2022 was the “year of meetings”, as symbolized by the number that dominated the year of our jubilee. And although we are, of course, pragmatic patent attorneys, engineers and lawyers, not at all superstitious, this augury had an appealing ring for us. And it came true, albeit quite differently than we had planned! The year of our anniversary indeed turned out to be a time of getting together, but also helping those affected by the war raging across our eastern border.

#JWP30years

We celebrated last year’s April Fool’s Day with a bang! Exactly 30 years before, 1 April 1992 marked the establishment of Jan Wierzchoń & Partners law firm, currently JWP Patent & Trademark Attorneys.

We have already grown accustomed to the changing realities of our times and are always doubly prepared for new challenges and unexpected circumstances. That is why the snowstorm that hit our spring anniversary picnic did not come as a huge surprise to anyone, nor was it an obstacle to having fun together, the aim of which (as always) was to change our world into a better place – if only a little.

50 children from Ukraine that were taken in by the Pilaszków Care and Treatment Centre were given a wide range of essentials

100 trees were planted at the local forest nursery (beech, birch, spruce and hornbeam)!

4 new, spacious and warm kennels for dogs from the Korabiewice shelter were built

#JWPgala

The highlight of our double anniversary celebrations was the jubilee gala of JWP law firm and foundation, held on 3 June 2022 in Mała Warszawa art & business center. For JWP employees, our clients and friends it was a great opportunity to have fun, talk, commune with art and just be together.

The exhibition of paintings by a Ukrainian artist Natalia Pastushenko and the presence of the artist herself added splendor to the gala. Her works, reminiscent of the style of Gustav Klimt or Marc Chagall, could be admired throughout the evening. It was also an opportunity to raise funds for the Polish Humanitarian Action project SOS Ukraine. The evening also featured the premiere of a film about our law firm, entitled “A Diversity of Cases and People”.

35,000 PLN raised was donated to the Polish Humanitarian Action for the “SOS Ukraine” campaign, thanks to the commitment of all the guests present at the gala, JWP Patent & Trademark Attorneys’ employees and partners as well as the Ukrainian painter Natalia Pastushenko.

8 paintings were sold during the charity exhibition

3 paintings were presented as prizes in the JWP competition

#UPCconference

On 21 September 2022, the first ever international conference on the topic of the Unified Patent Court’s creation was held in Poland, bringing together academics, professional attorneys and business representatives. We invited leading European and national experts in the field of patent protection to join the debate and share their up-to-date knowledge on the changes related to the launch of the Unified Patent Court in Europe with the conference participants. It was also a unique opportunity to exchange views and learn about different strategies for dealing with the “new reality” in the world of patents.

310 participants registered for the conference

75% attendance on the day of the event

27 press publications on the Unified Patent Court and the patent with unitary effect.

20 experts from Poland and Europe

#JWPChristmas #JWPhelp

In December, we met in the snow-covered Warsaw district of Praga for the annual Christmas party. It was yet another opportunity to enjoy each other’s company and celebrate the success and many achievements of the passing jubilee year. The choice of venue was no accident – the newly renovated building in 75 Mińska Street will become our new headquarters in 2023! For the 4^th time in its 30-year history, our Warsaw law firm will relocate and it looks like we are going to settle for good within the walls of an atmospheric old printing house from the 1950s. During the party, a Christmas video featuring the youngest members of the JWP family was shown: our children presented Christmas riddles, told us why they like Christmas, what their favorite Christmas traditions are and what inventions are used by Santa. Finally, they passed on their Christmas wishes. In addition to participating in many other charity events, this year, as usual, we also prepared a Noble Gift for a family from Wyszków.

8 charity campaigns which the JWP Patent Attorneys Board of Directors and employees were involved in throughout 2022 included: PAH “SOS Ukraine”, Help for the children from the Ukrainian Orphanage, currently in the Pilaszków Centre, Help for the Animal Shelter in Korabiewice, Noble Gift, Colourful Backpacks Galore for the children from the Social Welfare Centre Warsaw/Śródmieście, Evening of Dreams organized by the Child’s Dream Foundation, collecting money for a Ukrainian family of 9 that our JWP colleague took under her roof, collecting medicines and food for the emergency services in Lviv.

