Litigation: Lawyers – Germany 2019

JUVE Comment

This patent practice has long been a market leader. It stands out from competitors with its mixed team of lawyers and patent attorneys advising clients comprehensively on a large technology spectrum. Furthermore, B&B represents its clients across all European jurisdictions when it comes to major proceedings, putting it one step ahead of competitors such as Freshfields. The team around Jüngst and Wolters-Höhne boasts an excellent position in pharma cases. One example is its work for core client Ratiopharm resulting in a highly regarded rulin...

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• Litigation: Patent Attorneys

JUVE Comment

A leading patent litigation team which continued its impressive development. HL was once again present in all the important cases before German courts. In mobile communications HL represented Vodafone, Google, LG and ZTE in the dispute with Intellectual Ventures. LG has retained the Munich team in two suits from NPEs, while Google frequently turns to the team for mobile phone cases. In the pharma sector, HL was highly active for originator companies against generics manufacturers over biosimilars and supplementary protection certificates (SPCs)...

JUVE Comment

After another hugely successful year, it is clear that this mixed IP firm remains a market leader in both patent litigation and filing. Compared to many other German IP firms, BaPa has a clear international focus when it comes to litigation. And here it is probably only Hoyng ROKH Monegier that can be said to have the edge over Bardehle. The former is regarded as working more consistently between its international offices, whereas Bardehle’s German lawyers work less frequently with their counterparts in Paris or Verona, for example. Nevertheles...

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• Patent Filing
• Litigation: Patent Attorneys

JUVE Comment

This Düsseldorf IP firm is one of the most active litigation outfits in the German market, which is down to the sheer number of proceedings referred to it by patent attorneys or prominent midsized companies. The firm covers a plethora of technologies. Over the past year it was more present in proceedings related to life sciences, especially pharmaceutical products. KM litigated intensively for Fresenius Kabi and another originator manufacturer over biosimilars. Medical product manufacturers retained the firm for some major cases. As always, Ver...

JUVE Comment

Once again the German team of this US firm confirmed its status as a leading outfit in litigation. A large team around Grosch conducted the European part of the global patent battle over semiconductors for Qualcomm against Apple, which ended in a settlement in early 2019. In the current dispute over connected cars patents, the firm represents Daimler against suits from Broadcom, Nokia and Sharp. In order to handle two such prestigious cases the team had to double its size and appoint a counsel in Munich with experience in mobile phone suits to ...

JUVE Comment

This Düsseldorf law firm is part of the wider group of market leaders in patent litigation. It conducts infringement and nullity suits primarily for clients in the pharma, biotech and mobile communications sectors. Defence against NPE suits for clients such as Samsung and LG have given rise to a considerable work flow. ROP managed to transfer this experience to connected cars for the first time in its work for Alpine as co-litigator of BMW. Traditionally, the firm is in the premier league in pharma and biotech, thanks to partners Thomas Musmann...

JUVE Comment

The patent litigation team at this magic circle firm resides at the top of the German market and at the forefront of pharma and mobile communication cases. It was recently e.g. involved in the major battle for core client Apple. The team around the renowned Hufnagel and the young but established Prinz zu Waldeck und Pyrmont were also successful for for Nikon. And thanks to the long-standing relationship to Continental, the patent team represented the auto supplier in the new cases over connected cars. The practice finally also stepped up its li...

JUVE Comment

The litigation practice at this international full-service firm has always delivered impressive work in pharma patents. In recent years, it has diversified its client circle to include other sectors such as telecoms and technology. The patent lawyers played a background role for an auto supplier in the high-profile Broadcom vs. Audi case over connected cars. Despite core clients such as Asus and ZTE, the firm has not yet achieved the same profile in mobile communications as it has in pharma cases. TW is broadening its technical range, advising ...

JUVE Comment

This mixed IP firm is a market leader. It operates one of the biggest European prosecution practices and boasts a very strong position among Japanese companies. The litigation team has an excellent reputation for pharma suits. One client praised the team as “first class, especially in pharma proceedings” and competitors say it is “absolutely top in chemistry and biotech”. The lawyers were recently involved in some prominent cases, e.g. for AstraZeneca and Sanofi. However, the litigators have so far struggled to convince clients from other secto...

Other Rankings

• Patent Filing
• Litigation: Patent Attorneys

JUVE Comment

This small, partner-heavy IP boutique is present in patent infringement cases, especially the major mobile communication cases. The team litigated for Broadcom/Avago against VW/Audi in one of the first suits over connected cars. In addition, the boutique represented Wiko against Sisvel and 3G Licensing over mobile communications patents. A new client was the TCL subsidiary TCT, which instructed the practice in the second instance for an SEP case. In other technical fields, both midsized companies and corporates retain the four-strong team. One ...

JUVE Comment

The litigation practice of this full-service firm (biggest in Germany) is shaped by its extensive activity for German midsized technology companies, which give rise to a good flow of work. In addition the firm has strengthened its clients base amongst start-ups in the medical technology sector. Up to now, CMS has been underrepresented in mobile communications but the practice recently showed more presence with a new client defended in a suit from NPE concerning SEPs. The large team is not present in major European patent litigation, however. CM...

JUVE Comment

The patent litigation practice has stable ties to its core clients from various sectors, especially pharma, telecoms, electronics and consumer goods. Of Counsel Bopp, enjoys an excellent reputation. In connected cars cases the firm advised in the background and brought its antitrust expertise into play. However, it has not recently played a role in those cases which have as yet been public. The relatively small team size compares with rivals means opportunities for further development are limited.

