JUVE Comment

The patent practice of this international full-service firm is most renowned for its work in the life sciences sector. It has seen a flurry of personnel changes over the last few months, of which the German practice was not left unaffected. With Thomas Gniadek it lost a key partner for SEP litigation to Hoffmann Eitle in late 2025. Since then, the German team has not managed to close the gap in this segment.

In the remaining German team, three partners in particular stand out for patent litigation in life sciences. Munich partner and litigator Peter Meyer’s most prominent domestic litigation remains the representation of Bayer in the ongoing dispute over damages regarding cancer drug Nexavar. Major UPC highlights include representing new client MicroTech against Abbott regarding continuous glucose-monitoring devices. In the latter, the patent attorney team is also leading the parallel EPO opposition. With core clients such as Roche Diagnostics, Genevant, and Chugai, the patent attorney practice around Fritz Lahrtz and Stephanie Nottrott is equally well positioned.

However, the loss of Gniadek left a significant gap in the practice, especially regarding SEP litigation. He was most active for clients such as Network System Technology and DivX. Furthermore, his departure was a significant loss of reputation for Simmons & Simmons’ international ambitions. He was co-head the firm’s cross-border patent group, which also saw significant departures from the teams in the Netherlands and the UK. Whilst at national level many clients currently are in the pre-litigation stage or continue to rely on the team for advice – for example, in licensing negotiations – the focus of high-profile litigation is shifting noticeably towards the UPC, where the team is acting for prominent clients such as Samsung Bioepis, Stratasys, and BASF.

Strengths

Litigation and prosecution related to pharmaceuticals. Pan-European cross-border litigation.

Recommended individuals

Peter Meyer (“excellent and experienced”, competitor); patent attorneys: Fritz Lahrtz (“top in pharma”, competitor), Stephanie Nottrott

Team

6 lawyers, 9 patent attorneys

Clients

Litigation: Bayer against Zentiva and other generics companies over damages regarding cancer drug Nexavar/sorafenib; Roche Diagnostics against IT-IS over patent ownership. Frequent litigation: Roche Diagnostics, Bestway. EPO oppositions: MicroTec/Mediq against Abbott over continuous glucose-monitoring devices; Genevant Sciences against Moderna over lipid nanoparticles (settled 2026); Chugai Pharmaceutical over antibody technology; Oberland M & V over bottle crates.