15 children from JWP Patent Attorneys who took part in our jubilee #JWPChristmas campaign

#JWPteam

In our anniversary year, we shared a lot of information and interesting facts about our law firm and invariably spread knowledge on intellectual property law. As part of the cycle #30interesting factsforJWP30^thanniversary, among other things, we wrote about Quentin Tarantino’s dispute over the NFTs (non-fungible tokens) for the Pulp Fiction screenplay, the role of 3D printing in the restoration of coral reefs and the invention by a 15-year-old Filip Piękoś, i.e. a keyboard for the disabled persons. As for the latter, our foundation helped Filip to file a patent application with the Patent Office of the Republic of Poland.

In order to introduce everyone to our team, we also presented profiles of our colleagues working in various departments and on various positions in JWP Patent & Trademark Attorneys: patent attorneys, translators and specialists. The interviews, which are available on our anniversary website, allow you to get to know more about the unique and very diverse professional experiences and hobbies of those working in our company.

100 online publications on intellectual rights protection

50 publications in foreign press and internet portals

40 posts on the company blog “All Rights Reserved”

7 interviews within the #JWPteam cycle

6 press releases

#InspirationsForInnovations #JWPstories

“A Diversity of Cases and People” is a film about our law firm made in cooperation with the wonderful team from Rebus Films, which was screened as part of our 30^th anniversary celebrations. The premiere, as announced, took place on 3 June 2022 at the jubilee gala. The production can now be viewed on our website and on the JWP_IP YouTube channel. The inspiration for the film came from the awe and delight we take in the diverse and interesting cases handled by our patent attorneys.

During the making of this anniversary film, we also produced a series of beautiful videos entitled “Inspirations for Innovation” which featured our clients presenting their companies and talking about the importance of a coherent IP strategy for business development. Neel LLC, Mago S.A., Zieta Prozessdesign LLC. and the Warsaw University of Technology all agreed to contribute.
We also would like to thank all our customers who got involved in the production of the anniversary film by making their products and premises available. We express our heartfelt gratitude to Gerda LCC, Agrosimex LCC, Mieszko S.A., Tarchomin Pharmaceutical Works POLFA S.A., Piątnica District Dairy Cooperative, Interdruk S.A. and Żywiec Group S.A.. Intellectual property rights really rock!

9 video productions made by JWP

6 professional films made in cooperation with Rebus Films

1026+ views of our videos

An interesting year full of meetings, exchanging ideas and joyful group celebrations has come to an end. It was also a difficult year due to the events that forced us to change our perspective and redirect our support. At the beginning of 2022 we had been planning to devote all our energies to helping the environment, adopting bees, cleaning up or planting forests… However, we were faced with a huge humanitarian crisis which became our top priority.

We hope that the New Year 2023 will bring us the security we need to continue growing as a company as well as many new and exciting projects, the results of which we will be able to share widely with our friends, customers and partners.

#JWPteam

Artykuł Diversity is key. It is the art of keeping balance, offers the opportunity of agile management and forms the basis for the company’s success pochodzi z serwisu 30-lecie JWP.

A competition was held during the gala in which three pieces by the Ukrainian artist were to be won. The winner of the main prize, the painting entitled “Towards the Future”, was Adam Trawczyński.

Two graphics, “Titanic” and “People and Birds”, were presented to Ms. Agnieszka Krawczyk and Paweł Kocańda.

Thanks to the involvement of all the competition participants, the guests of the gala and JWP Patent Attorneys – and Ms. Natalia Pastuszenko – the amount collected  totalled PLN 30,099 which contributed to the account of the Polish Humanitarian Action (PAH) and will be used to help people who suffered as a result of the war in Ukraine. PAH provides humanitarian and material aid to people who have had to leave their homes, and to those who have already returned and are starting to rebuild them. We strongly believe that our common path to a better future begins with small gestures and joint actions like this.  

