As one of the market leaders, this German patent litigation practice is a central pillar of the international firm, with an excellent setup across Europe. Unlike in other European countries, Bird & Bird stands out in Germany not only for the exceptional visibility of its lawyers in litigation, but also for its well-oiled mixed approach with its own patent attorneys. Of the seven recently appointed counsel, three are patent attorneys. Each discipline is now almost equally represented in the partnership. This team structure sets Bird & Bi...
The mixed patent practice of this full-service firm is unchallenged in the top group of German litigation firms. The international patent practice also sets the benchmark in Europe. The leading role that the German partners play within the European practice is based on their strong presence in high-stakes proceedings before German courts. Even in the economically difficult times of the Covid-19 pandemic, the patent practice ran like a well-oiled machine with many important pharma and biosimilar proceedings for originator companies such as Eli L...
Full AnalysisThis European IP boutique is holding its ground as a market leader in Germany. Its large team of exceptionally renowned partners is visible in mobile communications and life sciences proceedings alike.
Full AnalysisIn the extremely successful years 2018 and 2019, the German litigation team of this US firm was catapulted into the top league with what were then the three market leaders Bird & Bird, Hogan Lovells and Hoyng ROKH Monegier. Quinn Emanuel consolidated this position in 2020/21, a no less impressive period, although major new series of proceedings failed to materialise. Nonetheless, younger partners Jérôme Kommer and Jesko Preuß confirmed their strong market presence by working for their own clients (e.g. Voxer), and through their role in coordina...
Full AnalysisThis Düsseldorf IP firm underlined its strong position among the market leaders with litigation for Nokia in the extensive precedent cases involving connected cars. The settlement with Daimler was an important milestone for Arnold Ruess’ client and sends out a clear message to the auto sector. This raised the visibility of Cordula Schumacher and Arno Riße’s team significantly.
Full AnalysisAs a pure IP firm that has deeply internalised the mixed approach, Bardehle is among the market leaders for patent litigation on the lawyer and patent attorney side in equal measure. The firm is extremely strong in telecommunications patents. It represents many well-known industrial companies including BMW, Robert Bosch, TomTom, Microsoft and AirFrance/KLM, but also NPEs like Intellectual Ventures. Bardehle masters this balancing act magnificently, building up a wealth of knowledge on FRAND issues. This is a forward-looking specialty, as advice...
Thanks to a strong presence in high-stakes cases and a successful staffing policy, the litigation team at this international full-service firm has caught up with the market leaders. It frequently litigates for international corporations including Apple, Bayer, Novartis, Facebook and Broadcom in economically important patent cases. Freshfields does not represent all of these top-level regular clients exclusively. Nevertheless, the practice around the experienced Hufnagel and well-established Prinz zu Waldeck und Pyrmont is equally strongly posit...
Full AnalysisAt first glance, this leading IP firm for patent litigation has been developing in an entirely unspectacular manner for years but has nevertheless seen a sizeable transformation of its mobile communications work. Krieger Mes traditionally follows a very partner-focused approach. The partnership has grown extremely slowly, and its client relationships are very solid. The firm’s strong position in the key court location of Düsseldorf is based on the partners’ excellent contacts among the courts, Mittelstand clients and many German patent attorney...
Full AnalysisWith a strong presence in litigation across a wide technical spectrum, this law firm still holds a place among the German market leaders. None of its main competitors among the Düsseldorf IP boutiques, Krieger Mes, Wildanger and Arnold Ruess, were active in such an even split of cases from the healthcare and mobile communications sector. With Thomas Musmann and Max von Rospatt, the firm traditionally plays in the top league for pharma and biotech proceedings. They are active solely for originator drug companies (e.g. Amgen, Biogen, Ceva, Dr. Fa...
Full AnalysisEven without further growth in its headcount, this market-leading IP firm handled a multitude of SEP and FRAND suits at once. Its partners, who are renowned across the board, remain very active for SEP holders, such as VoiceAge. For some other SEP holders, they also fought on the front line against anti-suit injunctions from Chinese courts. Peter-Michael Weisse and other partners were very visible once again for Sharp and IP Bridge in the connected cars battles with Daimler. The firm also represented both companies in other campaigns related to...
