JUVE Comment

Thanks to the German patent litigation team’s extensive network of contacts among US clients such as Dexcom, Google and Tesla, as well as the excellent reputation of lead partner Marcus Grosch, Quinn Emanuel got off to a good start at the UPC. The German team is currently representing car manufacturer Tesla in national as well as UPC proceedings against Broadcom. The litigation for Dexcom in its major global battle with Abbott over glucose-monitoring devices is probably the biggest instruction for the German team at present and is a prime example of the team’s litigation before the UPC, but also before German courts and the EPO. Quinn Emanuel also plays an important role in the coordination of such international disputes.

Quinn Emanuel is more successful than any other US firm in transferring major cases across the Atlantic to litigate them before the German courts and the UPC, and indeed in both directions. Google retained Grosch’s team for the first UPC proceedings against NPE Ona Patents, demonstrating the close ties between the tech giant and the patent team. Although in national cases the company also relies on Hogan Lovells in addition to Quinn Emanuel.

Nevertheless, Quinn Emanuel is currently not in a position to handle such cases in other European countries, working instead with local lawyers from other outfits. The lack of presence in other European patent jurisdictions such as France and the UK is what differentiates the US firm from pan-European practices such as Hogan Lovells or Bird & Bird. For example, it is a Paris-based Bird & Bird team conducting the proceedings for Dexcom at the local division Paris.

Strengths

Litigation related to telecoms, chips and medical devices. Strong US practice.

Recommended individuals

Marcus Grosch (“top lawyer”, client; “excellent litigator with great experience in coordinating lawsuits in multiple jurisdictions”, competitor), Jérôme Kommer, Jesko Preuß (“highly flexible, delivers really good results quickly”, client)

Team

57 lawyers

Clients

Dexcom against Abbott over glucose-monitoring patents; Qualcomm against Shenzhen Transsion, Techno Mobile, Max ITC and others over chips for telecommunications; Tesla against Broadcom/Avago over implementation patent for chips for automotive application; Google against Ona Patents over mobile communications; Vizgen against 10x Genomics over diagnostic devices; Scandit against Hand Held Products over handheld scanners; Stäubli Tec Sysems against Hellmuth Konrad over mechanical engineering patent.