Litigation: Patent Attorneys – Germany 2018

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This mixed firm is among the German market leaders in patent prosecution and patent litigation to an equal extent. BP has had a turbulent time in every respect. The lawyers had the sudden death of internationally well-regarded managing partner Peter Hess to cope with. The litigation practice also grew with a four-strong team around former Freshfields partner Chrocziel. This not only brought connections to Audi, Microsoft and Hewlett-Packard, but valuable expertise in antitrust, and broadened the comparatively slim litigation practice. BP also e...

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Because of its tremendous visibility in disputes, this Munich firm is one of the most active litigation outfits on the patent attorney side. Whether pharmaceuticals patents or biosimilars, the team is involved in virtually all of the sector’s high-profile proceedings, incl. the disputes over Truvada and fulvestrant. Only the Düsseldorf team of competitor König enjoys comparable visibility. The df-mp lawyers are also active in numerous opposition suits in this segment as straw men for unknown industrial companies. While advice to industrial comp...

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This mixed IP firm is among the market-leading practices on the patent attorney side, but the litigation team is also excellently positioned when it comes to pharmaceuticals suits. HE has now raised the headcount of its prosecution team and underscored the importance of this by appointing four partners from its own young patent attorneys. The renowned litigation practice was expanded with an associate lawyer in Munich. The Düsseldorf litigation team, however, still needs reinforcements, partly because the litigators do not enjoy a similar stand...

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Although this Düsseldorf patent attorney firm has a solid filing practice for a very loyal client base, it is best known for its outstanding litigation experience. Few other firms enjoy such a reputation for pharmaceuticals and biotech litigation. The firm is active in EPO opposition suits for a number of originators, e.g. AbbVie, while for others like Bayer it conducts high-profile infringement proceedings. The patent attorneys are increasingly coordinating international litigation strategies – a task generally performed by lawyers and therefo...

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This pure patent attorney firm operates a renowned prosecution practice. Few other such firms boast so many partners experienced in litigation and such an impressive list of litigation clients. Mobile communications litigation for manufacturers predominates. S&P is present in virtually all the high-profile NPE suits on the side of the defendant, e.g. Deutsche Telekom, Nokia or Apple. The firm litigated for the iPhone manufacturer with Intel in a major suit by Qualcomm. But this depth of activity in the sector is leading to conflicts of interest...

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This IP firm is among the market-leading German patents firms, especially for patent prosecution. ES not only files patents and conducts official proceedings in large quantities, but also boasts an impressive list of regular clients, incl. international corporates like Philips as well as innovative German Mittelstand companies and corporates, e.g. Sennheiser, Enercon or BASF. Eisenführ ramped up its patent attorney headcount, for example welcoming a partner experienced in chemicals patents from Uexküll & Stolberg as counsel. But the patents pra...

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The major strength of this market-leading patents team lies in its unusually large prosecution practice with broad technical know-how. The firm’s ties among auto suppliers and chip manufacturers paid dividends: together with Klaka, the litigation team conducted what was perhaps the year’s most important series of proceedings before the German patent courts, the first high-profile case involving connected car patents, for Broadcom/Avogo against Audi/VW. The team had already worked for Broadcom concerning chips for games consoles. With the connec...

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This mixed IP firm is a market leader in patents: besides an extremely strongly positioned prosecution practice, Vossius is vigorously expanding its litigation team. Filing activity is very extensive and internationally focused among the German firms and centers on biotechnology. This frequently manifests itself in numerous opposition suits and appeal proceedings at the EPO, e.g. for CRISPR Therapeutics. Vossius also enjoys a strong position among pharmaceuticals and medical product manufacturers, as shown in the extensive litigation for ResMed...

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Like so many Munich patent attorney firms, with its midsized filing practice B&R is best known for its prosecution work for a strong international client base. The patent attorneys also run a renowned litigation practice with various technical specialties, incl. electronics and mobile communications patents. So it comes as no surprise that its best-known client is Google, to whom B&R mostly provides prosecution. In litigation, the patent attorneys have long been active for Nichia and always bank on good, but non-exclusive connections to selecte...

