JUVE Comment

In patent filing, this mixed IP firm is among the market leaders in Germany. The patent attorneys file patents covering a wide technical spectrum for a large, international base of regular clients. The prosecution practice is well established in computer technologies, including semiconductors and software, as well as mobile communications, pharma and biotech. The patent attorneys also boast litigation experience but were not seen as frequently in high-profile cases as the smaller firms focusing more on litigation, such as Hamm & Wittkopp for pharma patents or Cohausz & Florack in mobile communications. The well-positioned team of lawyers is concentrated in Munich and conducts a multitude of proceedings in line with the breadth of the prosecution practice. The team offers all-round advice from a single source for regular Mittelstand clients. The battle with airlines over patents for mobile check-in on Aeritas websites has been ongoing for years, with new suits frequently filed. The litigation team is not, however, active in the major series of proceedings involving pharma and mobile communications patents, which is why its market visibility is still not as strong as that of the prosecution practice.

Strengths

Patent prosecution with renowned technical specialties in electronics, chemicals, pharmaceuticals and biotech. Litigation related to pharmaceuticals.

European strategy

With mixed teams in Munich and an office in Paris the firm is well positioned for the UPC. Boehmert & Boehmert deliberately focuses its lawyers’ litigation team in Munich. That is surprising since the path to a top position in infringement cases in Germany is nearly always through strong visibility in Düsseldorf – the reason why direct competitors like Vossius and Bardehle are stepping up their Düsseldorf presence. Boehmert is therefore at risk of falling behind its competitors and is missing its chance to take a greater role in cross-border cases.

Recommended individuals

Heinz Goddar, Jan Krauss, Christian Appelt, Thomas Bittner, Markus Engelhard (all patent attorneys)

Team

41 patent attorneys, 7 lawyers

Specialties

All-round IP activity, incl. trademarks and unfair competition and copyrights. Patent law centres on patent prosecution: large filing practice with broad technical expertise; opposition and nullity suits and infringement proceedings. Licences, R&D contracts and transaction advice.

Clients

Litigation: Aeritas (claimant) against Turkish Airlines and Air Canada over mobile check-in; Beauty Union (claimant) against manufacturer and seller concerning perfume bottles; Gabo Systemtechnik (claimant) against Dura-Line over laying fibreglass cables; JVC Kenwood (claimant) against Logicom over DVDs; Microsoft (claimant) against Spirit Evolution over headphones. Prosecution: Oppositions for Samsung Bioepis, Novo Nordisk. Oppositions and filing for Aptar Group, Panasonic, Klaus Bruchmann, Klinkau. Filing for Alibaba, Beauty Union, Blink, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, Fraunhofer Gesellschaft, Fuji Electric, Gennova Biopharmaceuticals, German Cancer Research Centre (DKFZ), Intel, Johann Wolfgang Goethe University of Frankfurt, Joyetech, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre, Liofilchem, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine (MDC), Microsoft, Senju Pharmaceutical, SZ DJI Technology, Viventia Bio, Wacom, Winterhalter Gastronom.