Archives

Etienne GABELLA

After an entrepreneurial experience in developing mobile applications, Etienne GABELLA has chosen to work with LLR as a patent engineer.

He then became a European and French Patent Attorney.

He works with companies of all sizes, start-ups and individuals. He drafts patent applications and follows up domestic and foreign grant procedures. He conducts as well freedom-to-operate studies. Moreover, he provides advice and assistance in all matters relating to the protection of inventions and counterfeiting.

His main fields are software protection and telecommunications, including artificial intelligence and digital imaging, as well as mechanical engineering, particularly in the automotive and aerospace industries

Michaël AFONSO

After completing his end of study internship in the industrial property department of a company specialized in vitro diagnosis, Michaël Afonso graduated from the CEIPI and has worked as patent engineer since November 2015.

He assists small and large companies by writing and filing patent applications in French, supervising grant procedures in France and abroad and is involved in various consultations such as freedom-to-operate studies.

He is specialized in mechanics, biotechnologies and biochemistry. He is responsible for patent files in the fields of automotive tyres, automotive equipment vendors, nebulization devices, etc.

Aurélien BARETY

After completing his end of study internship in the firm, Aurélien Barety decided to continue working with LLR as a patent engineer.

He assists small, medium and large companies. He writes patent applications and defends them during grant procedures, in France and abroad. He is specialized in mechanics and material science.

Myriam ALLAB

Myriam ALLAB began her career in Industrial Property in one of the largest IP firms in Paris, where she was in charge of inventions in the field of chemistry, pharmacy and biotechnology. She then practised her profession in two large industrial groups, in particular for ten years in an international company of the cosmetics industry, where she was responsible for the Patent attorneys group dedicated to IP interests in the field of General Chemistry, General Biology, Dermatology and oral cosmetics.

Myriam joined LLR in 2014.

She handles patent cases in the fields of chemistry, biology, pharmacy, cosmetics and food, among others. She performs the drafting and filing of patent applications in France and abroad, and monitoring of examination procedures up to the grant; she also carries out opposition as well as infringement litigation files. She provides legal advice on patent validity and freedom to operate. She conducts intellectual property awareness courses among research teams or other in-house functions and advises her clients in their industrial property development strategy.

She is a former member of the jury of French qualifying examination (EQF) for patent.

Professional Organisation

LES (Licensing Executive Society)

Mei TAO

After high level studies in both countries, Mei TAO received her degrees in China (Master from Tsinghua University ) and France (Engineer from l’Ecole Centrale de Lyon).

She then began her career in the company CATIC in the field of aviation. She worked there as a project manager, in charge of relations between European clients and their Chinese suppliers. Her major client was Airbus.

Then she decided to focus her career on industrial property from 2008. To this end, she joined a big Chinese patent agent firm where she had a first experience of four and a half years. In this firm, Mei TAO worked for different European and American clients in diverse fields of mechanical engineering (automotive, aviation, glass manufacturing, cosmetics, electrical devices, chemistry, etc.). Her daily working languages ​​were English, French and Chinese. It is in this firm that Mei TAO has become a qualified attorney on Chinese patents.

Mei TAO decided to join LLR China’s patent team in 2013 in order to further strengthen her links with France and overseas countries. This patent team became LLR China Patent in 2016, and in 2023 became part of the international department of the Chinese law firm Easytimes IP, which specializes exclusively in intellectual property. Mei TAO heads this department.

Mei TAO drafts and files patent applications for inventions, utility models and designs in China. She also follows up grant procedures in China and the rest of the world (particularly including Europe, France, United States, Japan and South Korea) and conducts free-to-operate studies.

She is involved in a wide range of technical fields, such as automotive, plastics, aviation, medical devices, environment, etc.

Interventions & conferences

  • Speaker at the CCI France China working group on the theme of « High-Tech Enterprises: qualification, advantages & requirement on Intellectual property rights » (23 February 2023)
  • Speaker at the webinar “Intellectual Property Tribunal of the Supreme People’s Court: What Experience on Technology-Related Cases Since 3 Years?” organised by the French Chamber of Commerce and Industry in China (CCI FRANCE CHINE), 8 June 2022
  • Speaker at the conference Teaching Activities
    • Coordinator of the training module on Chinese Law 2022

Jing ZHAO

After high level studies in both countries, Jing ZHAO received her degrees in China (Master from Tsinghua University) and France (Engineer from l’Ecole Centrale de Lyon).

She then began her career in the company UNIS in the field of highway construction. She worked there as integration engineer, in charge of projects of integration of mechanical and electrical systems in the construction of highways all over China.

Then she decided to focus her career on industrial property and jointed LLR China team in December 2009. She became a qualified attorney on Chinese patents in 2011.

