Wednesday, November 4, 2026
8:30 AM-9:00 AM
Registration and networking
9:00 AM-9:10 AM
Welcome address: Senior representative, IAM
9:10 AM-9:40 AM
Keynote interview: Insights from the UPC bench
9:40 AM-10:30 AM
Masterclass: Injunction spotlight: emerging practice and pitfalls
- Preparing your injunction case at the UPC
- Testing the limits of long-arm jurisdiction
- What the case law tells us so far
Jochen Herr
Munich Office Managing Partner, Finnegan
Clemens Heusch
Head of Global Litigation and Disputes, Nokia
Murielle Khairallah
IP Vice President, Valeo
Jule Schumacher
Legally Qualified Judge, Düsseldorf Local Division, Unified Patent Court
10:30 AM-11:00 AM
Networking break
11:00 AM-11:50 AM
Panel: How the UPC impacts patent value
- Damages in focus: what the first decisions reveal
- The court’s role in patent licensing campaigns
- Leveraging litigation funding at the UPC
11:50 AM-12:40 PM
Masterclass: UPC harmonisation: Court of Appeal rulings in focus
- EPO alignment? Inventive step, plausibility and claim interpretation
- The most significant questions that need to be answered
- Appeals to watch out for
Nicole Williams
Senior Director, IP and Litigation, 10x Genomics
Giovanni Trabucco
Senior IP Counsel, Meril
Frédéric Chevallier
Partner, McDermott, Will & Schulte
12:40 PM-2:00 PM
Lunch and networking
2:00 PM-2:50 PM
Lightning talks: The UPC toolkit in practice
A series of 15-minute presentations led by subject matter experts.
Patent opt-out patterns revealed
Presented by:
Protective letters: tactics and takeaways
Presented by:
Mastering the front-loaded system
Presented by:
2:50 PM-3:40 PM
Focus session: Pharma patent strategy at the UPC
- Why pharma companies should embrace the UPC
- Navigating opt outs, SPCs and unitary patents to maximise protection
- Building preliminary injunction strategies
James Horgan
Chief IP Counsel International Litigation and Policy, Merck Sharp & Dohme
Jiri Slavik
Vice President, IP, Adalvo
Shohta Ueno
Director Dispute Resolution, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc
3:40 PM-4:10 PM
Networking break
4:10 PM-5:00 PM
Panel: The UPC’s role in the wider SEP landscape
- Key lessons from evolving case law and decisions
- Using the UPC alongside other European courts
- The UK-UPC jurisdictional battles redefining SEP disputes
5:00 PM-5:50 PM
Panel: The EPO and the UPC: balance, tension and the way forward
- Harmonisation and divergence – the verdict so far
- Deploying parallel proceedings as a strategic tool
- Oppositions and revocations: building a winning validity strategy
Anna Bacchin
Legal Member, Boards of Appeal, European Patent Office
5:50 PM-6:00 PM
Closing remarks: Senior representative, IAM
6:00 PM-7:00 PM
Drinks reception