JUVE Comment

The patent litigation team around Kellenter advises a healthy mix of companies and NPEs. The team has been able to maintain this balance for years because the companies it advises mainly stem from industries that have not yet been attacked by NPEs over connectivity. AstraZeneca and Saint-Gobain are long-term litigation clients. The team’s work for GE subsidiary Concept Laser against Bego and its customers is becoming increasingly comprehensive. Recently, the team litigated for core client Kennametal over cutting blades. In mobile telecommunicat...

JUVE Comment

This US firm has a large and experienced mixed team in Germany. Compared with some rivals, JD has a broader prosecution practice and a somewhat weaker litigation practice. Predominantly clients from the biotech and pharma sectors call on the firm for international patent cases in multiple jurisdictions, thus profiting from the global network. The practice represented the MSD subsidiary Idenix Pharmaceuticals against Gilead in a high-profile dispute over an expensive hepatitis C drug. Companies also turn to JD for mechanics and engineering paten...

Other Rankings

• Patent Filing
• Litigation: Patent Attorneys

JUVE Comment

With a practice focussed on high-end litigation with lawyers, the Magic Circle firm is particularly strong in litigation for mobile communication and pharmaceutical cases. In the latter Feldges is highly active for originator companies. The firm's most prominent cases at present include a series for Pfizer incl. one before the European Court of Justice. The German team was retained by a British pharmaceutical company for the first time – a core client of the London practice – and more significantly by Bayer. Work for large chemistry and pharma ...

JUVE Comment

This small IP boutique’s USP has been its flexibility as a patent litigation specialist, which means it has been well placed to represent NPEs in mobile communications suits, e.g. Unwired Planet. This positioning on the NPE side has remained strong, with the firm frequently representing these clients in new proceedings over the past year. Aside from such major cases, a growing number of innovative midsized German companies have been instructing the firm, especially for technically complex proceedings. The success of the firm over the past 8 yea...

JUVE Comment

The German patent team of this large international firm has a well known litigation specialist in Munich in Herr, who is also a qualified patent attorney. This has enabled the practice to litigate for clients such as Becton Dickinson regularly in infringement, opposition and nullity cases. With a second dual qualified lawyer, the firm is also well equipped for cases in the field of optics. Internationally active German companies such as Giesecke & Devrient also frequently retain the firm. The patent practice also advises companies which are...

JUVE Comment

The German team of the global firm focuses on patent litigation and following the arrival of Cepl two years ago, the practice now has a stable setup. His rapid integration into the team has increased its technical breadth and as such DLA is now in a better position to play a key role in the current connected cars disputes, especially with core clients Harman and Aptiv as first tier suppliers of communication modules. DLA represented them not only as co-litigants of VW, BMW and Daimler in the infringement suits from Broadcom, but also advises th...

JUVE Comment

The small Munich patent team is very active in infringement cases and clients increasingly call in the firm for licensing negotiations. The team’s advice to the auto industry on connected cars patents and potential disputes is developing positively. On the one hand this is not surprising, since Noerr has long standing good ties to German car makers. On the other hand, such work is remarkable given that the patent team’s experience of mobile communications has been gleaned mainly through litigation for NPEs. Noerr has attempted to walk this tigh...

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 the...

JUVE Comment

This IP firm is one of the most active patent outfits outside Munich, due to its intensive patent-filing work on the one hand, and its strong litigation focus (both patent attorneys and lawyers) on the other. The patent attorneys traditionally litigate in oppositions and nullity cases for nationally and internationally renowned clients such as BASF, Enercon and Philips. That they increasingly work with the small team of lawyers on suits for Philips and various licence pools is a consistent development. Eisenführ is thus more active in the growi...

Other Rankings

• Patent Filing
• Litigation: Patent Attorneys

JUVE Comment

The mainly regionally (Hamburg) active patent practice frequently advises defendants in patent proceedings. It continues to develop this work with new clients, e.g. HU is advising a pharmaceuticals manufacturer in preparation for a lawsuit. Notable companies retain the small team, such as generics manufacturer Aliud Pharma in the high-profile proceedings against Gilead over the HIV drug Truvada. The EuGH ruled in favour of the generics manufacturer here in a precedent case. The practice is expanding its client base, e.g. in the packaging and co...

JUVE Comment

In this otherwise transaction-driven firm, the patent team around Schönbohm has acquired a clear profile for pharma litigation. It conducts international proceedings for Shire and Sanofi together with the offices in London and Paris, which is underlined by the European patent practice’s strong network. The instructions are mainly managed in London. The German team is continuously broadening its technical competence through more proceedings outside the pharma sector. One example is the cross-border litigation for Seoul Semiconductors over LEDs, ...

JUVE Comment

Hardly any other German practice has built up such a profile in connected cars disputes as the German patent team at this US firm. US core client Harman International and its German subsidiary Harman Becker played a key role in the German connected cars suits on the supplier side, which was a real coup for the Düsseldorf team around Holzapfel. The team not only advises Harman intensively on contract law and licences but is also involved in nullity and infringement cases. Indeed competitors claim that Holzapfel was already visible in the proceed...

JUVE Comment

Following the arrival of Adam in mid-2018, this mixed boutique had the right team to bring several NPE suits before German courts in quick succession. One example is its work for Innovative Foundry Technologies concerning connected cars. The NPE is accusing VW and Ford of infringing its patents in their infotainment modules. While Adam is not regarded as a designated mobile communications expert, his litigation experience raised the team’s profile in the market, which was already on a good footing with Peterreins and Schley. Up to now PS has be...