JUVE Comment

MB is a leading name in patents and is making inroads into the group of firms with visible mixed litigation teams, like those seen for some time at Bardehle, Grünecker or Vossius. MB bolstered Wuttke’s team of lawyers with a Bird & Bird associate experienced in patents. Patent attorneys and lawyers are working increasingly closely in litigation, e.g. for Deutsche Telekom and Facebook. But the basis of litigation work is always the well-positioned prosecution practice with its multitude of German industrial clients as well as international contacts, esp. in Asia.

Strengths

Patent prosecution with technical expertise in chemicals and engineering. Litigation.

European strategy

With its mixed setup and a UK presence, the firm is well set to look after its Mittelstand and Asian clients independently when the UPC launches. But in the long term MB will have to think about a presence at the central UPC locations Düsseldorf and Paris. Further growth in staff will be indispensable in the short term if MB wants to be considered more often for the major proceedings in mobile communications.

Recommended individuals

Dr. Tobias Wuttke; patent attorneys: Dr. Eugen Popp, Kay Rupprecht.

Team

60 patent attorneys, 10 lawyers

Practice

All-round IP activity, predominantly for Mittelstand companies. Around 50 percent of work is in patents with a clear focus on patent prosecution: filing with broad technical expertise. Nullity and opposition suits and patent infringement proceedings, incl. rights to inspections. Employee invention law. The other 50 percent of work is accounted for by trademarks and unfair competition.

Clients

Deutsche Telekom regarding mobile communications; Cybex regarding child seats; Greif concerning industrial pallets. Filing for Facebook, Electrolux, ITW, Johnson Controls, Mammut Sports, Pioneer, Thyssenkrupp, Villeroy & Boch; supplier and purchaser concerning car parts.