Look out competitors! Another year as successful as this and the patents practice around Dr. Andreas von Falck will outpace the market. The firm was involved in virtually all of the year’s major patent battles: be it Blackberry, HTC, LG or Vodafone – Hogan Lovells fought NPEs on the industry side more often than any other. Defending Apple in the mobile communications battle against Nokia, which consisted of no less than 32 suits, was a particular challenge to capacities. The fact that the team was able to prepare another series of lawsuits at the same time for Nikon against Carl Zeiss regarding chip production machines demonstrates its unique clout, especially as Hogan Lovells also won pharmaceuticals suits calling for legal dexterity. The highlight of the successful year was an extremely rare compulsory license for HIV medication that Miriam Gundt and her team won for Merck. Gundt had only made partner in 2015. The practice potential was underscored by the next partner appointment just two years later. The fact that Dr. Alexander Klicznik is dual-qualified as a lawyer and patent attorney and the firm is increasingly banking on technical experts set the market talking. The market should be concerned that the IP practice, which is extremely strong throughout Europe, is now exporting its patent expertise and building its own US team. Hogan Lovells is thus not only protecting its excellent US connections, but pitting itself against the US firms pushing their way into Europe on their home turf. After all, Google hired the Munich office for litigation for the first time – up to then, the Internet corporate had been firmly in the hands of Quinn Emanuel.