JUVE Comment

The major strength of this market-leading patents team lies in its unusually large prosecution practice with broad technical know-how. The firm’s ties among auto suppliers and chip manufacturers paid dividends: together with Klaka, the litigation team conducted what was perhaps the year’s most important series of proceedings before the German patent courts, the first high-profile case involving connected car patents, for Broadcom/Avogo against Audi/VW. The team had already worked for Broadcom concerning chips for games consoles. With the connected cars case, the lawyers finally made the breakthrough into major proceedings. Up until then, only the patent attorneys had gained recognition in major mobile communications proceedings. But Grünecker’s mixed approach is well established. The large prosecution practice, to which few competitors across Europe can compare, gives rise to a multitude of nullity suits and infringement proceedings in a broad technical spectrum. In comparison to Vossius and Hoffmann Eitle, pharmaceuticals litigation only plays a minor role. Grünecker is somewhat more strongly positioned when it comes to medical products. With only two partners, the lawyer litigation team will have to boost its litigation team and, like Vossius, grow in Düsseldorf to raise its clout for the UPC.

Strengths

Patent prosecution and litigation related to electronics, mechanics and software.

European strategy

The firm wants to manage by itself at the UPC and, with its mixed litigation team and established Munich and Paris offices, has very strong foundations for this. The lawyer litigation team of two partners will have to bring in more partners to raise its clout. Competitor Vossius ramping up its Düsseldorf team increases the pressure on Grünecker to raise its visibility here too.

Recommended individuals

Dr. Ulrich Blumenröder, Dr. Bernd Allekotte; patent attorneys: Martin Aufenanger, Hans Hilgers, Reinhard Knauer, Thomas Schuster, Dr. Heike Vogelsang-Wenke.

Team

84 patent attorneys, 8 lawyers

Practice

All-round IP activity, incl. copyrights, trademarks and unfair competition. Clear focus on technical protection rights. Extensive prosecution practice with broad technical spectrum. Opposition and nullity suits and infringement proceedings with mixed teams.

Clients

Litigation: Broadcom/Avago against Audi/VW concerning connected cars; Eurofilters regarding vacuum cleaner filters; Hisky concerning liver diagnosis device; Teleflex regarding catheter. Prosecution: filing and opposition suits for Harman Becker, Krones, Lear Corp., Mahle; Microsoft, Nissan, Panasonic, Samsung, Yamaha.