Johanna Flythström
Partner, Head of Helsinki Office, Helsinki
Digitalization & TMT, Dispute Resolution, Emerging Companies, General Commercial, Intellectual Property, Marketing & Consumer
Contact
Assistant information
Johanna Flythström is a Helsinki-based Partner specialized in both contentious and non-contentious IP and technology work with an emphasis on commercial and transactional IP and technology work as well as IP and technology disputes. She has extensive experience in advising clients on a broad range of strategic and commercial IP and technology issues, such as advisory work on all stages of IP and technology lifecycle including IP and technology acquisition (whether stand-alone, in employee contexts, or in collaborations), IP and technology commercialization, and enforcement. Her broad experience includes, among others, advising in complex licensing, development, and collaboration arrangements, as well as IP and technology transfers. In addition to IP and technology advisory work, Johanna also regularly advises IP and technology driven businesses in various contractual, regulatory, and marketing law matters in particular in the fields of life sciences, TMT, ClimateTech, and digitalization. Johanna has also considerable experience from acting as a counsel in IP and technology disputes, including in multi-jurisdictional IP litigations, in various fields of industry such as telecommunications, life sciences, process technology and chemistry, paper&pulp, engineering, and various high technologies.
Apart from her Finnish LL.M. degree, Johanna holds a post-graduate LL.M. degree from the University of California, Berkeley, School of Law, as well as a M.Sc. (Tech.) degree from the Helsinki University of Technology (Aalto University). Johanna is an authorized patent attorney in Finland and a member of the State Bar of California.
Johanna has also strong commercial experience in IP with several years of experience in a broad range of in-house IP work (including protection, management, commercialization, and enforcement of IP) with Nokia Corporation and Nokia Siemens Networks prior to joining Roschier in 2009. Johanna has further expanded her in-house experience in the R&D- and IP-intensive context by working as a secondee in GE Healthcare as well as in Nokia Technologies both in Finland and in Silicon Valley in the US.
Johanna has broad experience in contributing to the development of the IP field and IP legislation on national and international level and, among others, she serves currently as an Assistant Reporter General of the international AIPPI and as an appointed member in the governmental working group preparing the reform of the Finnish patent legislation. In the past she has served, i.a., as the President of the Finnish Association for Industrial Property Rights (STY), as an appointed member in the Finnish Ministry of Employment and the Economy’s working group on industrial property rights, and as a member of the Programme Committee and as the Vice Chair of the international AIPPI’s Standing Committee on Patents.
Recognitions
Johanna is recognized by international publications such as Chambers Europe and Chambers Global, IAM Patent 1000, IP Stars Rising Stars, Legal500 (Rising Stars) and Lexology Index (formerly Who’s Who Legal).
This is what clients say about Johanna:
“She is a great lawyer: quick, smart and has a solid business understanding.”
– Chambers Global 2024, Intellectual Property
“She is a world-leading IP strategist.”
– Chambers Global 2024, Intellectual Property
“Johanna Flythström is very skilful.”
– Chambers Global 2024, Intellectual Property
“She is very interested in the business and its demands for legal support.”
– Chambers Global 2024, Intellectual Property
“Johanna Flythström is an exceptionally talented partner in the team.”
– The Legal 500 2023, Intellectual Property
“Johanna Flythström is a rising star. She has remarkable drafting skills when it comes to IP transactions and a broad range of skills in patent and other IP issues.”
– IAM Patent 1000 2023
“Excellent drafting skills and great strategic thinking.”
– Chambers Global 2022, Intellectual Property
“Johanna Flythström has an exceptional talent to translate business objectives and technical details into contracts. Her negotiation skills have been valuable to us. Her approach is collaborative and empathic, which has proved to be very effective in complex negotiations. Johanna is a legal star and we are happy to have found her to support us.”
