Scaling Specialist AI: HGF Expands Qthena for Firm-Wide Patent Practice

SCHAFFHAUSEN, SWITZERLAND and LEEDS, UK — August 24, 2026  

‍

ipQuants AG is pleased to announce a long-term strategic partnership with HGF, one of Europe’s leading firms of intellectual property (IP) specialists, building on HGF’s established use of the Qthena platform within its patent practice.

‍

The partnership will support HGF’s continued adoption of specialist AI tools designed for patent professionals, complementing the firm’s broader technology and AI strategy. Qthena is used by HGF patent attorneys across a range of activities, including patent drafting, office action responses, oppositions, appeals, and prior art analysis.

‍

The partnership follows several years of practical use of Qthena by HGF attorneys on client work. This experience, together with feedback from practitioners across the firm, has informed HGF’s decision to develop its relationship with ipQuants on a longer-term basis.

‍

Supporting the Future of IP Practice

HGF’s approach to AI combines broader technology capabilities with specialist tools designed for particular areas of legal and professional practice. Within patent work, Qthena provides attorneys with AI-enabled tools and workflows while ensuring that professionals remain responsible for substantive legal decisions and the quality of client advice.

‍

The aim is to use technology where it can improve efficiency, consistency, and quality, while allowing attorneys to devote more time to strategic advice and higher-value client work.

‍

Dr. Chris Moore, Partner at HGF, commented:

“It is imperative that our attorneys have the tools they need to work smarter, drive greater efficiencies and continuously improve quality. Qthena provides a valuable set of specialist tools for our patent attorneys.

We have used Qthena for a number of years, and the feedback from our attorneys is that it integrates well into their workflows, whether for patent drafting, office action responses, or complex oppositions and appeals. The Qthena team understands the practical realities of how patent attorneys work, and we look forward to continuing our partnership as both the technology and our use of AI evolve.”

‍

Security and Strategic Collaboration

The responsible adoption of AI requires appropriate standards of data security, governance, and technical reliability. HGF’s work with ipQuants reflects these requirements and forms part of the firm’s wider approach to adopting AI technologies securely and responsibly.

‍

Richard Hodkinson, CTO at HGF, added:

“Becoming a future-ready firm requires a technical infrastructure that is both highly innovative and exceptionally secure. Our strategic decision to partner with ipQuants on a long-term basis is grounded in years of successful testing and team feedback. Qthena checked every box for us, delivering robust, legal-grade security and seamless integration into our daily IT ecosystem. This partnership gives our IT and legal teams complete confidence, allowing us to successfully scale secure AI capabilities across our international offices.”

‍

Tony Afram, CEO of ipQuants AG, said:

“We are delighted to enter this long-term strategic partnership with HGF. Their continued use of Qthena reflects the growing role that specialized, secure AI tools can play in modern intellectual property practice.

We are proud that Qthena has earned the trust of HGF’s patent professionals through several years of practical use, and we look forward to continuing to work with HGF as we develop the next generation of AI-powered patent workflows.”

‍

Developing New AI-Enabled Workflows

As generative AI continues to evolve, the Qthena team is developing new capabilities, including agentic workflows designed to support more complex intellectual property processes while keeping attorneys in control of substantive legal decisions. Backed by Questel, Qthena can develop and deliver these workflows faster and to a higher standard by drawing on Questel’s proprietary technology, unique IP data assets and deep domain expertise.  

‍

As part of the partnership, HGF will have the opportunity to evaluate these capabilities and work with the Qthena team on specialist workflows relevant to its patent practice.

‍

This collaboration will sit alongside HGF’s broader program of investment in AI and technology, with individual technologies selected according to the needs of different practices, professionals and clients.

‍

About HGF

HGF is one of Europe’s leading intellectual property firms, bringing together patent attorneys, trade mark attorneys and IP solicitors to provide a fully integrated IP solution. With offices across the UK, Ireland, the Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland, France and Austria, HGF supports innovative businesses, universities, research organisations and global brands through every stage of the IP lifecycle, from the creation and protection of intellectual property through to commercialisation, enforcement and dispute resolution. HGF is one of Europe’s largest firms of IP specialists, with IP professionals delivering seamless cross-border support to clients operating in international markets.  

The firm’s multidisciplinary approach combines deep technical expertise with commercial and legal insight, enabling specialist teams across technology and engineering, life sciences, chemistry, trade marks and law to work seamlessly together to deliver strategic, business-focused advice. This collaborative model ensures clients benefit from coordinated support across patents, trade marks, designs, litigation, oppositions, appeals and commercial IP matters.

‍

For more information, please visit www.hgf.com

‍

‍

About ipQuants

Qthena is the legal digital assistant, purpose-built for patent and trademark professionals. Trusted by hundreds of law firms and corporate IP teams across 30+ countries, Qthena enables teams to draft, review, analyze, and manage complex IP work faster, with greater consistency, and full transparency.

Developed from the ground up by IP attorneys, Qthena reflects how IP professionals actually work. Its generative AI operates within defined guardrails, delivering sourced and traceable outputs with transparent limitations, allowing teams to reduce manual workload, strengthen quality control, and scale expertise.

From patent drafting and office action responses to trademark portfolio management, Qthena helps IP teams reduce turnaround times, standardize best practices, and focus on higher-value, strategic work.

‍

Qthena is developed by ipQuants AG, a Switzerland-based SaaS company, and is powered by Questel, a global leader in intellectual property and innovation management solutions.

‍

Discover more about Qthena at www.questel.com/qthena, and follow Qthena on LinkedIn to stay updated on the latest insights, news, and expert articles.

‍