Jing ZHAO was a member of the patent team at LLR China, which became LLR China Patent in 2016. In 2023, the LLR China Patent team became part of the international department of the Chinese law firm Easytimes IP. As for Jing ZHAO, she became Director of LLR’s representative office in Beijing in 2023.
Within LLR’s Beijing representative office, Jing ZHAO facilitates access to LLR’s patent and trademark services in Europe for Chinese companies.

Jing ZHAO is involved in a wide range of technical fields, mainly in mechanics, such as automotive, plastics, cosmetics, medical devices, waste collection, signal processing, web technologies, etc. Her daily working languages ​​are English, French and Chinese.

Jing ZHAO is dedicated to managing examination procedures, particularly in Europe, France, the United States and Japan. She carries out consultations on infringement analyses, invalidation procedures, patentability and freedom-to-operate studies.

Interventions & conferences

  • Coordinator of the webinar “Chinese market for French and European cosmetics: regulatory compliance and brand protection” – CCI France Chine (26 June 2024)
  • Moderator of the seminar “Defending your patents through the legal system in France and in China” – French Embassy in China (22nd May 2023)
  • Moderator of the CCI France China working group on the theme of « High-Tech Enterprises: qualification, advantages & requirement on Intellectual property rights » (23 February 2023)
  • Speaker at the conference “Propriété intellectuelle. Dommages et intérêts en Chine, de grandes nouveautés” (“Intellectual Property. Damages in China, major new developments”) of the China IP Webinars “Actualités de la Propriété Intellectuelle en Chine” (“China Intellectual Property News”), 24 March 2022
  • Participant in the AIPPI World Congress in Hangzhou (October 19-22, 2024)
  • Coordinator of the CCIFC webinar on the topic “Chinese Market for French and European Cosmetics: Regulatory Compliance and Trademark Protection” (June 25, 2024)

Richard MONNI

After entering the profession in 2007 and five years’ experience with an industrial property firm in Paris, Richard MONNI joined our team as patent engineer specialised in the fields of biology and biotechnologies.

Through ten years’ technical experience gained in research laboratories of the Institute of Molecular Genetics and the Curie Institute at Paris, he acquired technical and scientific expertise in the field of molecular and cellular biology, human genetics, cancerology as well as normal and pathological haematology. His scientific background and experience in industrial property have enabled him to work in the fields of medicine, pharmacy, biology and biotechnologies and, to a lesser extent, in the field of medicinal chemistry as well as in fields as varied as cancerology, angiogenesis, haematopoiesis and thrombosis, immunology, diagnosis and prognosis methods for cancers and other pathologies, multipotent stem cells and cell differentiation and dedifferentiation methods, etc.

Richard MONNI, who joined our team in 2012, drafts patent applications and follows up grant procedures in France, Europe and the rest of the world (mainly the United States, Canada, Japan, China, India, Australia), providing consultancy services to his customers on their industrial property strategy and performing patentability and freedom-to-operate studies.

Richard MONNI is a member of LLR’s Executive Committee.

INTERVENTIONS & CONFERENCES

2024 :

  • Participant at the AIPPI World Congress in Hangzhou (19-22 October 2024)
  • Speaker at the C.U.R.I.E congress on the theme: ‘The researcher’s rights and duties in terms of exploitation’ in Marseille (12 June 2024)
  • Participating in the AIPPI conference in Warsaw (18-19 April 2024)
  • Participating in the AIPPI Spring Meeting in Madrid (22-23 February 2024)

2023 :

  • Speaker on “Exceptions to patentability at the EPO and in France” at the online conference “How harmonized is patent law in Europe? National case law vs. the European Patent Office: similarities and differences” – CEIPI (October 12th)

2022 : 

  • Speaker at User Day 2022 on « Online Filing 2.0 » of European Patent Office (November 28th)
  • Speaker at PhDTalent Career Fair 2022 on « Career paths of CPI with a PhD » (October 21st)

TEACHING ACTIVITIES

2022 :

Co-animator of the training “Brevets pour les juristes” (“Brevets for Lawyers course”) – CNCPI (19 and 26 January)

PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS

  • CNCPI
  • AIPPI
  • Institute of Belgian Patent Attorneys

COMPLEMENTARY ACTIVITIES

  • Member of the jury of the French examination of aptitude of candidates for the registration on the list of qualified persons in industrial property (EQF), mention patents
  • Speaker at the epi-CEIPI basic training in Paris on « Procédure de délivrance 3 : requête en examen, désignation d’États, phases de l’examen, examen accéléré, requêtes subsidiaires, délivrance et rejet » (“Grant procedure 3: Request for examination, designation of States, examination phases, accelerated examination, subsidiary requests, grant and rejection”) and « Nouveauté : état de la technique, usage antérieur public, divulgation implicite, inventions de sélection » (“Novelty: prior art, public prior use, implied disclosure, selection inventions”)
  • Involvement in the training of IPCs and aspiring IPCs

Publications

Kristell EROUT

Kristell EROUT has worked in the trademark departments of two major groups specialized in cosmetics and consumer goods. Since 2002, she has practised her profession in various Industrial Property firms.

