JUVE Comment

This Düsseldorf IP firm has once again cemented its position among the market leaders, representing clients in high-profile infringement proceedings before both national courts and the UPC. The team is active for well-known players in mobile communications as well as pharmaceutical companies. Regular client Nokia recently instructed the firm in a substantial number of lawsuits. The most prominent series against Amazon was settled in 2025, swiftly followed by another against Sunmi over SEPs for card readers. The team, led by Cordula Schumacher and Arno Riße, further underscored its strength in SEP battles with two major series for InterDigital against various implementers.

The firm is similarly active for long-standing pharmaceutical clients such as Zentiva and Sanofi. Bernhard Arnold is representing the latter in a national damages suit and parallel proceedings at the UPC against Amgen. The firm has also successfully expanded its client base, securing work for Grünenthal, for instance.

The most significant development in the firm’s 15th year has been in its team. It has steadily grown with young litigators, and with Tim Smentkowski, Lisa Rieth and 2024 partner promotion Marina Wehler, the next generation of lawyers is increasingly visible in proceedings, such as those for Asus. Both are crucial prerequisites for handling a high volume of cases in national courts and the UPC.

European set-up

This Düsseldorf IP boutique is among those nationally independent outfits that prepared intensively for the UPC, without compromising its independence or relying on exclusive alliances. Like Kather Augenstein, Arnold Ruess instead built its own team. It now has sufficient clout to handle larger UPC cases. The firm capitalises on this well; for example, the team secured the first-ever UPC injunction in an infringement case, on behalf of Kaldewei against Bette in 2024. Core client Nokia made extensive use of Arnold Ruess in various UPC disputes, although the company also works with Bird & Bird in national and UPC cases. InterDigital is also relying on Arnold Ruess in five infringement and PI cases against Disney at the UPC.

Arnold Ruess has also transferred its long-standing client relationship with Sanofi to the UPC, though the team does not play a central role here. The team is acting as co-counsel alongside Carpmaels & Ransford and Hoffmann Eitle in the dispute against Amgen over the cholesterol-lowering drug Praluent. With this track record, Arnold Ruess demonstrates that an international team or foreign offices are not prerequisites for winning clients at the new court and taking on a coordinating role in international disputes.

However, with the arrival of top UK law firm Powell Gilbert in Düsseldorf, the firm faces strong competition, particularly in international dispute coordination. Powell Gilbert’s development in Germany is worth monitoring, as the UK firm is now internationally positioned, unlike Arnold Ruess, and its German lawyers will also compete with German IP boutiques in national business.

Strengths

Litigation concerning pharmaceuticals, medical technology and mobile communications, including SEP and FRAND issues.

Recommended individuals

Bernhard Arnold (“thinks creatively outside the box”, client; “bold advice”, competitor), Lisa Rieth (“FRAND expert with a perfect overview of all relevant issues”, “highly visible, not only in tech but also life sciences”, competitors), Arno Riße (“very good in FRAND”, “super efficient”, competitors), Cordula Schumacher (“one of the best litigators in the market”, client; “excellent in FRAND and life sciences”, competitor), Tim Smentkowski, (“independent and expert advice”, client); Marina Wehler (“excellent, personable, responsive ”, competitor)

Team

22 lawyers

Clients

Litigation: Asus/Celerity against Xiaomi, Oppo, Lenovo and Samsung over mobile communictaions, including FRAND (partly settled); Nokia against Acer, Asus and Hisense over video codec patents; Nokia against Amazon over SEPs for streaming, video coding and cloud computing (settled 2024); InterDigital against Walt Disney over video streaming; InterDigital against Lenovo, Oppo and Xiaomi over 3G and 4G; OssifiMab against Amgen/UCB over antibody for the treatment of osteoporosis; Grünenthal against Sandoz and Abdi over painkiller naproxen/Vimovo and esomeprazol; Sanofi against Amgen regarding damages concerning cholesterol-lowering drug Praluent; Zentiva against Bayer over cancer drug sorafenib/Nexavar; Krüger/K-fee against Nestlé over coffee capsules (settled 2025).