JUVE Comment

This Berlin firm boasts brisk filing work for Asian companies and the German car industry and is very active in infringement cases. The litigation team around Scheffler has amassed a good deal of experience in standard-relevant patents for mobile communications through proceedings for flagship client Haier before the Federal Court of Justice. G&P predominantly consists of patent attorneys but the work for Haier helped establish the firm as a mixed litigation team. G&P is heavily involved in proceedings for the tobacco industry, e.g. for Imperial Tobacco subsidiary Reemtsma. Such cases show how the firm’s litigation activity stems mainly from prosecution work or, as in Imperial Tobacco’s case, strategic portfolio management. G&P is firmly anchored among Asian clients through its offices in Beijing and Yokohama. The result of all this is that the partnership managed to implement an almost seamless generation change. The last of the name partners retired in 2018 and the younger partners have moved up the ranks, although the current leadership now needs to establish greater presence in the market. One solution could be more litigation work for Asian mobile phone companies. G&P has good contacts to the Samsung Group, for example. The ties to VW and some auto suppliers are also excellent. Despite its combination of contacts and experience, however, G&P was not involved in the initial battles over connected cars.

Strengths

Patent prosecution and litigation related to electronics and telecoms patents. Strong presence among Asian companies.

Recommended individuals

Marco Scheffler (“much experience in SEP suits”, competitor), Sönke Lorenz (patent attorney)

Team

22 patent attorneys, 3 lawyers

Specialties

All-round IP activity. Patent prosecution with two technical specialties in chemicals/pharmaceuticals and electronics/IT. Licences, nullity suits and infringement proceedings.

Clients

Litigation: Haier against Sisvel over mobile communications; Reemtsma against BAT over cigarette packaging; TCT against Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft; Wiko against LG (both over mobile communications). Prosecution: Fontem Ventures (incl. litigation), Imperial Tobacco (incl. strategic portfolio management), Autel Robotics, Audi, Bundesdruckerei, Robert Bosch, Coty, German Auto Labs, Siemens, VW, various Samsung subsidiaries.