JUVE Comment

This well-positioned Munich patent attorney firm once again stood out for its extensive litigation for Samsung.Joel Nägerl and team battled even more vigorously for what is perhaps the firm’s most important regular client against a whole host of NPEs (e.g. Fipa and Solas OLED) over mobile communications standards and display technology patents. As the regular client is facing other actions and is planning to assert its own patents more strongly in the future, the team will be kept busy for the long term.

In line with the wide technical focus of the prosecution practice, which is strong in patent filing, the patent attorneys are also active in EPO oppositions and nullity suits. In terms of litigation, electrical engineering and wind energy play an important role thanks to a solid relationship with GE Wind. Other important prosecution clients include Swiss company ABB and Medtronic, which means that the patent attorneys are active in medical technology.

Strengths

Prosecution and litigation in telecoms and electronics patents.

European set-up

Zimmermann & Partner is a nationally independent patent attorney firm that attaches much importance to its relationships with law firms like Allen & Overy or Rospatt Osten Pross, especially when litigating for Samsung. The firm is often involved in the German parts of pan-European series of proceedings for the South Korean corporation. The close ties to Samsung make it likely that Nägerl and his team will be instructed for UPC cases.

Recommended individuals

Joel Nägerl (“unbeatable in researching the state of the art, excellent knowledge of mobile communications, pleads confidently and convincingly”, competitor), Frank Steinbach

Team

24 patent attorneys

Specialties

Patent prosecution with a broad technical spectrum. Oppositions, nullity suits and infringement proceedings.

Clients

Litigation: Samsung (defendant) against Fipa over mobile communications; Samsung (defendant) against Solas OLED over display technology; frequently US corporation in opposition over energy technology. Prosecution: filing for ABB, Applied Materials, Bombardier, Covidian, GE Wind, Hyperconnect, Medtronic, Winterstein, Wonderland (all public knowledge).