Full AnalysisThis Düsseldorf litigation boutique is one of the challengers to the market leaders. The team of lawyers has a loyal base of regular clients, predominantly from the medical products, chemicals, auto and telecoms sectors. “They are my first choice for the major, international cases,” one client praised. With a reputation like this, numerous new clients are approaching the firm to prepare their lawsuits. Kather Augenstein displayed its strength at the beginning of the year when regular client Ericsson hired it for the German suits within the glob...
Full AnalysisThe German litigation practice of this international full-service firm challenged the market-leading teams through its presence in litigation spanning a broad technical spectrum. The firm’s mainstay is suits relating to medical technology and pharmaceuticals, with a great deal of activity for generics manufacturers such as Hexal/Sandoz and Mylan. These are often represented in cooperation with Taylor Wessing’s other European offices.
Full AnalysisThis IP firm is one of the market-leading mixed firms. Its patent attorneys have been among the very top litigators for oppositions at the EPO and nullity suits for years. But Vossius is most successful these days with its mixed approach. The team of lawyers, who are striving towards market leadership, are active in many infringement proceedings.
Working with the Grünecker lawyers, these market-leading patent attorneys conducted three successful series of lawsuits for Broadcom/Avago against VW, BMW and Daimler regarding connected cars patents. The companies settled these in 2020. These suits enabled the small but hard-hitting litigation team to join the ranks of the market leaders. The firm has not been seen in high-stakes SEP suits since the settlements. However, the team nurtures solid ties to Broadcom, and actions against other auto manufacturers are likely. This could help Grünecker...
This mixed IP firm is without a doubt one of the market leaders in patent prosecution and litigation on the patent attorney side. The coronavirus crisis has even fuelled this further, as for years Hoffmann Eitle has litigated for medical product manufacturers like Edwards Lifesciences and pharma companies such as Sanofi-Aventis and Zentiva, as well as biotech companies like Samsung Bioepis with its mixed team. Clients also rely on Hoffmann Eitle for innovative key patents: Allergan hired the team regarding CRISPR/Cas patents, as did Moderna for...
This IP boutique has a strong market image for patent litigation. The patent team is firmly anchored among clients in the mechanics sector but is seeing a steady stream of interesting work in a range of sectors, often thanks to good ties to patent attorney firms like Weickmann & Weickmann. Telecommunications proceedings are increasingly where the action is in terms of business development. The team demonstrated its extensive litigation experience with its successful representation of claimant Virtual Paper Licensing against Sony regarding lapto...
Full AnalysisPreu Bohlig’s patent team has an excellent market image across Germany thanks to its deep roots in litigation for Mittelstand clients. The team led by Christian Donle is always visible in mobile communications proceedings, with many for regular client Huawei. With litigation for Hewlett Packard in the suit by NPE Wsou, other partners are now appearing in high-profile cases.
Full AnalysisThe German patent litigation practice of this international firm put in yet another strong performance, as evidenced by the huge rise in proceedings involving electronics and mobile communications patents, and moreover the arrival of young Hogan Lovells partner Stephan Neuhaus. He brings a wealth of experience in pharma suits from his old firm for such clients as Eli Lilly and Hoffmann La-Roche. Both pharma originator drug manufacturers are also clients of Allen & Overy’s European practice, resulting in synergies for the Allen & Overy team. The...
Full AnalysisThis well-positioned litigation practice operates with a rather untypical setup for an international firm. Firmly anchored among German Mittelstand companies in the technology sectors, the German team is gearing itself more and more towards large-scale proceedings, which it coordinates with the patent teams of other European and Asian CMS firms. Litigation with other CMS firms in several European countries runs particularly smoothly for regular clients Erbe (medical products) and Leifheit (kitchen scales). Tesla also hired several European CMS ...
Full AnalysisWith a much smaller headcount than other international firms like Taylor Wessing, the patent litigation team at DLA put in a particularly strong performance in mobile communications suits. The team around practice head Marcus Gampp once again played a central role in connected cars disputes for the Tier 1 suppliers of communication modules Harman and Aptiv, as co-litigants for BMW and Daimler respectively. Although most connected cars cases were settled in 2021, the team remains active for Harman in a further suit of IP Bridge against Daimler.
