Fish & Richardson hires SEP-experienced litigator in Munich

US IP firm Fish & Richardson has kicked off October with a successful team expansion. Armin Kühne is joining the firm’s Munich office as a principal, a role equivalent to that of a salary partner. The lawyer, who has experience in SEP and life sciences litigation, joins from the German full-service firm Noerr.

“Armin’s experience before the UPC and German courts strengthens our ability to serve clients facing increasingly global patent disputes and enhances our capacity to deliver coordinated litigation strategies across jurisdictions,” said Corrin Drakulich, global head of litigation.

Kühne spent the past ten years at Noerr, most recently as an associate partner. He began his career at McDermott in Munich.

Armin Kühne

During his time at Noerr, he gained experience in representing innovative companies, developing coordinated litigation and intellectual property strategies across jurisdictions. His expertise spans telecommunications, electronics, automotive technology, pharmaceuticals, and network security. Most recently, for example, he was part of the team led by partner Ralph Nack working on a case concerning security for costs at the UPC Court of Appeal.

Kühne’s experience in life sciences litigation, which he conducts in tandem with partner firms, is exemplified by his representation of Purem against Newron.

US firms eye Europe

“Clients increasingly need counsel who can help them navigate complex patent challenges on both sides of the Atlantic, and Fish has built an exceptional platform for protecting and enforcing IP globally,” said Kühne. He is moving at a time when numerous US law firms are courting European litigators to strengthen their offering for the UPC and national European courts.

In June, Fish & Richardson appointed Daniel Shim as of counsel for its global IP litigation practice. Shim joined from Samsung Electronics, where he played a central role in global IP litigation. Shim was also based in Europe for a time, during which he was involved in important SEP and FRAND disputes on behalf of Samsung.

For  Noerr, however, this departure represents a setback in its efforts to build a broader partnership and a larger patent litigation team. Following his departure, Ralph Nack’s team now comprises seven lawyers.