JUVE Comment

This mixed patent litigation practice has maintained its position among the German market leaders for years. The team conducts high-calibre litigation for many clients across a broad technical spectrum, not only nationally but also internationally.

The German patent litigation team was once again highly active in various proceedings relating to mobile communications and video streaming. The team has traditionally been a strong advocate for Asian implementers such as Oppo and Xiaomi. The fact that several implementers of streaming patents – most recently Meta, Paramount, Warner Bros., and Hisense – have also turned to the team in proceedings at German courts underscores its enormous clout.

Nevertheless, it was a disappointment that long-standing client Amazon chose German lawyers from Hoyng ROKH Monegier to run the defence in the anti-suit injunction battle against InterDigital. German patent attorneys at Hogan Lovells – though not the German lawyers – were nonetheless hired by Amazon, which shows that they now lead a veritable life of their own, independent of the dominant team of lawyers. HMD, on the other hand, once a key client of Hoyng ROKH Monegier, has recently relied on Hogan Lovells for several proceedings, for example in the landmark German SEP case against VoiceAge, which went all the way to the German Federal Court of Justice, where the Finnish smartphone manufacturer suffered a painful defeat in early 2026.

The team has also demonstrated its strength in SEP litigation in the automotive sector. Most recently, it represented two manufacturers – BYD and Geely – in proceedings against SEP holders. The fact that Hyundai has retained the team for the first time to act against Avago and Broadcom rounds off this new, strengthened industry focus. In most cases, these companies retain the team to handle not only domestic but also UPC litigation under a single umbrella.

Undeterred by the rapidly changing landscape of SEP litigation, the practice continues to be strongly represented among originators in the pharmaceutical industry. Following a relatively quiet period, long-standing clients Eli Lilly and MSD have recently been turning to Hogan Lovells with increasing frequency. The team is currently engaged in intensive cross-border litigation on behalf of MSD concerning the cancer drug pembrolizumab/Keytruda, whilst the pan-European battle between Meril Life Sciences and Edwards Lifesciences over heart valves continues with the same intensity as before.

Despite all the speculation in the market that the German team had long since reached its growth limit, the practice – which already had 13 partners – grew once again with the appointment of last year’s JUVE Patent Ones to Watch lawyer Oliver Bäcker. Among the 14 partners there are now also two patent attorneys. The German team, led by Global Head of IP Miriam Gundt and rainmaker Andreas von Falck, has always had a knack for developing the next generation of talent at the right time. In a sense, the latest partner appointment is also an investment in the future, as the market presence of some of the older partners is now on the wane. However, the decisive factor for the long-term generational change will be whether partners such as Henrik Lehment, Andreas Schmid and youngster Oliver Bäcker develop the international presence and rainmaker qualities of von Falck and Steffen Steininger.

Strengths

Strong international client base, large European patent practice, cross-border litigation, especially for pharma originators and SEP implementors.

Recommended individuals

Martin Fähndrich, Andreas von Falck (“solid lead counsel”, “extremely good trial lawyer”, competitors), Miriam Gundt, Daniel Kaneko (“up-and-coming talent”, “quick comprehension, solution-oriented”, competitors),Alexander Klicznik (“high level of technical and legal competence”, competitor), Henrik Lehment (“the best patent litigator at Hogan Lovells”, client; “confidently steers complex proceedings”, competitor), Clemens Plassmann, Steffen Steininger (“very good litigator on the implementer side”, client; “technically very gifted litigator”, competitor),Benjamin Schröer, Christian Stoll; patent attorney: Andreas Schmid (“fantastic”, client, “brilliant patent attorney for IT and mobile communications”, competitor)

Team

45 lawyers, 12 patent attorneys, 4 dual-qualified

Clients

Litigation: HMD against VoiceAge over speech coding technology; Amazon against InterDigital over video streaming; Hisense against InterDigital over video codec patents; Meta against Huawei and ETRI over HEVC video streaming; Paramount and Warner Bros. against Nokia over video streaming (ended 2026); BYD against Sol IP over mobile communication SEPs; Geely against Nokia over 4G and 5G (settled 2026); Hyundai against Avago/Broadcom over mobile communication patents; Tulip against against Sunwoda over car batteries; Intex Recreation against Bestway over manufacturing process for rubber boats and pools; Astronics against Panasonic Avionics over aeroplane seats; Meril Life Sciences against Edwards Lifesciences over heart valves; MSD against Halozyme over cancer drug pembrolizumab/Keytruda; frequent litigation for Eli Lilly, Roche, Oppo, Xiaomi.