Bonabry to merge with patent attorney firm Hamm&Wittkopp

Bonabry, which itself only launched in January 2025 following a spin-off from Preu Bohlig, is taking its next major step. Together with Hamm&Wittkopp, the firm will bring litigators and patent attorneys under one roof. According to the firms, the merger will not alter Bonabry’s focus on IP litigation. Hamm&Wittkopp will also continue to concentrate on opposition, revocation and infringement proceedings rather than the traditional patent filing business.

With the merger, patent attorneys Alexander Wittkopp and Malte von Seebach will join Bonabry mbB as partners. In addition to the two name partners, four further patent attorneys and their support team will move across. In total, the combined firm will comprise more than 20 fee earners in IP litigation.

The new set-up strengthens Bonabry’s position in the pharmaceutical sector in particular. Hamm&Wittkopp has established itself over the years as a go-to advisor for generics manufacturers in patent disputes with originators. Its client roster includes Stada, Aliud, and Mylan, with the team acting regularly in EPO oppositions, often as straw men representatives.

Shared client base

The two firms already have a track record of working together. Hamm&Wittkopp and Bonabry currently represent Stada against Sanofi at the UPC in a dispute concerning the cancer drug cabazitaxel — one of the first UPC cases pitting a generics manufacturer against an originator. The proceedings are among a growing number of pharmaceutical disputes to reach the new court.

Bonabry’s own client base in the generics sector overlaps considerably with that of Hamm&Wittkopp. The firm advises Stadapharm, Aliud, Betapharm, and Accord Healthcare, among others. Beyond pharma, Bonabry acts for a range of medium-sized companies across various technical fields, including Primetals Technologies Austria against Danieli and Decathlon in a series of UPC lawsuits against Schwarz Group subsidiaries such as Lidl and Kaufland.

The Hamburg-based patent attorney firm rounds off Bonabry’s existing life sciences practice, which has been active for clients such as Tandem Diabetes Care in disputes with Roche Diabetes Care.

New premises and Milan presence

The combined Hamburg office will move into new premises at the Bornhold Haus at Neuer Wall 80, with the move scheduled for early December 2026. In addition, Bonabry plans to establish an address in Milan, referencing the city’s significance as a seat of a UPC central division. The firm has stated that no further organisational or personnel changes are currently planned in connection with the Milan presence.

Bonabry launched in January 2025 when a team led by Daniel Hoppe, Jan Peter Heidenreich and Carl-Alexander Dinges left Preu Bohlig’s Hamburg office. Partners Konstantin Schallmoser and Isabell Werner joined from Paris, while Alexander Harguth opened a Munich office for the new outfit. Since then, the firm has grown across all its locations.

Daniel Hoppe says the merger is aimed at positioning Bonabry “at the very highest level in professional, technical and organisational terms” and at establishing the firm as a leading player in the patent litigation and UPC markets. According to the firm, further expansion of resources on both the legal and patent attorney sides is planned. (Co-author: Laura King)