– The Legal 500 2022, Intellectual Property
Work highlights
Johanna Flythström’s experience includes advising:
- Nokia in its acquisition of Infinera;
- Nokia regularly on a wide range of contentious and non-contentious IP- and technology-related assignments spanning from IP licensing and commercial work to transactional IP work, patent litigations, and international arbitrations, including Roschier acting for Nokia: (i) in the project resulting in the settlement with Apple; (ii) in its negotiations with Samsung resulting in an expanded patent cross license agreement between the two companies; (iii) as the sole counsel in the strategic intellectual property and exclusive brand licensing deal between Nokia and HMD global that will see the NOKIA brand return to the mobile phone and tablet markets on a global basis; (iv) in the EUR 2.8 billion sale of HERE digital mapping and location services business to an automotive industry consortium comprising AUDI AG, BMW Group and Daimler AG as the global lead technology and IP counsel to Nokia; (v) in the EUR 15.6 billion combination with Alcatel-Lucent; (vi) in the EUR 5.44 billion sale of Nokia’s Devices & Services business to Microsoft Corporation as the global lead technology and IP counsel to Nokia; (vii) in the sale of Nokia’s Vertu-branded Luxury mobile phone business; and (viii) in the sale of Nokia Wireless Modem R&D unit of over 1100 employees to Renesas Corporation, Japan;
- Clients in the structuring and negotiation of IP-intensive strategic partnerships, licensing and other agreements, arrangements, and collaborations;
- Clients in IP- and technology-related aspects in connection with private and public M&A as well as private equity transactions, including e.g.:
- Outokumpu in the divestment of the majority of its Long Products business operations to Marcegaglia Steel Group;
- TILT Biotherapeutics in connection with their EUR 22 million financing round;
- Hedin Mobility Group in the acquisition of Laakkonen Group’s automotive business;
- Wolt in the EUR 7 billion sale of the company to DoorDash;
- Mobidiag and its shareholders in the EUR 668 million sale of the company to Hologic, Inc;
- DevCo Partners Oy in DevCo’s investment in technology manufacturer Bluefors Oy;
- Otava Group in the sale of Nettix Oy to Alma Media;
- Volpi Capital in the management buyout of Profit Holding Oy;
- Varjo Technologies Oy in its series C financing round;
- Goldman Sachs International as Finnish law counsel in its investment in Wolt Enterprises Oy; and
- Quest Diagnostics in the acquisition of Blueprint Genetics.
- A Finnish telecoms operator in a patent litigation relating to alleged patent infringement related to GSM roaming solutions against a foreign non-practicing entity;
- Major pharmaceutical companies in preliminary injunction, patent infringement and invalidation proceedings against generic drug manufacturers involving litigation before both civil and administrative courts;
- A pan-European television and radio broadcaster in regulatory enforcement proceedings related to broadcasting license compliance in the administrative courts; and
- Technology sector clients in employee intellectual property related matters.
Career
Roschier (2009-), Principal Associate (2017-2021), Partner (2021-)
Nokia Technologies (Silicon Valley/Espoo), Visiting Lawyer (2015-2016)
GE Healthcare, Visiting Lawyer (2013-2014)
Nokia Siemens Networks, IPR Legal Counsel (2009)
Nokia Siemens Networks, Senior IPR Specialist (2007-2009)
Nokia Corporation, IPR, Patent Filing and Prosecution, Patent Engineer (2005-2007)
Memberships
Member of the Finnish Bar Association
Member of the State Bar of California
Authorized Patent Attorney (Finland)
CEDR Accredited Mediator (CEDR)
Approved mediator (Finnish Bar Association)
Member of the American Bar Association
Member of AIPPI
Member of the Finnish Association for Industrial Property Rights (STY)
Member of the Finnish IT Law Association
Member of ITechLaw
Member of LES
Member of the Finnish Sports Law Association
Professional appointments
AIPPI, Standing Committee on Patents, Vice Chair (2019-), Member (2015-)
AIPPI, Member of the Programme Committee (2019-)
Finnish Patent and Registration Office (Ministry of Employment and the Economy in Finland), Deputy Member of the Industrial Property Agents Board (2020-)
Member of the Finnish Bar Association’s Expert Group on Intellectual Property Rights (2016-)
Member of the Finnish Bar Association’s Standing Committee on Mediation (2018-)
Finnish Association for Industrial Property Rights (STY), Treasurer (2010-2013), Member of the Board (2013-2018), Vice President (2014), President (2015-2018)
Ministry of Employment and the Economy (in Finland), Member of the Working Group on Industrial Property Rights (2014-2019)
Publications
“Yhdistetty patenttituomioistuin – kohti yhtenäistä eurooppalaista patenttijärjestelmää” (“The Unified Patent Court – towards a uniform European patent system”), co-authored with Rainer Hilli, Defensor Legis 2016/4
“Ambush Marketing – What Is It and What Can Be Done to Prevent It?”, co-authored with Mikael Segercrantz, Bookwell, 2016
“Global Patent Litigation: How and Where to Win”, Finnish chapter, co-authored with Rainer Hilli and Mikael Segercrantz, BNA, 2014 and 2016
“Global Patent Litigation: Structure and Practice”, Finnish chapter, co-authored with Rainer Hilli, Kluwer Law International, 2013 and 2016
“Advertising Law: A Global Legal Perspective”, Finnish chapter, co-authored with Mikael Segercrantz and Suvi Laes, Global Advertising Lawyers Alliance, 2015
“Ambush Marketing: A Global Legal Perspective”, Finnish chapter, co-authored with Mikael Segercrantz, Global Advertising Lawyers Alliance, 2014
“The International Comparative Legal Guide to Patents”, Finnish chapter, co-authored with Rainer Hilli, GLG, 2012
Education
University of California, Berkeley, School of Law, LL.M. (2012)
University of Helsinki, LL.M. (2009)
Helsinki University of Technology, M.Sc.(Tech.) (2006)
Languages
English, Finnish, Spanish, Swedish
The Legal 500She has an exceptional talent to translate business objectives and technical details into contracts; her approach is collaborative and empathic, which has proved to be very effective in complex negotiations. A legal star and we are happy to have found her to support us.