JUVE Comment

This highly traditional IP firm is one of Germany’s market leaders for patent filing. Regular clients trust in the firm for a wide array of technical sectors. Companies like Intel, Microsoft and Panasonic bank on its IT expertise. Chinese companies are also increasingly putting their faith in the team. The firm has deep roots in the pharma and biotech sector, too, where it works for Blink and Heidelberg University.

A multitude of Mittelstand companies file mechanical engineering patents with Boehmert & Boehmert as well as using its mixed approach in litigation. The lawyers, therefore, conduct many proceedings involving a variety of technologies. Recent highlights included work for the Bundesdruckerei involving ID cards.

However, some of the firm’s notable prosecution clients, such as Microsoft, often rely on competitors for their high-stakes proceedings. As a result, the mixed team is seen less often in the high-profile cases than, for example, Bardehle.

Strengths

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

European strategy

With a mixed team 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 missing its chance to take a greater role in cross-border cases.

Recommended individuals

Heinz Goddar, Jan Krauss, Christian Appelt, Thomas Bittner (“outstanding teamwork”, client), Markus Engelhard (all patent attorneys)

Team

44 patent attorneys, 7 lawyers

Specialties

All-round IP activity, including trademarks, 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: University of Heidelberg in entitlement action against Molecular Insight Pharmaceuticals; Bundesdruckerei (defendant) against Credit Card Supplies and VTT on passports; Sprick (defendant) against Ranpak on dunnage conversion machine (both public knowledge); Beauty Union (claimant) against manufacturer and seller concerning perfume bottles; Gabo Systemtechnik (claimant) against Dura-Line over laying fibreglass cables; JVC Kenwood (claimant) against HMD, Harman International and smartphone manufacturers over DVDs, displays and streaming; Hörmann (claimant) against Kruzik over garage doors; regular advice to e’thirteen, Franz Mensch, Hikvision Digital, QVC, Wonderland. Prosecution: oppositions for Samsung Bioepis, Novo Nordisk; oppositions and filing for Aptar Group, BauerandMore, Panasonic, Klaus Bruchmann, Klinkau; filing for Alibaba, Beauty Union, Beumer, Blink, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, Fraunhofer Gesellschaft, Fuji Electric, Gennova Biopharmaceuticals, Gira Giersiepen, Hikvision Digital, German Cancer Research Centre, Intel, Johann Wolfgang Goethe University of Frankfurt, Joyetech, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre, Liofilchem, Matthews International, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, Naber, Panasonic, Proline, RWTH Aachen, Senju Pharmaceutical, SZ DJI Technology, Viventia Bio, Wacom, Winterhalter Gastronom (all public knowledge).