JUVE Comment

With its team consisting purely of lawyers, this Düsseldorf IP boutique is geared towards patent litigation. The firm has a number of regular clients among medical product manufacturers, chemicals companies and auto companies who are constantly involved in lawsuits. Furthermore, it has ties to numerous Mittelstand companies. For the first time since its launch in 2015, Kather Augenstein has been less visible in the major proceedings this year. Following the end of the connected cars dispute for Audi and VW and mobile communications proceedings for Ericsson, it was not involved in the major mobile communications disputes. The firm also suffered the loss of its founding partner Alexander Haertel to competitor Bardehle Pagenberg. He had been involved in the connected cars cases. An experienced associate left the team to set up a new AI and patents business model for a client. Despite these changes, the team is a similar size to those of other Düsseldorf boutiques like Rospatt Osten Pross and has a good age structure.

Strengths

Litigation, especially mobile communications.

European strategy

The Düsseldorf IP litigation boutique is among those nurturing relationships with similar specialist firms in the other UPC jurisdictions. But the merger of French patent litigation boutique Véron – an excellent contact before now – with Hoyng ROKH Monegier shows how quickly a partner who was thought to be secure can be lost to other mergers. That demonstrates that the firm’s relations to German patent attorneys are currently particularly important to ensure good access to clients.

Recommended individuals

Peter Kather (“excellent, experienced negotiator ”, competitor), Christof Augenstein (“very strong both in written submissions and in oral proceedings”, competitor), Miriam Kiefer (“good case management”, competitor), Christopher Weber (“highly specialised”, competitor)

Partner moves

Alexander Haertel (to Bardehle Pagenberg)

Team

5 partners, 7 associates, 1 of counsel

Specialties

Exclusively litigation and advice in IP.

Clients

Litigation: Medac (defendant) against Eli Lilly over cancer drug pemetrexed (public knowledge). Regularly for B. Braun Melsungen, BASF, Boston Scientific, Coloplast, DWS, Tesa, TI Automotive. Advice: Lenze on employee invention law.