Germany

ABP Burger hires litigator as managing partner in Munich

Austrian law firm ABP Burger is strengthening its Munich team with Eike Schaper, who joins as its new head of litigation. Schaper, who joins from Rospatt Osten Pross, is also the firm's managing partner. He is especially active at the intersection between patent and soft IP law.

9 December 2021 by Christina Schulze

ABP Burger, Eike Schaper ABP Burger is expanding its litigation team in Munich with the hire of former Rospatt senior associate, Eike Schaper ©f11photo/ADOBE STOCK

ABP Burger has recruited Eike Schaper (49) as its new head of litigation, and as managing partner. Schaper has worked in the market-leading team of IP boutique Rospatt Osten Pross in Düsseldorf since 2007.

A mixed IP boutique, ABP Burger is one of the strongest litigation outfits in Austria for hard and soft IP. With the addition of Eike Schaper, the firm is now strengthening its presence in Munich. ABP Burger’s only patent attorney, as well as four other lawyers, are also active in this location.

ABP Burger maintains connections

Eike Schaper

Eike Schaper and his new firm are old acquaintances. Previously, the two entities had worked together on a number of cross-border cases, for example for Swarovski Optik.

Schaper joins as managing partner, although ABP Burger is not a partnership. Instead, it is organised as a limited liability company (GmbH) in both Germany and Austria.

For the past 14 years, Eike Schaper has worked at Rospatt Osten Pross in Düsseldorf, most recently as a senior associate. The firm has only one office, but is one of the market-leading litigation boutiques in Germany.

After Schaper’s departure, the patent litigation team still comprises eight partners and five associates.

Schaper began his career in the intellectual property team of full-service firm Gleiss Lutz in Munich and Stuttgart. He is active at the interface of patent, trademark and unfair competition law, for example advising clients such as Tegometall and Sulzer Mixpac.