JUVE Comment

This Düsseldorf IP boutique recently had an impressive run at the UPC as one of the most active nationally independent outfits, especially regarding mobile communications proceedings and, increasingly, streaming technology. The team’s success is built on high-profile cases for core tech clients like Nokia and InterDigital. For the latter, Arnold Ruess is currently involved in two major video coding cases, against Amazon and Disney respectively, where the team scored a huge success by landing the first ever so-called anti-interim-licence injunction. Asus also retained the firm for FRAND-related disputes against Xiaomi and Oppo.

Apart from the firm’s work for Sanofi as co-counsel alongside Carpmaels & Ransford and Hoffmann Eitle in the dispute with Amgen over the cholesterol-lowering drug Praluent, Arnold Ruess has not yet managed to translate its pharma experience to the UPC. Zentiva, which often relies on Arnold Ruess for national German cases, has not yet retained the firm for UPC proceedings, instead banking on Pentarc in its dispute with Sanofi. Meanwhile, Arnold Ruess is successfully expanding its client base into the highly competitive medical devices sector, with new work for Angelalign Technology and Fisher & Paykel Healthcare.

The law firm boasts sufficient experience in cross-border patent disputes, where it regularly plays a coordinating role – a task that it has also taken on in several UPC actions. In terms of headcount, the boutique can certainly keep up with other teams in the market. However, it does not boast the technical breadth of competitors Kather Augenstein and Bardehle Pagenberg in UPC work.

Arnold Ruess continues to make good use of its long-standing contacts with pure patent attorney firms, such as Cohausz & Florack. Where international teams are required, Arnold Ruess can also fall back on its close ties to foreign law firms, thus proving that foreign offices are not a prerequisite for a strong presence in UPC disputes.

Strengths

Litigation concerning mobile communications and IT patents.

Recommended individuals

Arno Riße (“brilliant technical know-how, no other lawyer can explain things to the judge as well as he can”, client; “highly precise and technically competent, very experienced in litigation”, competitor), Cordula Schumacher (“outstanding litigator”, competitor), Tim Smentkowski, (“thoroughly recommendable, very good technical expertise, good strategist and in FRAND”, client)

Team

21 lawyers

Clients

Nokia against Paramount and Warner Brothers over video coding; Nokia against Sunmi (settled 2025) and Geely over 4G and 5G standards; Nokia against Amazon over SEPs for streaming, video coding and cloud computing (settled 2025); InterDigital against Disney and Amazon over video coding; ASUS against Xiaomi and Oppo over telecommunications; Angelalign against Align over medical devices; Fisher & Paykel against Flexicare over medical devices; Sanofi against Amgen over cholesterol-lowering drug Praluent; Evac against Shanghai VacDrain over sanitary technology; Faro Technologies against PMT Technologies and Blankenhorn over measuring technology.