Filing – Germany 2017

JUVE Comment

This mixed firm is among the leading names for patents and enjoys an exceptionally strong international position compared to other teams. In Germany, HE boasts one of the strongest prosecution teams there is as well as established litigation teams at the future UPC divisions Düsseldorf, Hamburg and Munich. The firm’s network of Japanese companies is almost legendary, and it has long operated a London office because of its strong pharma focus. HE bolstered its Milan and Madrid offices with foreign lawyers. But to fully bring this strength into p...

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• Litigation: Lawyers
• Litigation: Patent Attorneys

JUVE Comment

This recommended Munich IP firm remains one of the market’s strongest prosecution outfits when it comes to patent filing and grew by five patent attorneys from its own ranks. The patent attorneys work within a broad technical spectrum. Pharmaceuticals patents do not play a role comparable to that at pharma-heavy competitors Hoffmann Eitle and Vossius. Instead, MFP is very strong in mechanics patents and the automotive sector, as extensive filing work for General Motors shows. Most litigation work is in opposition suits before the EPO and in nul...

JUVE Comment

This leading firm in patents is a real heavyweight for litigation, both by patent attorneys and lawyers. No other German firm has so consistently embodied the mixed litigation approach over many years. The major proceedings conducted for the NPE Intellectual Ventures were among the highest-profile proceedings before the German courts. Beyond such NPE suits, Bardehle primarily litigates for industrial clients from a wide range of sectors, among them Amazon and Adidas. Visibility in pharmaceuticals suits, however, is low and will only improve wit...

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• Litigation: Lawyers
• Litigation: Patent Attorneys

JUVE Comment

IP boutique Dreiss is chiefly recommended for its extensive prosecution activity in patents. The long-established Stuttgart firm has deep roots among Mittelstand companies in the region, such as Innowatech, which it litigated for in (international) disputes, in cooperation with external lawyers. Dreiss is also called on frequently by other law firms for litigation. Overall development in terms of staff and work was steady.

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• Litigation: Patent Attorneys

JUVE Comment

This leading firm in patents successfully pursues a litigation focus. Work for Philips is increasingly extensive, e.g. concerning implementation of the Dutch company’s huge patent pool. The patent attorneys and lawyers not only conduct litigation for their most important regular client in mobile communications, but in a broad spectrum ranging from lighting to white goods. Just how consistently Eisenführ now works with mixed teams for litigation was shown by its work for Dolby regarding audio coding and for regular client Sisvel in mobile commun...

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• Litigation: Patent Attorneys

JUVE Comment

The dynamic progress made by this highly recommended patent attorney firm in Munich can be seen in the growing headcount, with four patent attorneys brought in for engineering and physics. The takeover of the major Colgate-Palmolive patent portfolio last year played a major role in the growth. W&W is defending its connections to regular clients against tough competition and, more than others, is giving thought to how it can accompany its clients in their digitalization process, e.g. e-billing. With litigation specialists like Thum and Katérle, ...

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• Litigation: Patent Attorneys

JUVE Comment

This Ruhr Valley firm is respected for its patent filing work. AH is very visible in mechanics and engineering patents, partly because Rohmann and Kasseck raised their market presence. The latter was appointed partner at the beginning of 2017. In litigation, AH mostly appears in opposition suits, cancellation proceedings and nullity suits. The firm is less visible in infringement proceedings, as its regular clients are not very litigious.

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• Litigation: Patent Attorneys

JUVE Comment

This respected Cologne IP firm is one of the most visible prosecution outfits in the Rhine-Ruhr region with an outstanding reputation for chemicals and pharmaceuticals patents. The patent attorneys were far more visible in litigation than before. The fact that work also involved technologies outside of the firm’s actual specialty proves its many years of litigation experience, which a number of Düsseldorf litigation firms trust in: Dompatent was seen on the side of Taylor Wessing in a mobile communications dispute for Asus. Generally, however, ...

JUVE Comment

This Munich firm is respected for patent filing and one of the few large prosecution outfits in the market. As such, it foregoes a litigation practice with its own lawyers. Only some of its patent attorneys occasionally appear before the ordinary courts. EHF is very visible in prosecution work related to electronics and mobile communications patents, incl. the corresponding official proceedings, e.g. for Osram, Fujitsu and Huawei.