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This mixed patents team is still among Germany’s undisputed market leaders for patent litigation. The lawyers are better positioned than the up-and-coming patent attorney team. Clients from a wide array of industries trust in B&B, although the integrated, mixed team has seen stronger years (regular client Nokia has been somewhat restrained with active suits). The team is especially active in major proceedings for medical product manufacturers like Fisher & Paykel and Edwards Lifescience. Envipco’s lawsuit against the German bottle deposit syste...

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The team of patent attorneys at this Munich IP firm is still one of the most visible litigation outfits in the patent attorney scene for mobile communications patents. This is largely owing to the successful litigation for SLC. BJ has now litigated for new client Wilan, another major NPE. But the patent attorneys do not focus exclusively on NPEs, with frequent litigation on the industry side now, e.g. for ski binding manufacturer G3. They are also cleverly enhancing their prosecution portfolio, incl. filing for Amazon in Germany. Sooner or late...

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This Berlin IP firm is one of the strongest filing firms in east Germany, whose patent attorneys have carved out a strong presence in infringement proceedings over recent years. Excellent ties to Asian companies – with its own offices in Beijing and Yokohama – play a large part in this. Chinese mobile communications manufacturers feature heavily in the current client list. G&P used its showpiece instruction Haier against Sisvel – where the Federal Court of Justice (Bundesgerichtshof) is expected to make a precedent ruling on the FRAND issue at ...

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Like Bird & Bird, JD has opted for a mixed approach with a well-positioned litigation practice and strong prosecution practice for much longer than other law firms. The latter practice raised its patent attorney headcount. Both filing and litigation centre on international biotech and pharmaceuticals companies. The team has an asset in the close ties to offices in the global firm network, as JD litigated in a host of pharmaceuticals proceedings in various countries. The German litigation team is also active in proceedings involving mechanics or...

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JUVE Comment

This mixed IP firm is established in Munich with a broad prosecution practice. The patent attorneys also boast a good reputation in disputes. While the pharmaceuticals and biotechnology practice puts in a strong appearance at the EPO for opposition suits and appeal proceedings, the mechanics team is very active in nullity suits and infringement proceedings for the auto industry. Traditional litigation between auto parts suppliers predominates. The team has yet to appear in the connected cars suits, but given its excellent sector ties this shoul...

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Not only is this Munich patent attorney firm one of the major German filing practices with a very international approach, but it is also well positioned for litigation in the mobile communications sector. Katérle is active for LG in two proceedings against NPEs Fipa and Conversant. The firm also conducts much litigation involving bicycle components for regular client Sram. The pharmaceuticals and biotech team is not present in so many infringement cases before the EPO, but in opposition and nullity suits. The basis for this is extensive prosecu...

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This Ruhr Valley firm, one of the four most visible filing practices in west Germany, is opting for cautious, partner-centric development. Though smaller than Cohausz & Florack or Dompatent, its renown in prosecution work is in no way inferior to the much larger competitors. In litigation, the patent attorneys are not nearly as prominent as Cohausz, as they are hardly visible at all in the major patent battles, tending rather to represent the innovative German Mittelstand.

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This Cologne IP firm is one of the most visible prosecution outfits in the Rhein-Ruhr region with an outstanding name for chemicals and pharmaceuticals patents. Dompatent was more visible than ever before in a number of high-profile infringement proceedings outside its specialist discipline. The firm litigated for Asus in an extensive mobile communications suit and defended regular client Wilkinson in a prominent dispute against Gillette over razors. Reducing Dompatent – as many competitors do – to just the life science and chemicals sector thu...

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This Stuttgart IP boutique is rooted in the technologically strong southwest German Mittelstand with its extensive prosecution work. The team also files patents for notable electronics manufacturers such as Nokia and General Electric. The firm continued to branch out from its traditional focus on regional engineering companies – both geographically and thematically. It stepped up advice on legal issues related to blockchain technology and AI, e.g. for a large German electronics manufacturer. Dreiss is also attracting new international clients b...

