About

‘Simply one of the best IP lawyers working in-house’, Didier Patry is recommended by sources for his role in billion-dollar cross-border transactions. ‘I have learned to be a business enabler’, he says. ‘We help our business units to close strategic deals and bringing a large or must-win deal to close is always a great reward’. Currently leading nine lawyers across Europe and India, Patry has taken a pivotal role in recruitment and staff development throughout his in-house career. ‘I am a coach’, he says. ‘I am here to train people and see them grow, in my group or outside’. His decades of global IP experience includes over 10 years across HP’s US, French and UK headquarters, and a previous nine years in Swatch’s Swiss operations. His passion for this legal specialism remains one of his key motivations in the role. ‘IP is fascinating’. When it comes to outside counsel, Patry cites ‘communication’, as the key area for improvement. In particular, he would like ‘risk’ to be translated into tangible figures.