JUVE Comment

A respected patent attorney practice and one of the most visible filing firms in north Germany. For its size, which has been small for years, Hauck handles a substantial amount of filing – often initial filing for its strong Mittelstand client base. The patent attorneys are raising their visibility in litigation, esp. in opposition and nullity suits. Infringement proceedings, on the other hand, are only conducted occasionally by the patent attorneys for regular clients.

JUVE Comment

A pure patent attorney firm, Hoeger is primarily respected for its solid filing practice. The innovative Mittelstand client base from the central Neckar region is provided with prosecution and strategic patent portfolio advice, as well as litigation in disputes. In these cases, the patent attorneys frequently call on lawyers from Düsseldorf or Munich firms. Unlike other pure patent attorney firms, HSP is not looking to increase litigation activity and is thus not particularly visible in this segment.

JUVE Comment

A respected, pure patent attorney firm which is restructuring activity. Classic pharmaceuticals and chemicals patents have been the main pillars of work up to now, but IBH responded to the decreasing number of patents filed in these sectors by filing more patents on the interface with electronics and mechanics, e.g. in bioinformatics or medical technology. IBH reduced capacities accordingly: three lawyers from the pharmaceuticals/chemicals group went to companies or other firms. But the patent attorneys continued to capitalize on IBH’s reputati...

JUVE Comment

Thanks to a very well-positioned team of patent attorneys, this US firm boasts one of Germany’s leading patents practices. Apart from Bird & Bird, JD is the only large law firm in Germany to file patents on a large scale. The technical spectrum is vast, but a specialty lies in biotech and pharmaceuticals. The small litigation team is thus also very active in pharmaceuticals proceedings. The consistent mixed approach and intensive cooperation with London and the US offices show the clout JD is able to deploy at the UPC. JD often litigates for cl...

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• Litigation: Lawyers
• Litigation: Patent Attorneys

JUVE Comment

For many years, this Munich IP boutique and leading name in patents has followed a successful mixed approach. The patent attorneys operate a small but strong prosecution practice, which files many patents at the German Patent and Trademark Office, incl. a large number of priority patents for its primarily German clients. Because regular clients are securing more and more international markets, the proportion of patents filed at the EPO is also on the rise. Besides activity for innovative Mittelstand companies, work for some international corpor...

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• Litigation: Lawyers
• Litigation: Patent Attorneys

JUVE Comment

The patent attorneys at this firm respected for its prosecution work file many priority patents for a multitude of regular clients from a wide array of sectors. They also file European patents on a much smaller scale for foreign companies. Litigation mainly plays a role within existing client relationships. The firm is hired less often than local competitor Cohausz & Florack for pure litigation work, because only a few individual patent attorneys have pronounced litigation profiles. Nonetheless, MHP is one of the most visible prosecution outfit...

JUVE Comment

This pure patent attorney firm is respected in patents. The strong filing practice was given a boost as new clients chose the firm and existing clients expanded their portfolios. This led to a rise in opposition suits, where P&P is very visible. The opposition suits and patent filing for auto supplier Valeo are one example. From its filing activity, the firm is also developing much litigation work. Infringement proceedings are conducted with external lawyers.

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• Litigation: Patent Attorneys

JUVE Comment

A respected Munich patent attorney firm which is visible in the market with a busy prosecution practice offering a broad technical spectrum. The firm grew by two patent attorneys in line with the good market conditions. The patent attorneys are also known for work for Asian companies and often litigate alongside external lawyers. They frequently appear for Hexal and other generics companies, most recently against Mundipharma regarding Targin. The overall focus is on chemicals and pharmaceuticals patents.

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• Litigation: Patent Attorneys

JUVE Comment

This Hamburg IP boutique’s respected patents team chiefly specializes in providing litigation and advice to clients from the pharmaceuticals, biotech and chemicals sector. U&S frequently litigates for medical technology manufacturer Ivoclar and agriculture corporate Monsanto. In litigation, the patent attorneys always work with external lawyers. The move of two experienced partners with technical expertise in electronics and mobile communications patents to Bird & Bird meant the loss of connections to clients Black & Decker and Nokia, which wea...

