JUVE Comment

This European IP boutique is at the absolute top of the market for patent litigation by lawyers in Germany. The firm most impressed the market with litigation in numerous major patent battles, especially for long-time regular clients. Kanz and team litigated for Gilead in the internationally complex SPC precedent case involving HIV drug Truvada. The firm also landed prestigious new clients. Haft’s team worked for Apple in a billion-euro dispute over a Qualcomm patent. The good relationship with Intel, the iPhone manufacturer’s chip supplier, was the door opener here. The patents practice is also involved in the first suit against the auto industry concerning mobile communications patents for connected cars. A team around the respected partner Haft also litigated for regular client Continental as co-litigant in the Broadcom/Avago suit against VW and Audi. The Hoyng Monegier and ROKH merger was just three years ago, but cross-border cooperation is getting better and better. The highest profile example is litigation for ASML/Carl Zeiss regarding machines for the production of storage media by the Amsterdam and Düsseldorf offices. The firm went the next step surprisingly quickly in summer 2018 and merged with French patent litigation boutique Véron & Associés, thus bolstering its Paris patent litigation team, which was relatively small compared to Düsseldorf and Amsterdam, with renowned litigation specialists.

Strengths

Cross-border litigation specializing in pharmaceuticals, electronics and telecoms patents.

European strategy

Among the European patent litigation boutiques, no other firm can hold a candle to Hoyng ROKH Monegier. The practice positioned itself as a strong European boutique for IP litigation early on with the ROKH and Hoyng Monegier merger. The merger with French patent litigation boutique Véron & Associés this summer added well-known litigation specialists to the patent litigation team in Paris, which is relatively small compared to Düsseldorf and Amsterdam. This was a strategically clever move that surprised some competitors and snatched an important cooperation partner in France away from a number of German boutiques. At the same time, this puts the firm ahead of the French patents teams of European market leaders Bird & Bird and Hogan Lovells. But unlike these competitors, the boutique does not have an office or exclusive alliance in London, though it is present in Brussels and Madrid.

Recommended individuals

Prof. Dr. Christian Osterrieth, Klaus Haft (“our experience with him is always good”, client), Dr. Martin Köhler, Kay Kasper (“highly competent litigator with a solution-oriented approach”, competitor), Dr. Christine Kanz, Dr. Mirko Weinert, Dr. Tobias Hahn.

Team

9 equity partners, 1 counsel, 9 associates, 1 of counsel

Practice

Pan-European IP boutique focusing on patent infringement

proceedings and nullity suits. Also licences, R&D cooperations and transactions. Trademarks and unfair competition.

Clients

Litigation: (some public knowledge) Gilead against various generics manufacturers concerning Truvada; Apple/Ingel against Qualcomm; Deutsche Telekom against Intellectual Ventures and Munitech; Samsung against Fundamental Innovation Systems (all regarding mobile communications); Conti Temec against Broadcom/Avago concerning connected cars; ASML/Carl Zeiss SMT against Nikon regarding semiconductor production technology.