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The patent prosecution team of this IP boutique is one of the most visible Munich outfits and files a large number of patents at the German Patent and Trademark Office. For its predominantly German client base the firm files a large number of priority applications, and European filing is also on the increase. One very important client is Liebherr – both for filing and litigation. Besides activity for many innovative Mittelstand companies, LSG’s work for a number of international corporates is visible in the market. The patent attorneys around L...

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This Munich IP firm operates a very active filing practice for a balanced client list of international corporates like Honda and Sony as well as numerous German Mittelstand companies. Huawei is another key client for whom the firm conducts many opposition and nullity suits. The patent attorneys stepped up activity for the Chinese company in infringement proceedings. This is the field in which Mitscherlich made the most progress, as it also worked for Nespresso in its epic coffee capsule battle against ECC.

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This pure patent attorney firm has a well-positioned midsized prosecution practice. P&P is particularly active for auto suppliers. So it is only logical that P&P is involved in the first proceedings regarding connected cars before the German courts, for Texas Instruments on the side of the Audi/VW co-litigant. As in this case, extensive filing work often gives rise to busy litigation activity for regular clients.

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This IP firm remains one of the most visible prosecution outfits in Munich. The firm is remaining true to its strategy as a pure patent attorney firm and works within a broad technical spectrum. Because of their activity for originators, the patent attorneys enjoy an excellent reputation for pharmaceuticals litigation, but also work for generics manufacturers. Although they are experienced in litigation and file many global patents for LG (one of the highest profile mobile communications manufacturers), the patent attorneys hardly appear at all...

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This Hamburg IP boutique mainly works for companies from the pharmaceuticals, biotech and chemicals sectors in filing and opposition suits. Such notable companies as Monsanto and ExxonMobil are regular clients. Long-standing connections to Presspart gave rise to work for its subsidiary H&T. But the continuity in client relationships contrasted with staff fluctuation. Uexküll lost a partner accomplished in the chemicals sector, Wiegeleben. Two patent attorneys experienced in mobile communications already left last year. Staying attractive to you...

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This IP firm has an excellent reputation as a prosecution outfit in Frankfurt and the surrounding area. The patent attorneys are also active for regular clients in opposition and nullity suits. K&S recently grew by several patent attorneys, partly due to the merger with Frankfurt firm Dr. Knoblauch. Dr. Andreas Knoblauch brings experience in mechanics and electronics patents. His regular clients include ASC Telecom, Danfoss and Karl Mayer Textilmaschinen. The work of K&S itself is heavily characterized by filing for long-time clients from the e...

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This Munich patent attorney firm is best known for its solid expertise in pharmaceuticals, biotech and chemicals patents. Besides prosecution work for regular clients like Teva or Sandoz, L&K is often seen in litigation, e.g. for Ratiopharm against Orion Pharma involving the sedative dexmedetomidine or for Hexal in the dispute with Bayer over Xarelto. Such clients secure the patent attorneys’ excellent reputation for pharmaceuticals proceedings on the side of generics manufacturers.

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In the past year, this IP firm, which boasts a large team and files many patents, demonstrated for the first time that its extensive prosecution activity harbors huge potential for much more litigation work for the patent attorneys and lawyers. VJP is playing a central role in the first series of proceedings involving the hot trend of connected cars with a large patent attorney team, who are fighting for Audi/VW alongside litigation experts from Kather Augenstein. The firm’s initial experience from mobile communications proceedings for NPEs lik...

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The patents team at this mixed Stuttgart firm is best known for prosecution work and praised by competitors as being “highly competent and reliable”. The outfit is far more visible for international corporates than others in the region. Besides regular clients Sony, Boeing and Qiagen, a number of US companies trust in WWP. The firm also often litigates for its clients, e.g. for Sony in the nullity suit over a digital book against an NPE. In infringement proceedings, the patent attorneys often operate on the side of large law firms with strong r...

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