Allen & Overy (A&O) turned the heads of its competitors this year when it hired youthful partner Nicola Dagg from Lovells to front a revived patent litigation practice.

While other magic circle firms quietly push IP to one side, A&O has made a canny investment in Dagg. She has already managed to lure old client and BlackBerry maker Research In Motion (RIM), which has taken its US patent dispute with Visto Corporation to the UK patent courts.

Dagg made her name this year by coordinating RIM’s defence against Luxembourg-based IP company Inpro, a patent case that made waves in both Germany and the UK.