In our team since March 2011, her work includes trademark, design, domain name and unfair competition law for French and foreign customers including SMEs and multinationals.

In the field of protection and defence of industrial property rights, she provides consultancy services to customers during availability searches and filing of applications. She is involved in management of rights, in the framework of oppositions or attack and defence litigations, as well as in drawing up contracts.

She focuses more specifically on relations with international customers. Her customers are specialized in IT, textile, signs and symbols, lighting, video games, advertisement and consumer goods. The customers include major brands, both mass distribution and luxury.

Kristell Erout is a member of LLR’s Executive Committee.

Professional Organisations

  • Association des praticiens du droit des marques et des modèles (APRAM)
  • International Trademark Association (INTA)

Complementary Activities

  • Participant in the annual INTA conferences
  • Member of the Board of Directors of APRAM
  • Developer and promoter of the CleverIP software
  • 2011: Breakfast-debate organised by LLR: “The various signs that can be filed as trademarks (name, logo, slogan, etc.)
  • Since 2007: Organisation of training courses on trademark and design law with the Fédération de la Maille et de la Lingerie
  • Since 2005: Awareness training on industrial property by regularly organising courses in customer companies on trademark and design law
  • 2003: Organisation of in-house lunch-debates with customers: Lecture on “Initiation to trademark law”

Clémence VALLÉE-THIOLLIER

Clémence VALLÉE-THIOLLIER works with national and international customers in the field of patent law, both as regards patent acquisition procedures and consultancy on freedom-to-operate and industrial property strategy.

Further to several years of professional experience in China, she has developed a specific know-how in Chinese industrial property law, to complete her original background in European and French IP laws. Clémence VALLÉE-THIOLLIER is used to conduct training sessions about intellectual property in China or Europe, particularly for Chinese or European companies or for national offices of France (INPI, Institut National de la Propriété Industrielle) and China (SIPO, State Intellectual Property Office of China). She is also expert for the China IPR SME Helpdesk, co-funded by the European Union to provide help to European SMEs for their intellectual property rights in China.

Clémence VALLÉE-THIOLLIER is involved in a wide range of technical fields in mechanics, telecommunications and IT (automotive, medical devices, metal casting, cosmetics, food industry, waste collection, petro chemistry, computer security, signal processing, web technologies, etc.).

Beyond the drafting of patent applications and the patent procedures in Europe (including oppositions) France, China, United States, Japan, etc., Clémence VALLEE-THIOLLIER is used to conducting in-depth freedom-to-operate studies (“FTO studies”), particularly in context of due diligences. Such FTO studies are especially adapted when companies are launching new products, by investigating the existence of conflicting patents and producing summaries classifying competing patents according to their nuisance power and a risk estimation.

She provides consultancy services to companies on definition of strategies, follow-up of litigations or negotiations, setting up of internal procedures, employee awareness and training on industrial property and valuation of the patent portfolio.

Clémence VALLÉE-THIOLLIER is a member of LLR’s Executive Committee.

Interventions & conferences

  • Industrial property training for the horticultural industry, on behalf of the China IP SME Helpdesk, 29 March 2022
  • Speaker at the conference “Propriété intellectuelle. Dommages et intérêts en Chine, de grandes nouveautés” (“Intellectual Property. Damages in China, major new developments”) of the China IP Webinars “Actualités de la Propriété Intellectuelle en Chine” (“China Intellectual Property News”), 24 March 2022
  • Speaker at the conference “Actualités des brevets en Chine – Point sur les modifications majeures récentes” (“Patent News in China – Update on Recent Major Changes”) of the China IP Webinars “Intellectual Property News in China” (“Actualités de la Propriété Intellectuelle en Chine”), 24 February 2022

Professional Organisations

  • CNCPI (Compagnie Nationale des Conseils en Propriété Industrielle), member of the International Relations Committee
  • Licensing Executive Society (LES)

