August Debouzy is losing its renowned patent litigation team to Winston Taylor in Paris. Three partners, Grégoire Desrousseaux, François Pochart, and Lionel Martin, will join Winston Taylor at the start of 2027 to establish its patent litigation practice in Paris.
The move marks a significant reshuffling in the French patent market. The departures remove a core part of a practice that in recent years has ranked among the leading patent litigation teams in France.
Patent Litigation Expertise
The August Debouzy team has combined technical and legal expertise through its mix of patent attorneys and lawyers, and has handled numerous economically significant EPO oppositions alongside national infringement proceedings. They have acted in high-profile UPC matters, including cases for Abbott Diabetes Care, Ona Patents, and Michelin. Other UPC clients include HP, Maytronics, Smart Strike, FDE, and Unilever.
Nigel Stoate, head of UK patents at Winston Taylor, says, “A group of this calibre does not come along often. It strengthens one of Europe’s leading IP and UPC platforms and means we can offer clients genuinely coordinated strength across borders, at precisely the moment that kind of coordination matters most.”
They will build up the French patent litigation practice at Winston Taylor, which is making a move in Paris rather than Germany in its initial moves to expand in Europe.
Expansion in Europe
The arrival of the three partners and their team comes as Winston Taylor is building a European patent practice following the merger of Taylor Wessing UK and US firm Winston & Strawn, which took effect in May 2026. The newly formed law firm currently has a strong US patent practice, as well as an equally strong team based in London led by Nigel Stoate, Simon Cohen and Michael Wahsbrook, amongst others.
Winston Taylor’s patent litigators have continued to work with their former Taylor Wessing colleagues from the German, French, and Austrian patent teams. However, the firm is now making its first move in Paris rather than in Germany, which comes as a surprise to competitors.
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According to Nigel Stoate, “Paris is one of the most important centres for European IP enforcement and the UPC. They give us Tier 1 capability in France and, for clients, that means access to the full IP lifecycle delivered by a group of partners that sits among the best in the market.” The team from August Debouzy is expected to bring significant expertise to Winston Taylor’s patent litigation practice, including experience in EPO opposition proceedings and UPC matters.
Lionel Martin, one of the departing partners, has made his name in EPO opposition proceedings concerning electronics and mechanics patents, often conducted in parallel with infringement suits. He has acted for clients such as Huawei and Valeo, and will bring this expertise to Winston Taylor’s patent litigation practice.
The impact of the team’s departure on August Debouzy’s patent practice is substantial, and it is unclear whether the firm has plans to rebuild its patent practice.
As the team prepares to join Winston Taylor, they will be looking to build on their existing expertise and experience in patent litigation. With their combined technical and legal expertise, they will be well-placed to advise clients on a range of patent-related matters, from EPO oppositions to UPC proceedings.
Christian Dekoninck leads the Belgian team, while Wim Maas heads the Dutch IP team, and they will work closely with the new arrivals in Paris. The Dutch and Belgian offices entered an agreement to operate under the new Winston Taylor brand as franchisees, with IP and patent litigation playing a significant role in both country groups.
Future Plans
Nigel Stoate says that the firm has further expansion plans in Europe, particularly in Germany. However, the exact details of these plans are not yet clear, and it is uncertain how they will affect the firm’s overall strategy in the region.
