As one of the market leaders, the German patent practice is a cornerstone of this international firm, which enjoys a superb position in patents across Europe, too. Unlike in other European countries, the patent team in Germany is not only characterised by the extraordinary visibility of its lawyers in the courtrooms, but also by the well-oiled teamwork with the Bird & Bird patent attorneys.
This international full-service firm’s mixed patent litigation practice is an unstoppable force at the top of the German market, and perhaps even a step ahead of the competition. Year after year, the well-oiled machine of this twelve-partner-strong patent practice handles a multitude of top-level proceedings in the life sciences and mobile communications sectors that set the standard. The team is also very visible in many other sectors. Two of the series of lawsuits with the highest stakes are litigation for Apple against Ericsson in a global b...
Full AnalysisThe German patent litigation team of this European IP boutique lives up to its reputation as one of the market leaders and was a hit in numerous high-stakes infringement proceedings in various sectors. The team is represented in mobile communications and pharma – two crucial domains for patent disputes – in equal measure. The firm underscored its leading role in pharma suits in work defending BioNTech against claims by CureVac and Moderna over mRNA patents. These are the first high-profile disputes involving the technology on which the Covid-19...
Full AnalysisFollowing three very successful years between 2019 and 2021, things calmed down a little for the market-leading German patent litigation team of this US firm. This is because the extensive proceedings for Daimler against various members of the Avanci patent pool over connected cars patents were settled in 2021. For Google and Netflix, however, the firm is still involved in extensive litigation over mobile communications patents. This makes Quinn Emanuel one of the most visible German litigation teams in the mobile communications and IT sectors....
Full AnalysisThis IP firm is a market leader for patent litigation in Germany and conducted a large number of SEP and FRAND suits in the mobile communications sector simultaneously, but is visible in a variety of sectors and technologies thanks to its broad set-up.
Full AnalysisThis Düsseldorf IP boutique is one of Germany’s top names for patent litigation by lawyers. The young team features many experienced litigators who competitors praise for their professionalism and good preparation in lawsuits. The team is called on to litigate over pharma and telecoms patents and in complex suits in other industries in equal measure. Names such as Sanofi, Nokia and Kingfa entrust their high-stakes proceedings to Arnold Ruess.
Full AnalysisAs a pure IP firm that has internalised the mixed approach like few other German IP firms, Bardehle is a market leader for patent disputes on the lawyer and patent attorney side alike. The firm has a particular strength in semiconductor and telecoms patents. After a long time warming up, the firm has also made the breakthrough into prosecution and litigation in the life sciences sector in recent months.
The patent litigation team of this international full-service firm has cemented its place among the market leaders with a sizeable number of high-end instructions. The team impresses the market in legally and technologically complex cases for pharma clients as well as high-tech companies from the telecoms and computer sectors. The practice drew attention with the suit for Moderna against BioNTech over mRNA patents.
Full AnalysisWith a broad technical focus and some outstanding litigators such as Axel Verhauwen this Düsseldorf IP boutique has been at the top of the German market for patent litigation for years. Its experience with SEP and FRAND proceedings in the mobile communications sector stands out, as does intensive advice to Volkswagen on this key issue. In lawsuits over pharmaceuticals, on the other hand, Krieger Mes is rarely seen when original drug manufacturers defend themselves internationally against generics companies entering the market.
Full AnalysisWith a strong presence for patent litigation across a broad technical spectrum, this firm is one of the German market leaders. Thanks to the reputations of Thomas Musmann and Max von Rospatt, the firm once again plays in the top league for pharma and biotech proceedings. Rospatt Osten Pross works exclusively for originators such as Amgen, Biogen, Dr. Falk Pharma and Illumina in numerous high-stakes cases over drugs. The next wave of litigation is on the horizon for a US multinational pharmaceuticals manufacturer.
Full AnalysisThis Düsseldorf litigation firm is one of the main challengers to the market leaders on the lawyer side. Companies trust in the lawyers for their high-stakes cases in a variety of technological fields, especially medical products, chemicals or mobile communications. Industrial companies and SMEs alike rely on the team, which is also deeply rooted in the automotive industry.
Full AnalysisWith a steadily growing number of partners, the German patent litigation team of this international firm is increasingly closing in on the group of market leaders. Munich lawyer Anja Lunze was promoted to the equity partnership in 2021, with Jan Rektorschek following suit in Düsseldorf. The firm also appointed an associate in both offices to non-equity partner. But the German practice is not only challenging the market leaders with one of the largest partner teams of all German firms, but also with its presence in litigation across a broad tech...
Full AnalysisWith their strong presence in complex series of proceedings, Vossius lawyers belong right behind those at the top of the market, where the mixed firm’s patent attorneys have long been. Clients from a range of industries regularly rely on the IP boutique’s combined strength in legal and technical expertise in infringement proceedings and the parallel nullity suits. Like Bardehle Pagenberg, the firm consistently and successfully relies on a mixed team of lawyers and patent attorneys.
