JUVE Comment

This well-known Düsseldorf-based litigation firm had a reasonable start in the first 18 months of the UPC. Krieger Mes took a wait-and-see approach to the court; rather than forming any strategic alliances like some of its competitors, the firm emphasised its independence. Now, it is active in six proceedings at the new court for some innovative medium-sized companies.

The firm has hardly grown its team in recent years, but it can rely on its deep roots among German SMEs and many German patent attorney firms. For example, Krieger Mes advised Bette, a manufacturer of bathroom accessories, together with Loesebeck Droste even before the UPC launched, and then in the very first infringement case at the local division Düsseldorf. The dispute resulted in the first injunction ever issued by the UPC against Krieger Mes’ client.

Krieger Mes is accustomed to representing a broad base of clients in national proceedings, and thus it also represents patent owners and defendants from a wide cross-section of technical fields at the UPC. The firm’s close ties to patent pools and NPEs have brought Krieger Mes a good deal of business and an excellent reputation in SEP cases over the years, but these are yet to bear fruit at the UPC. So far, Krieger Mes is representing only the computer retailer Max ITC here in a lawsuit brought by Qualcomm over mobile communications patents.

The firm’s litigation for ParTec against Nvidia concerning quantum computers attracted attention. Its long-standing relationship with IPCom founder Bernhard Frowitter and his law firm of the same name paid off here. Frowitter is also CEO of ParTec.

With seven lawyers the firm is quite small compared to competitors such as Wildanger or Kather Augenstein. It will therefore need to grow or cooperate more closely with other law firms if it wants to gain greater clout for more complex UPC cases.

Strengths

UPC litigation for innovative midsized companies.

Recommended individuals

Dirk Jestaedt

Team

7 lawyers

Clients

Partec against Nvidia over quantum computers; Erwin Härtwich and Yellow Sphere Innovations against Knaus Tabbert over caravans; M-A-S Maschinen- und Anlagenbau against Altec Marina over recycling machines; Truma Gerätetechnik against CAN and Airxcel Europe over heat exchanger for caravans; Bette against Kaldewei over shower trays; Expert e-Commerce and Expert Klein against Seoul Viosys over LED technology; Max ICT as co-defendant of Shenzhen Transsion and Tecno Mobile against Qualcomm over mobile communications.