Austrian patent attorney firms join technical and UPC forces
Two of Austria's best-known patent attorney firms are joining forces to focus more closely on the UPC. Sonn Patentanwälte and Haffner & Keschmann have a strong expertise in chemistry and mechanics, process and mechanical engineering and the latter also in pharma and biotechnology.
6 June 2024 by Mathieu Klos
The long-established law firm Haffner & Keschmann has been merged into Sonn Patentanwälte. The joint firm has been operating under the name Sonn Patentanwälte IP attorneys since the beginning of June. It has 12 patent attorneys, eight of whom are partners of the firm.
Marc Keschmann (50) was most recently the sole partner of Haffner & Keschmann. Paul Schreiner is qualified as a European patent attorney and joins Sonn as an associate.
Marc Keschmann
According to JUVE Patent research, Keschmann is one of the best-known patent attorneys in Austria. He is particularly recommended for advice in the technical fields of chemistry as well as mechanics, process and mechanical engineering.
Recently he advised clients such as Alba Tooling & Engineering, AVVie, Cubicure, EVVA Sicherheitstechnik, Holcim Technology, REP IP, Voestalpine, Technical University Vienna, and Medical University of Vienna in patent prosecution. According to its own information, all clients follow Keschmann to his new firm.
On track for growth
Sonn is also one of the best-known patent attorney firms in Austria. The firm operates across a broad technical spectrum but is particularly well known for its work in patent prosecution for pharma and biotechnology as well as mechanics, process and mechanical engineering.
With Daniel Alge and Rainer Beetz, it already had two leading patent attorneys from Austria in its ranks. Keschmann is now the third.
The firm had recently opened a second office in Linz in March 2024. This is headed by David Trauner.
The law firm focuses on patent prosecution. It has recently been working increasingly for clients such as Ablevia Biotech, Accanis Biotech, AIT Austrian Institute of Technology, Aurotech/Nordson, Baxter Healthcare, Doka, Fronius, Tiger Coatings, the Institute for Molecular Biotechnology, and the Technical Universities of Texas and Vienna at the European Patent Office. The patent attorneys also have a good reputation in the market for technical support in patent litigation.
UPC firmly in view
The merger will not only increase their presence in the Austrian market but also their clout in supporting UPC cases. The law firm is already advising Strabag in an infringement action concerning optical solutions used in traffic and advertising technology. Swarco Futurot Verkehrssignalsysteme brought the action before the Vienna local division with the support of the Viennese law firm Nomos (case ID: ACT_4261/2024). Rainer Beetz and Johannes Strobl represent Strabag in the infringement action.
So far, it is the only main action before the Vienna local division. The court had previously only dealt with a PI proceeding over a technology for milk frothers.
Nevertheless, Austrian patent attorney firms are currently very present in UPC proceedings. For example, Puchberger & Partner, together with Taylor Wessing, is assisting CUP&Cino in the PI action at the Vienna local division.
Of all Austrian firms, Torggler & Hofmann currently has the strongest presence. The law firm not only represented Alpina Coffee Systems in the PI action against CUP&Cino but is also taking action for Progress Maschinen & Automation against two competitors over engineering patents in two PI applications and one infringement claim at the Milan local division. For Steindl Krantechnik and Tiroler Rohre, the firm has two more cases at the Munich local division. (co-author: Christina Schultze)
