Insightful guidance for clients navigating the ever-complex global economy.

Providing comprehensive solutions for the acquisition, enforcement and protection of IP.

Intellectual Property Litigation

Clients trust us to protect their most important intellectual property matters.

Antitrust and Competition

Antitrust and Competition

Antitrust and Competition

We leverage technical knowledge, business acumen and legal experience to structure, prepare and negotiate innovative and effective technology-related agreements.

“The firm is at its best during a fight—whether that’s against an enforcer, or in court against a private litigant.” — Global Competition Review

Globally connected lawyers counseling clients on complex business and policy matters.

Our China Trade Practice offers a unique combination of services bringing together prominent policy, regulatory and government relations capabilities in China with premier in-country business and transactions experience.

A global team handling highly complex and sensitive matters in all aspects of litigation.

WilmerHale is uniquely positioned to provide counseling, strategic advice and litigation representation to clients confronting issues involving both antitrust and intellectual property law—and the intersection between the two.

International Trade, Investment and Market Access

We offer clients exceptional insight in dealing with competition agencies in the United States, Europe and around the world.

Our experienced team helps clients from around the globe navigate the complex world of EU law, regulation and policy.

Intellectual Property Litigation

Members of the team have structured, negotiated and concluded a range of landmark agreements with China, most notably China's intellectual property rights agreements, market access agreement and the comprehensive US-China bilateral agreement that paved the way for China's WTO membership, covering all goods, services and agriculture in the Chinese economy. The team advises Chinese entities on their outbound commercial, investment and trade transactions, including obtaining regulatory approvals, and on the structuring of transactions and defending against trade actions. We have implemented investment strategies, structured business transactions and devised sophisticated market access strategies for multinational companies around the world, and have negotiated with and litigated against virtually every major trading nation, as well as emerging market countries. The firm has represented major multinational companies in investigations across China, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea and Thailand. For one US-based client, we helped reduce or eliminate fines following an antitrust investigation in China, Japan and Korea, securing what has been reported as the largest-ever reduction in fines from the US Department of Justice following its investigation. Additionally, WilmerHale has conducted internal investigations for Asian businesses, including one dealing with alleged kickbacks and extortion by sales representatives and another related to a major US-based manufacturer’s acquisition of a Chinese firm for $300 million.

International Trade, Investment and Market Access

By patenting their innovations, our clients increase the value of their intellectual property and enhance their ability to compete in the marketplace. We work with laboratory and research teams and R&D and product development groups to determine whether, when and where it is in our clients’ business and technical interests to seek patent protection. And we don’t just file patent applications. Drawing on our experience with patent litigation, corporate financings and technology transactions, we implement IP strategies that conserve resources, add measurable value and give our clients a cost-effective and commercially practical competitive edge.

We help clients obtain more than 750 US and foreign patents each year, covering innovations that span the technological spectrum, including aerospace, biochemistry, biotechnology, business methods, chemistry, computer science, fuel cells, genetics, high-speed data communication, integrated circuits, materials science, medical devices, nanotechnology, pharmaceuticals, semiconductor devices and processes, and software.

We also prepare and prosecute patent applications internationally under the Patent Cooperative Treaty and by working with a network of seasoned patent lawyers around the world. Our experience extends to appeals, interferences and opposition proceedings within the US Patent and Trademark Office, the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit and the European Patent Office.

WilmerHale Brussels has a collegial team culture geared to providing results in often-demanding proceedings. We have extensive experience in all areas of EU competition law, including mergers before the European Commission, worldwide merger control filings, cartel investigations (in Europe and worldwide), abuse of monopoly power, and State aid cases. We also regularly provide transactional advice, supporting joint ventures and distribution systems.

Our team has helped clients in some of the largest and most complex mergers of recent years, guiding them through EU merger control, including Phase 1 and Phase 2 cases with remedies, and other challenges requiring policy insight, legislative advocacy and government affairs experience. We have handled hundreds of procedures, ranging from cartel defense work to other alleged infringements and complaints. We have successfully represented third parties seeking to oppose mergers or challenge monopolies and exclusionary conduct, both through EC proceedings and litigation. We have assisted clients with State aid procedures.

Antitrust and Competition