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Our history

Beau de Loménie is an IP firm which supports its clients by managing all patent, trademark, copyright, and trade secret needs.

The firm exists today as the successful outcome of an adventure which began in 1930. As an heir to an international culture of quality and innovation, the firm has often played a pioneering role in its field. Having oriented its development towards organic growth, it has always remained at the cutting edge of technological developments, to offer the best service to its clients.

1930 – 1960 I Creation and international expansion

Beau de Loménie was founded in 1930 by Gilbert Beau de Loménie and André Armengaud.

From the very outset, the firm was marked by its innovative and pioneering character, using the most advanced technologies of its era. Distinguishing itself from its competitors, Beau de Loménie was the first IP firm to set up a comprehensive indexing of patent documentation, and also the first to develop its own technical classification system. At a time when no databases existed in the field, these data collection and filing systems allowed the firm to offer its clients exclusive, high-quality searching services.

Driven by André Armengaud, a senator representing French subjects overseas, Beau de Loménie concentrated on its international expansion since its creation in the 1930s. The firm naturally developed particularly strong relationships in Europe, but also beyond, particularly in the United States o America.

1960 – 1980 I A time of revolution

Under the guidance of a second generation of partners, Beau de Loménie continued its ethos of innovation. In the 1960s, to facilitate the management of annuity payments, the firm became one of the first IP practices to acquire a computer. An exclusive IT system dedicated to the administration of IP rights was also developed within the firm.

Right from the early 1960s, Cabinet Beau de Loménie actively developed a structured international network of overseas correspondents, and also established close working relationships throughout Asia, particularly in Japan.

In 1968, the firm opened its first branch office in Marseille, before launching another office in Lyon in 1972.

1980 – 2010 I Expansion in Europe and regional offices

In the 1980s, Beau de Loménie continued its policy of increasing its proximity to clients throughout France, as a new regional office was opened in Lille.

In order to monitor developments brought about by growing globalization, the next generation of partners was determined to reinforce the firm’s European presence. In the 1990s a German office was established in Munich, the home of the European Patent Office (EPO). In the first years of the new century, the firm strengthened its European position with additional offices in Germany (Duisburg) and the United Kingdom (Birmingham).

The firm has also pursued its commitment to a global outlook by hiring employees of Japanese culture and language to better serve its Japanese clients. Likewise, in 2009, the firm repeated this objective for its Chinese clients, while at the same time recruiting professionals from various backgrounds in order to reinforce the multidisciplinary and international nature of its team.

Since 2010 I A wider range of services and increased international growth

Currently, Beau de Loménie is perpetuating this tradition of innovation and globalisation.

Now more than ever, the firm is mindful of the latest technological developments, in order to provide its clients with the most modern and efficient management tools. Therefore, the firm is developing services for online consultation of IP rights, documentary searches, and monitoring technological developments. As such, BDL-IP Access was developed and made available to the firm’s clients, providing them with support on a daily basis to help them protect and optimise their IP rights.

The firm has also continued its policy of global development by consolidating its network of foreign correspondents throughout the world to meet the needs of its clients year-after-year. Aside from Europe and Japan, the firm’s teams have particularly cultivated and cemented relationships already forged for years with the USA, China, and Korea. The current generation of partners has thus implemented a new strategy enabling the firm to remain at the cutting edge of innovations and developments in the IP sector. Being especially active within key professional associations, the firm meets each of the correspondents with whom the firm works one or more times a year, in order to ensure the highest quality of service.

A unique solution to all your IP questions

With 200 IP specialists, including almost 70 patent and trademark attorneys, as well as design, copyright, and domain name attorneys, the firm is one of the largest IP practices in Europe.

Beau de Loménie’s clients include international groups, small and medium-sized enterprises, start-ups, and public education and research organisations in France and abroad. The firm’s services support companies from various industrial sector.

Sectors are aeronautics, aerospace, automotive, biotechnology, chemistry, energy, pharmaceuticals, medical equipment, cosmetic and luxury products, new technologies and telecommunications, Internet, media and entertainment, utilities services, agri-food, sporting equipment, banking and insurance, and furniture.

The firm’s services cover the full range of IP needs: patent, trademark, copyright, trade secret, design and domain name. From audit to litigation, through searches for prior patent rights and the establishment of patent rights, Beau de Loménie has highly-qualified and experienced patent attorneys covering all technical fields (such as mechanics, electricity, physics, chemistry, biology, materials, biotechnology, optics, information and communication technologies, telecoms and artificial intelligence) and lawyers for all industrial sectors.

The firm’s approach combines optimised professional service and personalised advice, adapted to the requirements of each client according to their profile, while offering the client the option of being totally supported in their processes for innovation, creation, and protection of their IP rights.

An international organization at your service

The firm’s multicultural and multilingual team (English, French, German, Spanish, Japanese, and Chinese) works with French and overseas companies to define and implement IP protection strategies at national, European, and international levels.

With offices in France, Germany, and the United Kingdom, Beau de Loménie is ideally placed to represent its clients not only before the French national IP institute (INPI), and international offices such as the European Patent Office (EPO), the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO), and the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), but also before other national bodies such as the British (UKPTO) and German (DPMA) IP offices. Moreover the firm is capable of directly representing its clients abroad due to its in-house attorneys qualified to act before the Austrian, Benelux, and US IP offices.

Beau de Loménie has also developed a wide international network of correspondents, drawing on the best IP specialists in each country. This development allows the firm to offer fast, effective, and successful defence of its clients’ interests throughout the world.

In order to meet the needs of its overseas clients, the firm has native Japanese and Chinese speakers dedicated to facilitating and supervising the firm’s relationships with Japanese and Chinese clients.

A firm involved in IP associations

Being at the cutting edge of changes to our business and involving the firm in international debates on intellectual property is crucial. Beau de Loménie’s experts, whatever their areas of specialisation (patents, trademarks, designs, copyright, domain names), are active members of one or more professional organisations, within which some have responsibilities and/or have hosted conferences and workshops for many years.

Today, the firm is represented in the main professional associations, within which the future policies of the profession and business practices are discussed and defined.

ACPI

Association des Conseils en Propriété Industrielle

AFEC

Association Française d’Etude de la Concurrence

AIPLA

American Intellectual Property Law Association

AIPPI

Association Internationale pour la Protection de la Propriété Intellectuelle

APEB

Association des Praticiens Européens des Brevets

APRAM

Association des Praticiens du Droit des Marques et Modèles

CIPA

Chartered Institute of Patent Attorneys

CNCPI

Compagnie Nationale des Conseils en Propriété Industrielle

ECTA

European Community Trademark Association

EPI

Institut des Mandataires agréés près l’Office Européen des Brevets

FICPI

Fédération Internationale des Conseils en Propriété Industrielle

GRUR

Deutsche Vereinigung für gewerblichen Rechtsschutz und Urheberrecht

INTA

International Trademark Association

LES

Licensing Executive Society

PAK

Patentanwaltskammer

PTMG

Pharmaceutical Trade Mark Group