JUVE Comment

This small German patent attorney firm has focused its practice in two key ways over the past year. Firstly, the two lawyers left the firm, leaving a team of ten patent attorneys. Secondly, the firm closed its Stuttgart and Munich offices after one local partner moved to another firm and the other retired.

Consequently, the Hamburg-based patent attorney firm now specialises in litigation and prosecution for patents in electronics, mobile communications and mechanics. Working alongside external litigation boutiques, the firm is regularly involved in proceedings for clients such as Zeiss SMT and Semiconductor Energy Laboratory. Although Christof Keussen is a specialist in electronic and mechanical patents and Philipp Harlfinger has experience in mobile communications cases, the team is not currently involved in national mobile communications disputes. The practice shows more dynamic development in prosecution, having expanded work for clients such as Carl Zeiss Meditec. Litigation highlights include representing Semiconductor Energy Laboratory against Xiaomi over OLED technology and Signify against EGLO over LED lamps.

European set-up

The patent attorneys have experience in large-scale litigation, regularly instructing external lawyers from leading patent litigation firms. They are thus well-prepared should their clients become involved in UPC proceedings. The team is already defending Omnipac against competitor Brødrene Hartmann in a UPC lawsuit concerning egg cartons. However, due to clients’ less litigious strategies, the practice is not as prominent in UPC cases as some competitors.

Strengths

Litigation related to electronics.

Recommended individuals

Philipp Harlfinger (“top technical expertise”, competitor), Christof Keussen (both patent attorneys)

Team

10 patent attorneys

Partner moves

Markus Hössle (to Witte Weller), Bernhard Merkau (retired)

Clients

Litigation: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory against Xiaomi over OLED technology; Signify against EGLO over LED lamps; Zeiss SMT against Brooker over a technology for cleaning machines for chip manufacturing. EPO oppositions: Carl Zeiss against straw men over virtual fitting of glasses frames; Carl Zeiss against Rodenstock over computer-implemented procedure for glasses frame outlines.