JUVE Comment

With an impressive track record in litigation, the Düsseldorf IP boutique has once more cemented its position among the market leaders in Germany. The boutique again underscored its position as one of the top addresses for lawsuits involving SEPs and FRAND issues with its landmark victory for VoiceAge EVS against HMD. In a much-observed case, the German Federal Court of Justice confirmed an injunction against HMD, affirming its FRAND approach despite amicus curiae briefs from the EU Commission. The firm continues to be highly active for patent owners such as Huawei, Innovative Sonic, Crystal Clear Codec, and UERAN in 4G and 5G disputes. It also maintains a strong practice for implementers, for instance representing Asus in the extensive global dispute against Nokia over video coding patents.

While SEP litigation remains a core strength, the firm has expanded its footprint in the medical devices sector with clients such as E.M.S. Electro Medical Systems. This activity complements its work in other technologies, such as for Dai Nippon Printing in a dispute over OLED displays. Furthermore, the firm’s good connections to independent external patent attorneys continue to guarantee a steady stream of new litigation. Compared to competitors such as Arnold Ruess, however, the boutique has no strong foothold in pharma litigation.

Just as in national proceedings, Wildanger has undoubtedly established itself as a market leader at the UPC for SEP and FRAND issues. Often the proceedings at the European court go hand in hand with national litigation. Clients such as Atlas Global, Innovative Sonic, and UERAN Technology place their full trust in the team for their SEP campaigns. This also applied to the defence of Asus against Nokia, where Wildanger defended the company both nationally and at the UPC.

In recent years, the Düsseldorf team has steadily rejuvenated itself with talented individuals. A client comments that “they show better than most other boutique firms how to build a team with young talent”. Besides its established senior partners, it boasts a large number of renowned younger litigators such as Soenke Fock, Jasper Meyer zu Riemsloh, Ole Dirks, Alexander Reetz, and Alexander Wiese. While recently made partner Eva Thörner gains increasing market recognition with a client dubbing her “very good”, the team has also grown again significantly at the associate level. One of them, Felix Beck, who came from Arnold Ruess, is an up-and-coming young lawyer, whom a competitor commends as “a real star, both in legal and technical matters”.

Strengths

SEP and FRAND disputes mainly for NPEs in mobile communications. Litigation related to electronics and mechanics.

Recommended individuals

Ole Dirks, Soenke Fock (“a very good understanding of the overall case”, “outstanding litigator”, competitors), Eva Geschke, Alexander Reetz (“very good”, client; “extremely conscientious and persuasive, particularly recommended for SEP cases”, competitor), Jasper Meyer zu Riemsloh (“has in-depth technical knowledge and a wealth of experience in SEPs”, competitor), Wolf Graf von Schwerin, Peter-Michael Weisse (“outstandingly intelligent and creative with the utmost dedication to the cause”, “experienced litigator and an excellent strategist”, competitors), Alexander Wiese (“very reliable and pleasant to work with”, competitor)

Team

18 lawyers

Clients

Litigation: VoiceAge EVS against HMD over speech coding for mobile devices; Huawei against HMD over 4G and 5G; Innovative Sonic against Lenovo/Motorola, Xiaomi and OPPO/OnePlus over 5G; Asus against Nokia over video coding (settled 2026); Asus against Oppo over 5G; Atlas Global against TP-Link und Vantiva over wi-fi SEPs and FRAND; Crystal Clear Codec against Oppo over voice codecs; UERAN Technology against Lenovo and Xiaomi over 4G/5G SEPs; Sharp against Disney over HEVC codec/video streaming; Light Guide Optics against Biolitec over laser treatment for veins.