JUVE Comment

This full-service firm is predominantly known for the outstanding reputation of its Cologne team in employee invention law. In addition since 2017 a new team around Gruber in Munich has stepped up its presence in infringement and nullity suits, as well as oppositions at the EPO. Although the two teams focus on different fields, the firms has increasingly been able to cross-sell from one practice to another. The Cologne team’s client list in employee invention law reads like a who’s who of the German economy, while the Munich team represents these clients in litigation, e.g. VW, a German electronics company or a German technology corporate. Gruber brought two further heavyweights from German industry in Siemens and Wacker Chemie, which are now advised by the Cologne team. The firm’s merger has therefore paid off and the team maintains excellent contacts to car makers and their suppliers. The firm is only peripherally involved in connected cars suits, despite having some experience here. In addition, with CBH’s advice to Bayer in invention law, the firm has the potential to raise its profile in pharma cases.

Strengths

Employee invention law for companies, infringement litigation, esp. for auto and chemistry industries.

Recommended individuals

Kurt Bartenbach, Stephan Gruber, Jens Kunzmann, Martin Quodbach

Team

3 equity partners, 2 salary partners, 3 associates, 1 of counsel

Specialties

In IP, advice and litigation in trademarks and unfair competition and technical protection rights to an equal degree. Strong focus on employee invention law, infringement and nullity proceedings. Licences, R&D contracts and transactions.

Clients

Litigation: regularly for Schaeffler, Siemens, Voith Turbo, VW, Wacker Chemie and a German electronics manufacturer; Avago against Firecomms over opto coupling; Bayer and Thyssenkrupp in patent and inventor’s law; Ford in inventor’s law; litigation and inventor’s law for Siemens and Eberspächer.