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• Litigation: Patent Attorneys

JUVE Comment

This large IP firm files a sizeable number of patents and is mostly respected for its prosecution work, though it has also been building up a litigation practice with its own lawyers for some time. This is not particularly visible yet, but is already busy. For instance, the practice litigated in a midsized series of proceedings for NMS and made the market sit up and take notice on the side of NPE Wilan against Amazon. The extensive prosecution work harbors potential for much more litigation activity.

JUVE Comment

This mixed firm, which comes recommended in patents, boasts an established prosecution practice with strong specialties in mechanics and pharmaceuticals patents, as well as an expanding litigation practice. This is because, like other midsized patent attorney firms in Munich, such as Prüfer & Partner or Viering Jentschura, WRST is currently banking on more dispute work and is integrating its lawyers more consistently into litigation for regular clients. Some patent attorneys, Wallinger above all, have enjoyed an excellent reputation for litigat...

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• Litigation: Patent Attorneys

JUVE Comment

This Stuttgart patent attorney firm respected for its prosecution work profited from the rise in filing activity by regular clients incl. Sony and Boeing. Compared to other firms from southwest Germany, Witte works for international corporates to a particularly high degree. The firm also litigates frequently, e.g. for clients Diazyme Europe, General Atomics, DiaSys and Orlalab concerning blood tests. But like many of its competitors, the firm relies on cooperation with external lawyers.

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• Litigation: Patent Attorneys

JUVE Comment

This firm respected in patents operates a midsized filing practice focusing increasingly on international clients. This is partly thanks to the patent attorneys’ good reputation for litigation, esp. in electronics and mobile communications patents. The patent attorneys bank on sound connections to selected firms like Taylor Wessing, with whom they are working in a high-profile LED dispute for Nichia. Its litigation expertise allows B&R to position itself for new prosecution work. The firm was one of just a few other practices chosen by Google t...

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• Litigation: Patent Attorneys

JUVE Comment

This respected Berlin IP firm can look back on an exceptional year, for its litigation work in particular. For Haier, the firm is currently helping to shape the German FRAND case law in the SEP mobile communications suits against Sisvel before the Düsseldorf Higher Regional Court (Oberlandesgericht). It is notable how Gulde is conducting these proceedings in a mixed team with its own lawyers. The firm’s expertise in the FRAND issue also gave rise to further mobile communications suits, incl. for ZTE on the patent attorney side. In addition, the...

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• Litigation: Patent Attorneys

JUVE Comment

A respected patent attorney firm in Frankfurt with a traditional strength in filing engineering and mechanics patents, as well as in chemicals and chemical engineering. The patent attorneys also conduct litigation for regular clients from the German Mittelstand and international corporates with an experienced lawyer. But this has not raised K&S’ visibility as a litigation specialist.

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• Litigation: Patent Attorneys

JUVE Comment

This midsized, respected patent attorney firm continues to build up activity. On the patent attorney side, P&P landed an extensive new prosecution instruction: Knorr Bremse. Patent attorney Emmerling, who joined in 2015 from Betten & Resch, raised his visibility in patent litigation, e.g. for Huawei as well as Acer and Trekstor. The mixed litigation approach pursued by P&P for a good three years is bearing ever greater fruit: its own lawyers are integrated increasingly consistently into litigation for regular client Brother.

JUVE Comment

This Nuremberg firm is primarily respected for patent filing, which it conducts at a consistently high level. Filing work for Mittelstand clients, among whom the firm is deeply rooted, esp. in northern Bavaria, made solid progress. The firm stepped up patent filing in connection with Industry 4.0, thus following the development of its clients, esp. engineering companies.

JUVE Comment

Thanks to steady personnel development and a loyal base of clients, this respected, pure patent attorney firm remains one of the foremost players for filing and litigation in west Germany. Von Rohr is esp. visible in the Ruhr Valley, but also has a good name among Düsseldorf’s lawyers for the litigation conducted by its patent attorneys. The team mainly litigates for German Mittelstand companies on the side of external lawyers. But above all von Rohr has a high profile for its filing practice in engineering, electrical engineering, chemicals an...

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• Litigation: Patent Attorneys