She joins as the head of the Intellectual Property team in Paris and of the Patent practice in Europe. Two associates will also be joining the firm.
Marianne was previously a partner in the Paris office of Dentons, where she was European head of patent litigation and national co-head of the firm’s Intellectual Property & Technology Group.
She is well-known for managing complex national and transnational patent disputes in the pharmaceutical, healthcare, telecommunications, electronics, chemical, agri-business and mechanical sectors.
In addition to advising on international patent, trademark and trade secrets disputes, Marianne also assists clients in negotiating intellectual property agreements and in evaluating their intellectual property portfolios.
In a joint statement, Daniel Kadar, Jean-Pierre Collet and Natasha Tardiff, co-managing partners of Reed Smith’s Paris office, said: “Marianne’s expertise largely mirrors the sectors in which Reed Smith is renowned for providing the highest quality legal advice. She is an outstanding lawyer and a fantastic addition to the firm.”
“The Paris office continues to invest and focus its activities around the three strategic pillars, which the firm is known for: innovation, agility and creation of value. We expect our clients to immediately reap the benefits of Marianne’s arrival.”
James Hultquist, IP, Tech & Data litigation practice group leader, commented: “We are delighted to welcome Marianne to Reed Smith. She is a widely acknowledged leader in the field of patent litigation and with her extensive experience is ideally placed to help us to grow our patent litigation practice across Europe and the Middle East.”
Marianne Schaffner commented: “I’m very pleased to join Reed Smith. The firm stands out for its ability to integrate sector focused expertise on a global scale. I am looking forward to further developing my practice and supporting the continued growth of the Paris office and the firm’s European and Middle East offering.”
Marianne has been ranked by Managing Intellectual Property as an ‘IP Star’ since 2015 and has been ranked in Band 1 for Intellectual Property by Chambers Global and Chambers Europe since 2017. She is Chairwoman of the Regulated Sectors Committee of APRAM, and is a member of the International Association for the Protection of Intellectual Property (AIPPI), the Licensing Executive Society (LES), the Association of Practitioners of European Patents (APEB), the American Intellectual Property Law Association (AIPLA), the International Trademark Association (INTA) and the Pharmaceutical Trademark Group (PTMG).
She was admitted to the Paris bar in 1996. She speaks French, Dutch, English and German, and attended the Ecole de Formation du Barreau de Paris and the Université Panthéon-Assas, as well as the Ludwig-Maximilian's Universität.
Prior to joining Dentons, Marianne was a partner at Dechert and at Linklaters.
Reed Smith’s Paris office now comprises 65 lawyers, including 18 partners.
About Reed Smith
Reed Smith is a dynamic international law firm dedicated to helping clients move their businesses forward. Our belief is that by delivering smarter and more creative legal services, we will not only enrich our clients’ experiences with us, but also support them in achieving their business goals.
Our long-standing relationships, international outlook and collaborative structure, make us the go-to partner for the speedy resolution of complex disputes, transactions and regulatory matters.
For further information, please visit reedsmith.com.
