JUVE Comment

This UK IP firm has been active in the German courtrooms from its Düsseldorf office since 2013. But what really gives it the necessary market presence among the major German litigation firms is the current litigation for Conversant against Daimler concerning connected cars patents as well as the arrival of Florian Schmidt-Bogatzky, an experienced mobile communications litigator, in the summer of 2019. 2020 saw the firm bring in another lawyer with litigation experience from Bird & Bird. The litigation team is clearly positioned on the side of NPEs and SEP holders. In addition to the connected cars suits for a regular client, the two partners are also battling against mobile communications manufacturers for IP Bridge and Broadcom/Avago. Schmidt-Bogatzky brought the contact to chip manufacturer Broadcom/Avago from Bird & Bird. The team handles both cases in cooperation with other firms. To a much lesser extent, a partner also advises pharma companies on patent law, for example on licensing.

Strengths

Litigation for NPEs concerning mobile communications SEPs.

European strategy

Even before the UPC was on the horizon, EIP had expanded its litigation activities to Düsseldorf, mainly to serve its best-known client Unwired Planet before the German courts. The office initially got off to a faltering start but after Schmidt-Bogatzky’s arrival the headcount is stable with two young partners. With its client Conversant, EIP is advising on another prominent cross-border NPE case on both sides of the Channel. But the litigation teams in London and Düsseldorf are also increasing their track record in the life sciences field. With the two locations and their mixed approach, EIP also has a good starting position for cross-border disputes in particular for US clients in the mobile communications sector. Another location in Munich would make sense if the UPC were to start. It could also help the patent attorneys to increase their presence in the market.

Recommended individuals

Florian Schmidt-Bogatzky (“hard working, aggressive and creative, very good at finding the best strategy”, client), Christof Höhne

Team

2 partners, 5 associates

Partner moves

Florian Schmidt-Bogatzky (from Bird & Bird); Michael Munsch (to Meissner Bolte)

Specialties

Exclusive activity in IP with a strong focus on technical protection rights. Mainly infringement proceedings and nullity suits.

Clients

Litigation: Conversant (claimant) against Daimler over connected cars patents; Conversant (claimant) against Tesla over connected cars patents (public knowledge); Broadcom/Avago (claimant) against BMW and Daimler over connected cars patents; Conversant (claimant) against Asus, Huawei, LG and ZTE concerning mobile communications; IP Bridge (claimant) against Asian mobile communications manufacturer regarding mobile communications. Advice: strategic advice to Visa; Broadcom/Avago on portfolio management and assessment; generics manufacturer on licences.