We would like to thank the people who joined our collection, especially our colleagues from Haseltine Lake Kempner LLP, Ms. Amanda Mallon and Walker & Jocke Co., LPA Ms. Patricia Walker, for supporting our initiative.

“The Dance” is a painting made specifically for the anniversary of the JWP firm and foundation. It symbolizes energy, harmony and cooperation, as well as the notion of being and creating together.

We recommend the excellent pieces by Ms. Natalia Pastuszenko – https://www.facebook.com/nataliapastuszenko/

Thank you so much for being with us!

Artykuł Paintings by Natalia Pastuszenko at the 30th Anniversary of JWP Gala pochodzi z serwisu 30-lecie JWP.

You are a managing partner of one of the largest patent law firms in Poland, which has been operating successfully for 30 years. How have the company and its surroundings changed over the years?

Thirty years on, the changes have been enormous. Our law firm was established in 1992. As an anecdote, I can tell you about a situation that happened after I joined the company. We had 15 people working at our company at that time and there were a handful of computers. Once I asked one of the assistants to send an e-mail. And I was met with refusal. So I asked her: “Why not?”. And the answer was: “Because I’m afraid to do it”. It was like that back when… When I talk about it today, I smile, but this just goes on to show how big the changes are that have taken place. Currently, we make use of modern tools and programs that support us in the implementation of various types of services. We manage our law firm and the cases we handle using advanced computer technologies and means of remote communication. We have introduced electronic circulation of documents, reducing paper consumption to an absolute minimum. We use a variety of databases that until recently were not so sophisticated. We have also adopted new tools based on artificial intelligence. The technology and management methods, this is what has changed tremendously. In addition, our company has grown in size significantly and so has its portfolio of cases and clients. We have also broadened our range of services and opened offices in Kraków, Gdańsk and Wrocław.

And how has the work of a patent attorney changed over 30 years?

The world of intellectual property has seen major changes. The scope of our services encompasses the preparation of patent searches, applications, proceedings before the patent office, that is, the bread and butter of a patent’s attorney work. We also have a team of lawyers with advocate’s and attorney’s-at-law licences, which also includes people who hold a patent attorney’s licence. We are able to offer specialised services related to the strategic management of intellectual property rights. We advise entrepreneurs on what actions to take and how to take them in a way that ensures a competitive advantage and, at the same time, cost efficiency. More and more customers are reaching for such a service. Another area of activity in which we are engaged is responding to signals coming from the financial sector industry. We support our clients in actions related to the valuation and trading of intellectual property rights. The use of these rights as financial tools is relatively rare in Poland, whereas they could be effectively used, for example, as collateral against loans. We encourage our clients to perceive intellectual property rights as tools for achieving business goals. Nowadays, it is becoming more and more common for patent attorneys to take on the additional role of business advisors.

Being the head of a company of one hundred and twenty people must be a demanding task, isn’t it?

Yes, it is. One hundred and twenty people is a large group. Due to the specific nature of our work, we are very diverse in terms of our education profiles and professional experiences. We include lawyers, economists, management and marketing specialists, linguists and translators, and, of course, a large group of people with higher technical education – electronics engineers, computer scientists, mechatronics engineers, biotechnologists, pharmacists and chemists. When I think about our team, it brings a smile to my face, because they are a group of talented people with a vast knowledge who are involved in their work and constantly improve their qualifications. They are, to a large extent, individualists, which poses a bit of a challenge when it comes to team building and management, as it places increased demands on the management staff. And for me as a managing partner having such a large team involves primarily undertaking great responsibility for the employees and their families. This is something that a responsible manager should bear in mind and take into account whenever making decisions on the development of a company. If the team is well-coordinated and the people enjoy working together, as is the case in our law firm, even navigating through difficult times comes easier, with the people being able to show a greater deal of understanding. That’s why such a group of people is simply better to work with. As far as this responsibility is concerned, I manage to bear it.

