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Quick facts
Number of partners

89

Network Memberships

APAA, AIPPI, AIPLA, CIPA, CITMA, ECTA, EPLAW, IBA, INTA, GRUR, LESI, Marques, PTMG

Key practice areas
Copyright & related rights
Patent disputes
Trade mark disputes
Trade mark
Patent
IP transactions
Firm overview

Over the last century we’ve been lucky enough to have played a part in protecting some of the world’s most ground-breaking inventions and high profile brands. You can trust us to know IP law inside out, to be curious, and to connect the dots to reach solutions others don’t.

We will provide you with a team, rich in real-world experience, comprising experts who have worked at the forefront of pioneering technologies. A substantial number of our lawyers hold qualifications in scientific or technical fields, meaning we are often called upon for our specialist knowledge and insight on large international mandates. We are respected for our creative and original solutions.

We offer both litigation and transactional support in relation to all IP rights, from small innovative projects to the largest, most complex and ground-breaking transactions and disputes.

Our approach has always been centred on client service, collaborating and innovating with our clients to create bespoke solutions that make their lives easier. This includes: our 'twobirds Pattern' product, a proprietary, in-house patent valuation and analysis tool, that allows us to landscape, analyse, and value patent portfolios in an automated and sophisticated way; and our innovative and dynamic Brand Protection Reporting Portal, which uses dynamic charts that give clients an up-to-date overview of their risk profile at any given time.

Talk to us to find out how our tools, experience and our genuine passion for IP can help you devise a strategy that will help to maintain your competitive edge, whilst protecting and optimising your IP in the best way possible.

Internationally Bird & Bird has over 400 IP lawyers, attorneys and legal professionals across our 29 offices, many of whom have known each other and worked together for years, meaning we're all on the same page and offer consistency and quality that runs through all levels of seniority. We are therefore ideally placed to devise and coordinate multi-jurisdictional litigation strategies and,in the future, to represent clients before the Unified Patent Court.

Office Locations: Australia, Belgium, China, Czech Republic & Slovakia, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Poland, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom, United Arab Emirates and United States of America

Practice Areas & Sector Specialisations

Pracitce Areas: 

  • Alternative dispute resolution (ADR)
  • Anti-counterfeiting
  • Anti-piracy
  • Antitrust
  • Cancellation action
  • Confidential information/trade secret
  • Database right
  • Design
  • Domain name
  • Due diligence
  • Geographical indications
  • Injunctions
  • Invalidity/nullity action
  • IP strategy & counseling
  • IP tax relief
  • IP transactions
  • ITC litigation
  • Opinion work
  • Oppositions & appeals
  • Oral proceedings
  • Plant breeders' right
  • Portfolio management
  • Regulatory
  • Research & development
  • Revocation action
  • Standard-essential patent
  • Supplementary protection certificate (SPC)
  • Technology transfer
  • Trade mark clearance
  • Unfair competition

Sector Expertise:

  • Aerospace & Defence
  • Automotive
  • E-Commerce
  • Engineering
  • Electronics & Semiconductors
  • Entertainment
  • Publishing & Media
  • Fashion & Luxury Goods
  • FMCG & Retail
  • Financial Services
  • Food & Beverage
  • Green Technology
  • ICT & Software
  • Life Sciences & Chemistry
  • Medical Devices
  • Pharmaceuticals
  • Robotics & Nanotechnology
  • Telecommunication
  • Tobacco
  • Universities & Research

IPS Sponsored

  • Sponsored by Bird & Bird
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2026 Edition
Copyright & related rights
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Overview

International law firm Bird & Bird is revered for IT/IP and data protection capabilities. Its Dublin office in June 2022. Life sciences, technology, communications, and the consumer industries are cornerstones of the Irish practice. Their contentious practice represents global companies in disputes before the Irish courts. Infringement and revocation proceedings are core attributes. 

Notable patent practitioners: Michael Finn, Ann Henry. 

Notable practitioners: Deirdre Kilroy, Erika O’Donnell.  

Testimonials

2026

"The team is very knowledgeable about IP and tech matters, easy to work with, hands on."

"We particularly value Bird & Bird Ireland’s IP litigation team, especially Ann Henry, for combining deep technical understanding with practical strategic thinking. In complex pharmaceutical patent disputes, the team provides clear risk assessments, concise written work, and a pragmatic approach in court, while effectively coordinating Irish proceedings with broader multi-jurisdictional strategies. They are responsive, reliable, and a strong partner in technically demanding cases."

Ann Henry

"Ann Henry stands out for her responsiveness, her ability to very quickly understand complex technical and legal issues, and her exceptionally broad and in-depth knowledge of pharmaceutical patent litigation. She gives clear, practical advice and is a very reliable partner with a strong team."

Linked Reviews
Patent

Case studies show the firm advised Dexcom in relation to a potential patent infringement and revocation dispute. It also acted for Sandoz in patent revocation proceedings before the Commercial Court.

Trade mark

The firm acted for Merck in a trade mark infringement and breach of contract dispute against Merck Sharp & Dohme. It also defended Vacaciones eDreams in an infringement case on a screen scraping pretext.  

5 results5 results
A dispute over buggies, a decision on the UPC’s jurisdiction, and the formal launch of the Patent Mediation and Arbitration Centre were among the top developments
Clarification concerning jurisdictional reach and latest stats released by the court were also among the top talking points in recent weeks
Nokia, represented by a team from Bird & Bird, adjudged to have made fair offer to Asus and Acer in UK SEP dispute
Publication of the UPC’s annual report and adoption of the procedural rules of the Patent Mediation and Arbitration Centre were also among major developments
The variety of winners demonstrates that the UPC is now a core benchmark rather than an experimental consideration, while junior lawyers are becoming more deeply involved in key work
Abbott winning another round against Sinocare and Menarini, and 'long arm' clarification on the UK's position within the UPC, were also among major developments
Emma Green, partner at Bird & Bird, shares why the Iceland v Iceland dispute could prompt businesses and lawyers to think differently about brand enforcement
A new claim filed by Ericsson, and a request for access to documents, were also among recent developments
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