JUVE Comment

SMEs of all sizes continue to place their patents in CBH’s capable hands. They trust the firm’s highly active practice in employee invention law, as well as its increasingly visible litigation team based in Munich.

The Munich team has undergone a fundamental transformation over the past two years, as younger partners Hannes Jacobsen and Paul Szynka have emerged from the shadow of veteran Stephan Gruber to take the lead on the firm’s most important cases. They earn praise for their deep technical knowledge and high-quality advice, maintaining the exemplary standards set by their mentor Gruber.

The younger partners increasingly attract international clients, particularly in the IT and mobile communications sectors, especially regarding SEP matters. An international semiconductor manufacturer has instructed the team as part of a global campaign, albeit currently only for German national proceedings. Other long-standing advisers handle the client’s UPC cases. The team also now represents a licensing service provider against various implementers in SEP disputes.

For key clients such as Phoenix Contact the litigation team works ever more closely with the Cologne practice led by Jens Kunzmann and Martin Quodbach, which primarily advises on employee invention law. CBH is a market leader in this area. While it was long thought that the team’s already impressive client list could scarcely expand, it is now clear that, with the rise of new industries, fresh companies are repeatedly turning to CBH here, such as a biotechnology firm concerning mRNA vaccines.

European set-up

As a national full-service firm, CBH remains far more involved in UPC proceedings than similar outfits such as Gleiss Lutz and Hengeler Mueller. Both long-standing and new clients, including MSG Maschinenbau, Heraeus and Phoenix Contact, have entrusted the team in the early days of the new court. In recent months, technology-driven SMEs such as Kunststoff KG Nehl have kept the Munich team around Jacobsen heavily engaged at the UPC. CBH’s high-quality work, widely praised by competitors, is also gaining recognition among international clients. Advanced Bionics, for example, brought in the litigation team alongside Kather Augenstein, Thum IP and Kirkland & Ellis for a crucial hearing at the Mannheim local division against MED-EL. Shortly thereafter, the global dispute over cochlear implants was settled. Looking ahead, the team could benefit further from the growing visibility of younger partners Jacobsen and Szynka in SEP and medical device cases, as the UPC is attractive for both industries.

Strengths

Employee invention law for companies; infringement litigation, especially for the auto and chemicals industries.

Recommended individuals

Stephan Gruber, Hannes Jacobsen (“an outstanding young litigator, very clever, very impressive”, competitor), Jens Kunzmann, Martin Quodbach, Paul Szynka (“got stuck in quickly, very good litigator”, competitor)

Team

11 lawyers

Clients

Litigation: Phoenix Contact against Harting over plug connectors (settled); Heraeus against Vibrantz over sintering pastes; i-mop against various competitors over cleaning machines; regular litigation for Magna, Purem, Schaeffler, Siemens AG and Siemens Healthcare, Voith Turbo, Wacker Chemie, Adolf Würth. Advice: Bayer, Eberspächer, Siemens Healthcare, ThyssenKrupp and Volkswagen regarding employee invention law.