Full AnalysisThis mixed IP firm is one of the very active German prosecution practices, but also put in a strong performance in litigation.
Wolfgang Kellenter’s patent team has been prominent in proceedings for industrial companies and NPEs for some years. The latter include FIPA and IPCom, but also the patent pool initiated by the French state, France Brevet. The small team has litigated for these in SEP suits against mobile communications manufacturers like Apple, Samsung and HTC, sometimes for many years. It also works for regular clients of the firm as a whole from the industrial sector. These include Renault as a Daimler supplier in the connected cars suits. The French car cor...
Full AnalysisWith its integrated team of patent attorneys and lawyers, Jones Day enjoys a strong market image in Germany. Clients from a multitude of technical fields entrust the patent attorneys with prosecution, some quite extensively. These include start-ups, Mittelstand companies and major corporations from around the world, like Samvardhana Motherson Group from India, as well as companies rooted in the local Frankfurt area.
The great strength of this mixed IP firm is the patent attorneys’ broad roots in numerous sectors and technical fields. These give rise to a large number of proceedings for the well-positioned team of lawyers led by Tobias Wuttke. Under his leadership, the litigation team has made steady progress in the last ten years and continues to enjoy a strong market image. In the early years, the team mainly conducted litigation for regular Mittelstand clients, but frequent litigation for Deutsche Telekom has now given it a wealth of experience in mobile...
The strong market position of this Munich IP boutique is based on its lawyers’ many years of litigation experience and a large number of mobile communications suits. Ampersand primarily represents NPEs, such as Unwired Planet, Invte, Onebutton, Uniloc and Wsou Investments. Hosea Haag enjoys an excellent reputation for such cases, which he conducts for these loyal clients alone or with a very small team. Ampersand frequently brings actions against numerous mobile communications giants and therefore boasts in-depth knowledge of SEPs and FRAND.
Full AnalysisThe German litigation team in this large international firm is well positioned in patent proceedings for Mittelstand companies. Its high number of dual-qualified lawyers/patent attorneys sets it apart from competitors. The firm reinforced this mixed setup with an additional young patent attorney, who gained experience at competitor Bardehle Pagenberg. Combined with the appointment of Alexander Ritter to partner, this is a strong commitment by the full-service firm to expanding its patent practice.
Full AnalysisThis 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.
This German full-service firm’s team of lawyers, who are well-positioned in patents, has impressed the market with a clear separation of responsibilities between the Cologne and Munich practices. In Cologne, the team led by Jens Kunzmann and Kurt Bartenbach boasts outstanding experience in employee invention law and entitlement actions. In Munich, Stephan Gruber is one of the best-known litigators for infringement and nullity suits by Mittelstand companies like Wacker Chemie. Clients of both teams are increasingly utilising the full-service cap...
Full AnalysisMore often than in previous years, this small litigation team, which is well positioned in the German market, no longer just handles individual series of proceedings. With partner Schmidt-Bogatzky bolstering the practice since 2019, the German team is harnessing the potential of the international IP firm in the mobile communications sector and is now handling several campaigns at the same time with two young partners who already have experience in mobile communications matters. Always on the claimant side, they were very visible of late for the...
Full AnalysisThe well-positioned patent litigation team of the German full-service law firm represents its core Mittelstand clients across a broad technical spectrum. The team is particularly active for generics manufacturers in cases concerning classic pharma patents, biosimilars and SPCs. Its longstanding defense for Diazyme concerning biomarkers and for a European pharmaceuticals manufacturer of an arthritis drug are the team’s hallmarks. This expertise was transferred years ago from of counsel Thomas Bopp to the younger generation around partner Matthia...
Full AnalysisThis small patent team is well positioned for litigation and licensing advice and has continued its strategic realignment. NPE suits hardly play any role at all now. In line with the overall firm’s direction, industrial clients predominate; the patent team mostly represents these as defendants. More and more mobile communications manufacturers are calling on the Noerr team; it currently works for TCL against NPEs in several mobile communications cases. The team also works for HTC and Xiaomi in this field.
