JUVE Comment

The German practice at this international full-service firm ranks among the market leaders, with a strong presence in high-profile pharmaceutical and telecommunications disputes. The team represents its regular clients – pharmaceutical originators and biosimilar manufacturers – in the most significant legal battles. Freshfields is equally committed to numerous technology companies, particularly in telecommunications, and has recently expanded its client base.

The two younger partners, Nina Bayerl and Wolrad Prinz zu Waldeck und Pyrmont, have already built strong reputations in the market and are driving the firm’s development forward. This is particularly evident through their representation in UPC proceedings – often running parallel to national litigation – for clients such as Xiaomi. The practice’s success is further underlined by the promotion of Corin Gittinger to partner, a litigator already highly regarded in the market. In numerous proceedings for long-standing clients including Apple, HP, Moderna, and Novartis, senior partner Frank-Erich Hufnagel continues to play a key role within the team.

The basis for this success is also the close collaboration within the firm’s international network. The team defends long-standing clients such as Apple against a claim before the UPC, regularly working hand in hand with the firm’s partners in Amsterdam and London. Unlike competitors such as Bird & Bird or Hogan Lovells, Freshfields continues to believe in collaborating with external patent attorneys and, together with law firms such as Maikowski Ninnemann and Samson, has achieved many successes for its clients.

Strengths

Pharmaceuticals and mobile communications litigation, the latter including FRAND.

Recommended individuals

Nina Bayerl (“confident team leader”, competitor), Corin Gittinger (“strong in complex legal problems”, competitor), Frank-Erich Hufnagel (“outstanding analyst”, competitor), Wolrad Prinz zu Waldeck und Pyrmont (“impressive litigator”, competitor)

Team

18 lawyers

Clients

Litigation: Moderna against BioNTech over mRNA patents; Alexion against Amgen over orphan drug (settled 2026); Novartis against Stada over blood-cancer drug Tasigna/nilotinib; Novartis against Aliud, Zentiva, Ethypharm, Betapharm, and Puren over damages for enforcement concerning cancer drug Afinitor; Kodak against Fujifilm over printing plates; Xiaomi against OxMobil over LTEs; Xiaomi against Nera over wireless charging and NFC functions in handsets; HP against TonerOffice and DoreInk over printer cartridges.