JUVE Comment

The patent practice of this full-service German firm has carved out an excellent market position thanks to its presence in high-profile telecoms cases. While the most recent representation of Xiaomi and TCL in extensive SEP proceedings has come to an end, the team led by Munich partner Ralph Nack has significantly expanded its footprint in other hi-tech sectors such as messaging for HBCU and network technology for Centripetal. For the latter, the team is coordinating the international litigation in Germany, France, and the US which now also includes several UPC proceedings.

In national litigation the practice is active in disputes across a broad technical spectrum. Here, it typically advises a clientele of medium-sized industrial companies such as the producer of high-precision optical and photonic solutions Excelitas. The team is also acting for US medical device company Arthrex in German nullity proceedings as well as in parallel UPC proceedings against Syntorr.

Building on its experience in cross-border disputes, the team has sucessfully established itself as a visible player at the UPC. An increasing number of clients instructs Noerr for disputes at the European court and UPC litigation now accounts for about half of the team’s work. In this, the practice benefits from its good relations with Chinese companies such as Lepu Medical Technology and Aiper, which are making increasing use of the European court. Recent highlights include the defence of Arthrex against Syntorr in a high-value UPC dispute over medical devices for surgical sutures, and the work for Lepu Medical Technology.

The increasing presence in UPC proceedings also gave a boost to the visibility of the team beyond renowned Munich partner Nack. Whilst for many years he was the only member of the team recognised in the market, young partners Niclas Gajeck and Armin Kühne are now increasingly making a name for themselves. One fly in the ointment, however, was the departure of Kühne in October.

Strengths

Mobile communications litigation for implementers including SEP and FRAND issues. Licence agreements.

Recommended individuals

Niclas Gajeck (“extremely thorough and reliable”, “very dynamic”, competitors),Ralph Nack (“innovative litigator”, “quickly gets to grips with even complex technical issues”, competitors)

Team

7 lawyers

Partner moves

Armin Kühne(to Fish & Richardson)

Clients

Litigation: AIM Sport Vision against Supponor and SportFive over ad overlays in TV broadcasts; Centripetal Networks against Cisco, Palo Alto Networks, and Keysight over network security solutions; HBCU Messaging International against Apple over data transmission via text messages and iMessage; Arthrex against Syntorr over medical devices; Quanxing Machining against Pump Technology Solutions over automotive components.