2026 Winter Round Table (Patents)

Published on 03.03.2026

Over 60 on-site participants of the UNION-IP Winter RT attended lively presentations and discussions about timing matters related to national, EPO and UPC proceedings in the DPMA Forum in Munich.

The extensive discussions with the panel and the audience at the end of the presentations were again the highlight of this event, and provided insights and reflections which are barely found outside of this format. The Patents and Litigation commissions of UNION-IP did a great job again.

The get-together during the breaks and the lunch was a good occasion for exchanging cooperative, business, and personal ideas.

The programme was structured around two panels addressing important strategic and procedural questions. 

Panel 1: Strategic Timing at the EPO and Courts 

The panel featured: 

• Addick Land, Judge at the Unified Patent Court 

• Heli Pihlajamaa, Principal Director, European Patent Office 

• Kristina Cornish, UK and European Patent Attorney, Partner at Pinsent Masons 

and was moderated by Ariane Lessmann, Member of the Patents Commission of UNION-IP and German and European Patent Attorney at Alpspitz IP. 

Panel 2: Late-Filed Submissions 

The panel featured: 

• Philipp Lanz, Chair of a Technical Board (Mechanics), Boards of Appeal of the European Patent Office 

• Detlev-Georg Schmidt-Bilkenroth, Head of the Physical Examination Division, German Patent and Trade Mark Office 

• Bryce Matthewson, UPC Representative and Patent Litigator, Partner at Powell Gilbert 

and was moderated by Rui Gomes, President of the Patents Commission of UNION-IP, Portuguese and European Patent Attorney, UPC Representative, at J. Pereira da Cruz. 

Photo credit: Laurent Overath