Where did the idea for the JWP foundation come from?

The JWP Foundation came about as a result of something that had been on my mind for a long time. In the course of my legal training as an attorney-at-law, and then during my judicial and patent attorney training, I became aware of how the level of knowledge about what intellectual property rights are and what role they can play in companies is significantly lower in Poland than in Western Europe or in the U.S. It occurred to me that unless such knowledge reaches the Polish entrepreneurs, scientific institutes and universities, the changes in our country will continue take place very slowly. It was when the foundation was being brought into existence that I got the strong feeling that the time has finally come for me to start sharing what I had learned with others. I concluded that this was going to be a good platform to share the knowledge through training courses and workshops for entrepreneurs, scientists, university students and the media. Therefore, the foundation has become operational and is carrying out its mission. We run an educational project called “Talent Advocates” which is held at universities and comprises a series of practical training courses for students and doctoral candidates. Some time ago, we have also aimed our activities at high school teachers and students. If young people become better acquainted with the protection of intellectual property rights and learn about the profession of a patent attorney this early on in their life, then there is hope that they will approach these issues more consciously and think differently about their future.

And what is it that you find particularly interesting about the work of a patent attorney?

We live in a world that is changing rapidly. As patent attorneys, we have to keep up with these changes and follow the technological development, because many industrial property rights cannot be granted unless the prerequisite of novelty is fulfilled, the “novelty” having the meaning of “global novelty”. We have to be up-to-date, keeping a constant lookout for the changes. What’s more, the world is taking a turn for the digital right now. We are seeing the emergence of artificial intelligence, which proves to be a challenge for lawyers, having already become the subject of their discussions. Can the artificial intelligence be the inventor? Or would it be the human who created the algorithm? In addition, we support inventors who create technologies that serve to solve the most pressing problems, such as the climate change and alternative energy sources, the COVID pandemic or issues related to national defence. This illustrates just how interesting are the everyday matters of the world around us that find their way onto the desk of a patent attorney. It is a very creative profession that requires constant updating of your technical, legal and business knowledge.

Can you give us an example of a case handled by the law firm that you found to be particularly memorable?

I remember one such case. It was one of my first infringement cases concerning a pharmaceutical patent. I represented a Polish company that had been sued for patent infringement by a U.S. company. That was a challenge. From the very beginning, it looked as though the odds we not stacked in our favour. Usually, there is a much larger capital behind the U.S. companies, which means that they can afford to present stronger evidence to support their arguments. Moreover, this company was represented by eminent intellectual property law scholars, one of them being an attorney-at-law (a former judge) who had supervised my attorney-at-law training. So the joy of winning was all the greater. The patent holder didn’t win his infringement case.

No case in this field is ever the same. And this is what is so fascinating about the work we do.

Artykuł THE FOUNDATIONS OF BUSINESS SUCCESS pochodzi z serwisu 30-lecie JWP.

Over the 30 years of its activity, JWP Patent & Trademark Attorneys has handled over 55,000 cases related to the protection of intellectual property rights. The work for several thousand entrepreneurs, inventors, scientists, designers and creators, contributed to the protection of thousands of inventions, technologies, works, products and markings in nearly 120 countries around the world. Professional support provided by JWP has thus helped many domestic and foreign companies from various sectors of the economy as well as research and development units to succeed. JWP Patent & Trademark Attorneys continues to grow and remains one of the leading patent law firms in Poland. The company’s team now includes more than 120 specialists working in four cities in Poland.

