A Swedish pharmaceuticals company advised by Simmons & Simmons has launched a groundbreaking appeal against a ruling by Mr Justice Laddie accusing him of having an “appearance of bias” in a patent case.

The highly unusual allegation is one of the grounds of AstraZeneca subsidiary AB Hassle’s appeal against Laddie’s ruling in a patent case.
Laddie ruled that AB Hassle could not enforce a patent for one of its drugs against two rival UK companies, Generics (UK) and Cairnstores.