Yet again, this mixed IP firm put in an incredibly strong performance in litigation on both the patent attorney and lawyer side. The patent attorneys are among the most persistent challengers to the market leaders; the lawyers are on their way there, with a growing presence in mobile communications proceedings.
As one of the largest IP firms in Germany, Grünecker is positioned in the German market for patent disputes with a leading team of patent attorneys and a team of lawyers that is close behind the top of the market. The firm sets itself apart from competitors by appearing in proceedings with mixed teams with a consistency similar to Bardehle Pagenberg. The technologies covered range from solar technology for Longi Solar, to traditional mechanical engineering for a manufacturer of food cutting machines, to SEP and FRAND actions for Vestel.
This mixed firm is one of the undisputed market leaders for litigation by patent attorneys. The latter advise on the technical matters of high-profile infringement proceedings on the side of external lawyers, both in life sciences and mobile communications patents. When it comes to pharma proceedings, they are often in action with the firm’s own strongly positioned lawyers.
Despite the small size of its well-positioned patent litigation team, this traditional IP boutique is involved in an unusual number of high-level cases. Klaka stepped up work for patent users in major telecoms proceedings, which has given it much experience in SEP suits. This is appreciated by such clients as Xiaomi, who hired the team once again for infringement proceedings against a US NPE.
Full AnalysisThis IP firm is close on the heels of the market leaders with its excellent name for patent disputes for clients stemming from a broad technical spectrum. Long-standing, close ties to SME clients ensure a steady stream of cases involving mechanics and electronics patents. Arms manufacturer Haenel, for example, counted on the firm in a dispute against Heckler & Koch. The team remains active in mobile communications battles, for small accessories providers like Sandvine alongside regular client Huawei.
Full AnalysisThe strongly positioned patent litigation team of this international firm has pulled off a generational change just in time for the UPC launch. The German team, as part of a solidly placed global litigation practice, focuses on high-stakes proceedings for a chiefly international client base, in order to continue playing a central role when UPC suits are dealt out in the future.
Full AnalysisThe team led by Hosea Haag enjoys a strong market position thanks to its many years of experience representing clients in large series of proceedings, especially NPEs as claimants in the mobile communications sector. The firm added some high-profile names to its list of NPEs, including INVITE, Unwired Planet and Onebutton, some of which brought extensive series of lawsuits. Among these is also Arigna, an NPE that, outside the mobile communications sector, is looking to enforce patents for semiconductors against carmakers.
Full AnalysisThis patent practice is traditionally well positioned for infringement proceedings when it comes to advising and litigating for German SMEs from a range of sectors. Clients benefit from its close ties to other patent teams in the CMS network; the German practice coordinates cases with these for regular client Erbe (medical products) and Leifheit (kitchen scales).
Full AnalysisThe patent practice of this international full-service firm is strongly positioned but has a rather untypical setup for a German litigation team. Alongside infringement proceedings, the pure lawyer team is taking on more and more nullity suits at the Federal Patent Court, as well as EPO oppositions – usually the domain of patent attorneys in Germany.
Full AnalysisWith its mixed team of patent attorneys and lawyers, Jones Day enjoys a solid reputation in the German market for patent litigation and prosecution in equal measure. Clients from an array of technical fields and sectors entrust the patent attorneys to look after their patents, some to a considerable degree. Strong specialties have formed over the years in the pharma/biotech, automotive and semiconductor sectors. The patent attorneys are very active, for instance, at the German Patent and Trademark Office for a US semiconductor manufacturer.
At this IP boutique, the major strength of the mixed patent team lies in the patent attorneys’ broad positioning in many technical fields and economic sectors. This not only leads to a great deal of activity for the patent attorneys in EPO oppositions, but also numerous nullity suits and infringement proceedings in cooperation with Tobias Wuttke’s strongly positioned litigation team. Under his leadership the litigation team has made steady progress again, especially on the claimant side, for example for Cybex over children’s seats, for CommScop...
This small team is exceptionally active in patent litigation and saw a strong influx of new clients. Noerr impressed the market first and foremost for its activity in the mobile communications sector for such notable manufacturers as TCL and Xiaomi in infringement proceedings over mobile communications standards.
Full AnalysisThe patent litigation team at this international full-service firm vigorously pushed ahead with its pan-European expansion strategy and is shaping up to be a persistent challenger to the German market leaders. The firm takes a mixed approach and, in early 2022, rounded out the Munich-based team of lawyers, which focuses on mobile communications and pharma suits, with a team of seven patent attorneys from Isenbruck Bösl Hörschler. This step shows the role that the European patent team is looking to play at the UPC with Germany as a central pilla...
