing billables, business development and family life and explains why not all patent lawyers are science nerds
From cross-border jurisdiction to the end of the transitional period, Powell Gilbert’s Ioana Sabau and Bryce Matthewson predict the biggest talking points ahead
A wave of office launches and lateral hires reflect the draw of patent disputes, but booming AI, semiconductor and data centre markets are offering an even bigger IP opportunity
The hire of Frederick Nicolle as a partner continues Pinsent Masons' expansion while reducing Simmons’ patent prosecution offering in London to zero
The expansion into Granada forms part of a national ‘decentralisation’ strategy focused on providing proximity to research and tech businesses away from traditional hubs
Three successive wins have got the firm eyeing additional opportunities as ITC work booms
While many firms remain focused on generative AI, recent hires and practice launches suggest the next battle may be for lawyers who understand how AI is moving into the physical world
The explosion of data centres has prompted patent pool operators to create new licensing opportunities
The court struck out copyright claims brought by Ladbrokes owner Entain, saying that ownership details should have been completed before litigation began
Düsseldorf has overtaken Munich as the UPC's busiest division, while firms including Winston Taylor, Clifford Chance, and Hoyng Rokh Monegier featured in disputes involving Abbott, Essity, Amazon and Hurom
Gift this article