JUVE Comment

The patent team at this national full-service firm continues to strengthen its position as a mixed litigation practice which is highly active for its core SME client base. The integration of its patent attorneys with the lawyer team around partner Anton Horn is clearly paying dividends in both national and UPC proceedings.

This is demonstrated by a major win for long-standing client Veolia over wastewater treatment technology before the Düsseldorf Regional Court. The mixed team is also representing the client in the parallel nullity suit. It is also active in EPO oppositions, often parallel to proceedings at German courts and the UPC. A prime example of this is the work for VusionGroup, that Heuking represents against Hanshow in parallel national, UPC and EPO proceedings.

The lawyers continue to collaborate in infringement proceedings with external patent attorney firms from Germany, such as German Cohausz & Florack, and increasingly from other countries such as Danish Budde Schou and French Novagraf and LLR. The firm’s in-house patent attorney team maintains a modest filing practice serving SMEs, including Aixway3D, CNH Industrial, and Kima Process Control. Its most prominent prosecution client is the German Aerospace Centre (DLR). With the hire of new partner Christian Heine, Heuking has strengthened its patent attorney team, thus once more underscoring its mixed approach, especially with a view to the UPC. He brings extensive experience in medical technology.

While the patent team currently maintains limited activity in pharmaceutical cases, Heuking bolstered its practice with renowned life sciences lawyers from Taylor Wessing, who focus primarily on regulatory advice. One partner litigates at the interface of regulatory law and IP, which potentially creates opportunities for the patent practice to expand into this largely untapped sector.

Since the UPC’s launch, Heuking has proven itself a formidable force in SME litigation at the European court, acting for clients such as Hartmann Packaging in an infringement case concerning sealing technology for egg cartons. New client Bystronic Laser now also banks on the mixed team in a dispute with ASTES4 over systems for loading and unloading laser cutting machines. For cross-border work and UPC cases, the long-standing cooperation within the international WSG network, which includes firms with respected patent practices such as Dorda in Austria, Altius in Belgium, and Plessner in Denmark, provides a solid foundation.

Strengths

Litigation for SMEs, advice on know-how protection.

Recommended individuals

Anton Horn (“excellent litigator”, competitor)

Team

6 lawyers, 4 patent attorneys

Partner moves

Christian Heine (from own practice)

Clients

Litigation: BL Technologies/Veolia against Supratec over wastewater treatment technology; Hartmann Packaging against Omni-Pac over egg packaging; VusionGroup against Hanshow over electronic price tags; EnerDry against BMA over drying plants for biomass; CeramOptec against Lightguide Optics and Endoteq over laser technology; Feintool against competitor over mechanical products. EPO oppositions: VusionGroup against Hanshow over electronic price tags and communication technology; Heroal against competitor regarding window profiles; Guidance Endodontics over devices for root canal treatments.