Full AnalysisThis IP firm’s strongly positioned litigation team traditionally follows a mixed approach. Lawyers and patent attorneys litigate together, chiefly for SME clients like packaging manufacturer Sprick in the design dispute against Activatec. That said, the patent attorneys also work alongside external lawyers in infringement disputes, for instance with Graf von Westphalen for Hörmann against Assa Abloy and with Linklaters for Bundesdruckerei against Credit Card Supplies.
The team of lawyers at this national full-service firm is very well established in the German patent market with two clear specialties. The Cologne team led by Jens Kunzmann and Kurt Bartenbach enjoys an outstanding position in employee invention law. In Munich, CBH has one of the best-known litigators for infringement proceedings and nullity suits in the shape of Stephan Gruber.
Full AnalysisThis small litigation team is established in the German market for infringement proceedings in the mobile communications sector. More often than in previous years, the IP boutique is active in more than just individual suits. The proceedings for Sonos against Google, for instance, show that EIP can win over its clients in extensive actions in the mobile communications sector. In such cross-border cases, the German team always cooperates with the strong UK practice.
Full AnalysisOn the one hand, the well-positioned patent litigation practice of this German full-service firm represents its core base of SME clients within a broad technical spectrum. On the other, the team is especially active for generics manufacturers in proceedings over traditional pharma patents, biosimilars and SPCs. It is litigating, for example, for two companies in suits by originators involving a multiple sclerosis drug.
Full AnalysisThe team around Wolfgang Kellenter is well positioned to litigate for the large national firm’s industrial clients, such as CarSystem Süd. In addition, the team, which consists entirely of lawyers, has acted for NPEs for years. These include FIPA, IPCom and France Brevet, which Hengeler Mueller represented in major series of proceedings over mobile communications patents.
Full AnalysisSebastian Heim’s summer 2021 arrival gave the well-positioned patent litigation practice of this German full-service firm a further huge boost and raised its visibility. Just a few months previously, an IP partner from Arnold Porter had bolstered the Frankfurt office. Where initially there were only IP partners in Düsseldorf and Hamburg, the patent practice now has a large team for the important Munich patent chambers as well.
Full AnalysisThe lawyers at this highly traditional Hamburg IP boutique are well positioned in patent proceedings, where partner Karsten Königer mostly represents his regular SME clients in actions brought by competitors. His highest profile client is probably Lidl, which the team frequently represents against attacks by brand manufacturers over products from a wide range of technical fields.
Full AnalysisThe small German patent team of this international full-service firm has carved out a strong position for litigation in the pharma sector in just two years. This is thanks to Düsseldorf partner Ina vom Feld, who is highly experienced in this segment. She landed new clients for infringement litigation, with Foundation Medicine and SD Biosensor among them.
Full AnalysisThe mixed team at this German full-service firm is well set to litigate for its core SME clientele. The firm represents companies from a broad technical spectrum, including CeramOptec, EnerDry and Egger, before the German courts, and is occasionally involved in their pan-European litigation as well. Within the firm, the patent litigation team around Anton Horn frequently adds clients from other practices, such as tax, to its client list.
Full AnalysisThe patent practice of this international firm is well positioned in cross-border actions involving pharma and biotech patents. Linklaters focuses squarely on originators such as ViiV, which instructed Julia Schönbohm's team for a long-running dispute with Gilead over an HIV blockbuster drug.
Full AnalysisWith an established mixed approach, this firm specialises in litigation, with an emphasis on pharma, biotech and medical products. The patent attorneys are among the chasing pack at the top of the market, while the lawyers are well positioned in litigation. Having restructured in recent years, Maiwald is on a clear path towards expansion. The patent litigation team welcomed experienced patent attorney Ulrike Herr from Isenbruck Bösl Hörschler. She has many years of experience in SPC lawsuits and thus complements Maiwald’s well-respected life sc...
The strongly positioned German patent practice of this US firm is especially busy for automotive suppliers, to which it traditionally nurtures close ties. The team may not have been as visible as competitors in the first wave of connected cars actions, which recently came to an end, but it did advise regular client Harman International intensively in the background.
Full AnalysisWith its lawyers and patent attorneys, this IP boutique is nicely positioned for legal disputes. Thomas Adam stands out for his increasing activity for NPEs, such as Solas (OLED displays) and Neodron (mobile communications). Many of his clients of late have stemmed from the Irish NPE group Atlantic IP. Innovation Foundry Technology is another repeat client, which the firm is advising in a dispute over chip technology.
Full AnalysisOperating as Taliens for the past five years, the German patent team of this international IP boutique is still one of the young guns on the German patent litigation scene. On the basis of its strongly positioned mobile communications practice, the Munich team is now branching out into other sectors.
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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