Full AnalysisIn just one year, the well-positioned German litigation team of this international full-service firm has put the staff turbulence of recent years behind it. Following the summer 2020 arrival of Thomas Gniadek, the German team is now leveraging the potential of the firm’s network of mobile communications companies, especially from China, more effectively. Xiaomi and Oppo/OnePlus hired the team for several SEP and FRAND actions. These also include anti-suit injunctions. The teams in London and Amsterdam had already handled cases of this calibre b...
Full AnalysisThis traditional Hamburg firm is well positioned for patent litigation. Partner Karsten Königer mostly represents his regular Mittelstand clients as defendants. He has a good international network and can thus occasionally be seen in international cases when his longstanding clients are sued abroad. He also conducts EPO oppositions and national nullity suits, such as for a coffee capsule manufacturer.
Full AnalysisThe German team of this international firm has carved out a good position for patent litigation in the pharma sector in a short space of time. Partner Ina vom Feld, who is highly experienced in this segment, only joined the firm from Simmons & Simmons in April 2020. This opened the door to the German market for patent litigation for Herbert Smith Freehills. It is currently litigating for Sanofi in a case involving an SPC against Ratiopharm and has landed Dyson as a new client.
Full AnalysisThe lawyers at this full-service German firm are well positioned for patent litigation and boast strong ties in the Mittelstand. The team around Anton Horn is traditionally active in a variety of sectors, often involving patents in mechanical engineering. SMEs from abroad often trust in the firm, for example a manufacturer of alarm and emergency communication solutions. The team is also working with the India desk on a new biotech instruction.
Full AnalysisThis Frankfurt team is well positioned to litigate in international patent proceedings for pharma and biotech companies. It recently conducted a suit, for example, for ViiV Healthcare against Gilead involving an HIV drug with high economic stakes. The team led by Julia Schönbohm worked closely with Linklaters’ Paris and London offices on this.
Full AnalysisThe structural realignment that this Munich IP firm, which is well positioned in litigation, decided on a good three years ago is making an impact. In keeping with its tried-and-tested mixed approach with patent attorneys and lawyers, the latter are firmly anchored in management. Today, their career paths are organised following the model of large law firms. The strategy has affected all technical fields of the broad-based prosecution practice.
Thanks to strong ties to auto suppliers, the German patent practice of this US firm is well positioned in the German market. A very close relationship with audio accessories manufacturer Harman International contributes to this. The team used this to broaden its connection to Samsung Group, most recently to include the Display division of the Korean corporation. The team of lawyers has also emphasised its technical breadth in many different cases in recent months. The Düsseldorf team around Hendrik Holzapfel was very active in cases from the ph...
Full AnalysisThis IP boutique remains well positioned for litigation with its lawyers and patent attorneys. Thomas Adams stood out most of all, with much activity for NPEs such as Solas (OLED displays) and Neodron (mobile communications). He litigates in a wide array of technical fields overall. Frank Peterreins is equally broadly positioned, with major series of actions for Boston Scientific (medical technology), Brose (headphones) and BorgWarner (camshaft adjusters). Prosecution work also displays a huge technical breadth. Such clients as Big Violex, Bose...
Full AnalysisThe patent team of this international IP boutique is one of Munich’s well-positioned litigation practices. Taliens is especially visible in mobile communications suits and is praised by clients for its FRAND expertise. Its proximity to the increasingly relevant Munich patent court also makes the firm attractive to clients in SEP suits, and is an excellent basis for further development. Regular clients ZTE and TCT already ensure a good utilisation rate for the German patent team led by Thomas Lynker and are likely to be regular targets of NPEs i...
Full AnalysisThe selection of law firms in the above table reflects the research of the editorial staff at JUVE and is based on interviews with clients, lawyers and academics. It remains a subjective view and implies no disparagement of any firm not mentioned here but which is nevertheless active in this field. The firms are alphabetically listed within the groups. To find out more about our rankings and research criteria please click here and here.
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