‘We are committed to ensuring that clients receive high quality legal assistance in our firm in relation to all aspects of intellectual property rights protection. It is important to us that our clients have partners in us who understand their needs and their industry and who provide professional support and a sense of security. We aim to be partners who help them grow their business and successfully achieve their goals,’ says the managing partner of JWP Patent & Trademark Attorneys, Dorota Rzążewska. ‘JWP Foundation, as the only non-profit organisation in Poland, conducts extensive educational activities on the protection of intellectual property rights for companies, universities, scientists, students and pupils. The projects we run, such as Talent Advocates, JWP Academy or Win Without Fakes!, are very popular. We also participate in acceleration programmes for start-ups, we are involved in initiatives, such as the Innovator of Mazovia or the Intellectual Property in Your School project by the Patent Office of the Republic of Poland. We also provide free online consultations for businesses.’

The recipe for success, contrary to what representatives of big business often say, is not easy. JWP Patent & Trademark Attorneys was established in the period of transformation and was one of the firms that participated in building the new market. It took great determination, consistency and strong values, which built the company’s position year after year, to celebrate such success after 30 years. From the beginning, the company has focused on continuously improving the quality of its services, caring for customers and their individual needs, communicating clearly and acting quickly. It also ensures that its employees regularly improve their knowledge and competences and that its technologies and modern management techniques are developed and its operations are ethical and fully transparent.

The partners at JWP look at running the firm not just from a business perspective, but in a broader picture. It is a commitment to clients, employees, local communities and the environment. This is why for many years, JWP Group has been pursuing its strategy of responsible business and its policies for ecology, diversity and against social exclusion.

A key area of activity, from the point of view of the firm’s development, is caring for the people who make up the team. JWP Patent & Trademark Attorneys provides its employees with the opportunity to improve their qualifications, handle interesting cases and participate in international projects, as well as clear evaluation systems and development paths. Flexible working arrangements, tools to help maintain work-life balance and numerous benefits are standard.

In today’s world, it is also impossible not to mention ecology, which is a prerequisite for a good life here and now and of future generations. Care and concern for the environment unites JWP employees. The company participates in the Green Office Programme and is committed to reducing energy, paper and water consumption and segregating waste. There are regular initiatives to educate employees about eco-friendly shopping or actions to reduce consumption and not waste food.

‘The staff of our law firm are individuals with high social sensitivity. They willingly initiate and get involved in charity actions, such as Noble Parcel or those by Polish Humanitarian Action, or direct help for children from orphanages, social care centres and therapy centres,’ says Dorota Rzążewska. ‘JWP Patent & Trademark Attorneys creates space for employees to engage in such activities and regularly provides financial support to charitable projects such as the Children’s Fantasy Foundation.’

With the recent situation beyond our eastern border, JWP staff have also been actively involved in helping refugees. The firm provides financial support to the Polish Humanitarian Action and in-kind support to children from a Ukrainian orphanage who have found shelter in one of care facilities near Warsaw.

After 30 years in business, one thing seems clear: people are the most important part of the business. It is their expertise and commitment that make it possible for JWP Patent & Trademark Attorneys to provide high quality services, enjoy the trust and success of so many clients and, for years, hold a high position in the market of patent and legal services. These are several generations of patent attorneys and lawyers who took their first steps at JWP, improved their skills under the supervision of older colleagues and climbed the career ladder.

‘The achievements of our clients and the firm make us proud. By protecting intellectual property rights, promoting knowledge in this area and a culture of respect for the law, we feel that together with our clients we contribute to changing the world and developing innovation and technology. Together, we propel the wheel of development, which by working efficiently in the area of intellectual property rights protection, drives progress,’ says Dorota Rzążewska. ‘It motivates us to continue to do our best for our clients, to constantly improve and implement more and more interesting ideas and to build a modern firm.’

We will celebrate the dual anniversary of JWP Patent & Trademark Attorneys and JWP Foundation together with our clients, partners and friends throughout the year. A number of activities and events have been planned to mark the occasion. There will be an opportunity to learn about the firm’s history, the people behind it and to gain some new knowledge and see how interesting the world of intellectual property is.

Artykuł People who move the world in the right direction are the most important part of the business pochodzi z serwisu 30-lecie JWP.