JUVE Comment

SMEs of all sizes continue to place their patents in CBH’s capable hands. They rely on the firm’s highly active employee invention law practice, as well as its increasingly prominent Munich-based litigation team. This year, the team made progress in handling large-scale litigation instructions by representing new client Avago. This demonstrates the successful development achieved in recent years by younger partners Hannes Jacobsen and Paul Szynka. They are building their reputation in IT and mobile communications, particularly concerning SEP matters. The practice remains in high demand for representing CBH’s core client base, drawing on its experience in extensive litigation such as the case for rawlplug manufacturer Würth against various competitors, including Fischerwerke.

CBH has had a smoother start in UPC proceedings than similarly positioned national full-service firms such as Gleiss Lutz and Hengeler Mueller. The practice can now leverage its UPC experience for clients across various technical fields, including for cases such as biolitec vs Lightguide and S.I.A. Lightguide concerning minimally invasive laser therapy, and Heraeus Quarzglas vs j-Plasma regarding quartz glass tubes.

For key clients such as Phoenix Contact the litigation team works ever more closely with the Cologne practice led by Jens Kunzmann and Martin Quodbach, which primarily advises on employee invention law. In this field, the team boasts a broad client base on the employer’s side and a good reputation, as one client emphasises: “CBH is still the go-to firm for German employee inventor remuneration”.

Strengths

Employee invention law for companies; infringement litigation, especially for the auto and chemicals industries.

Recommended individuals

Stephan Gruber, Hannes Jacobsen (“excellent”, competitor), Jens Kunzmann, Martin Quodbach, Paul Szynka (“goal-oriented, impressive in hearings and good written pleadings”, competitor)

Team

13 lawyers

Clients

Litigation: Würth in various disputes over rawlplugs; Avago against Renault over semiconductors; Heraeus against Vibrantz over sintering pastes; regular litigation for Magna, Purem, i-mop; Schaeffler, Siemens AG and Siemens Healthcare, Voith Turbo, Wacker Chemie, Adolf Würth. Advice: Bayer, Eberspächer, Siemens Healthcare, ThyssenKrupp and Volkswagen regarding employee invention law.