Complementary Activities

  • Expert for the China IPR SME Helpdesk, co-funded by the European Union
  • Lecturer for training sessions about intellectual property in China or Europe for the national office of China (SIPO, State Intellectual Property Office of China) or for Chinese and European companies
  • Previously, lecturer at the INPI (National Industrial Property Institute) as part of a course on the European patent
  • Previously, lecturer at the EPI-CEIPI, training on the procedure provisions in the EPC
  • Previously, lecturer at École des Mines de Nancy, the ICN Business School and Nancy École Nationale Supérieure d’Arts, as part of a course on design and innovation
  • Previously, lecturer at École Centrale de Paris,organisation of tutorials
  • Co-author of an industrial property awareness game, with the participants competing against each other so that they can obtain a better understanding of the market and the stakes related to industrial property (multimedia production in progress with the INPI)
  • Developer and promoter of the CleverIP software

Guillaume de LA BIGNE

Guillaume de LA BIGNE is co-founder of the firm LLR. After having been Chief of the watch in the Navy, he worked for the firm General des Eaux (Veolia) in Méry-sur-Oise water treatment plant. In 1990, he joined one of the most important French industrial property firms.

Since 2000, he is managing partner of LLR. He advises a wide range of companies and public research organizations on the various aspects of their innovations. He also works with collective bodies such as chambers of commerce to raise awareness in industrial SMEs in industrial property protection strategies. He monitors procedures to obtain patents in France and abroad (drafting of patent applications, review procedures) for large companies, SMEs and public research organizations. He assists them in identifying the inventions to need to be protected and advises them on freedom of operation with respect to rights held by third parties. He also drafts contracts relating to industrial property.

He is very much involved in the development of LLR’s expertise in litigation and has led many saisies-contrefaçon in various areas. He advises a large tyre manufacturer, automotive OEMs, manufacturers of medical devices and packaging manufacturers.

Born in Spain, he can follow procedures, discussions and disputes in Spanish, as easily as in French or English.

He participated in establishing LLR China in Beijing and continues to support its development in defence of the interests of French and European companies in China.

He remains involved in the training of new generations of professionals. So, he intervenes at the Institut National de la Propriété Industrielle and at the École des Hautes Études Appliquées du Droit.

Guillaume de La Bigne is a member of LLR’s Executive Committee. Guillaume de La Bigne is also a mediator specialized in industrial property registered on the list maintained by the International Arbitration Chamber of Paris. He organized with Ifomène a mediation training programme for industrial property attorneys.

INTERVENTIONS & CONFERENCES

2024:

  • Speaker at the IPforYOU webinar of the EUIPO on the topic: “Mediation in France” (April 4)
  • Speaker at the webinar organized by AIPPI France and LES France on the topic: “Mediation in Intellectual Property: Results of the Summer 2024 Survey – Status and Perspectives” (November 18)

2023:

  • Speaker at the IP Mediation Conference on the topic: “Can Europe become a global IP ADR hub?” in Alicante (October 19)

2022:

  • Speaker at the 95th Mediation and Negotiation Café of IFOMÈNE on the topic: “Expertise & Mediation: Should the mediator be an expert in the field? Can an expert be a mediator?” (July 7)

2020:

  • Webinar “Dispute Resolution in Intellectual Property and Technology Transfer Contracts related to China: Arbitration, Mediation, and Litigation” by CCI FRANCE CHINE. Speaker on “Mediation as a method of dispute resolution in intellectual property cases: French experience” (June 10)

Teaching activities

  • Teacher at the “Médiation & PI” (“Mediation & IP”) course of the module “Propriété industrielle à l’ère du numérique : Brevets, licences et construction d’un portefeuille PI” (“Industrial Property in the Digital Age: Patents, Licences and Construction of an IP Portfolio”) at the ÉCOLE DES HAUTES ÉTUDES APPLIQUÉES DU DROIT (23 March 2022)

Professional Organisations

  • Association des Conseils en Propriété Industrielle (ACPI)
  • International Association for the Protection of Intellectual Property (AIPPI)
  • Association des Praticiens Européens des Brevets (APEB)
  • Inter-American Association of Intellectual Property (ASIPI)
  • Réseau C.U.R.I.E. (Coopération des Services Universitaires de Relations Industrielles et Économiques)
  • European Patent Litigators Association (EPLIT)
  • International Federation of Intellectual Property Attorneys (FICPI)
  • Union pour la Juridiction Unifiée du Brevet (UJUB – Union for the Unified Patent Court)

Complementary Activities

2023 : Scientific co-director and co-author of the book ” La médiation au service de la propriété intellectuelle – Un mode alternatif de règlement des différends (MARD) pour les acteurs de l’innovation ” (Collection du CEIPI – Les monographies)

2017: Co-author of “The Future of Inventive Activity” in the book “Inventive Activity. From the Law of 1968 to the UPC, Half a Century of Evaluating Inventive Activity in France and Europe: Assessment and Prospects. Proceedings of the AAPI, CNCPI and IRPI Colloquium.” (IRPI Editions)