Meissner Bolte strengthens chemicals expertise with seven-strong team

On 1 March, German mixed IP boutique Meissner Bolte strengthened its technical expertise with seven patent attorneys. The entire team hails from traditional German patent attorney firm Reitstötter Kinzebach.

Of the new arrivals, Wolfgang Thalhammer, Andreas Rabe, Sebastian Walter and Sebastian Helmbrecht were previously active in Reitstötter Kinzebach’s Munich office. They have now joined Meissner Bolte’s office in the same city. The other three, Michael Pohl, Andreea Schuster-Haberhauer and Sehee Na, operated Reitstötter’s office in Ludwigshafen and will continue to run this office as a part of Meissner Bolte’s offering. The move thus brings the number of Meissner Bolte offices in Germany to eleven.

Thalhammer, Rabe, Pohl and Schuster-Haberhauer were partners at Reitstötter Kinzebach, retaining this status at their new firm.

Spotlight on chemistry

The patent attorneys, who specialise predominantly in chemicals, will considerably reinforce Meissner Bolte’s expertise in this sector. The new office in Ludwigshafen is an additional advantage, being situated right in the heart of Germany’s chemicals industry in the Rhein-Neckar region. It is home to chemicals giant BASF, for example, a client which the team is bringing to its new firm.

Meissner Bolte’s patent attorneys are best known for prosecution in the traditional areas of technology, mechanics and mechanical engineering. Electronics and medical products also play an important role. Clients include CommScope, Electrolux and Thyssenkrupp.

Stefan Zech

Stefan Zech, partner and patent attorney at Meissner Bolte, says, “We are very pleased that we have been able to attract seven experienced patent attorneys to our team. Their extensive technical and legal expertise in numerous specialist chemical fields is what sets them apart.”

Turbulence at Meissner Bolte

Meissner Bolte has seen significant staff turbulence in recent years, particularly in its patent litigation practice.

For example, at the end of 2022, lawyer Marina Wehler, who joined the firm’s Düsseldorf office in October that year, left after only three months, returning to her previous firm, Arnold Ruess. Wehler, considered an expert in FRAND with a focus on pharmaceutical and telecommunications patents, was set to bolster the Düsseldorf office for the UPC.

Then, in early 2023, the firm lost its best-known patent litigator Tobias Wuttke to Bardehle Pagenberg. Wuttke had joined Meissner Bolte in 2010, where he was instrumental in building up a separate patent litigation practice. He has extensive experience in mobile communications litigation, representing clients such as Deutsche Telekom, as well as in mechanical and medical technology patents. His departure was a significant blow to the firm.

Shortly after, the firm also lost two up-and-coming litigators in patent attorney Florian Henke and lawyer Philipp Rastemborski. Both jumped ship to Eisenführ Speiser. As department heads, they had planned to guide Meissner Bolte’s litigation practice into the future. Instead, the departures left the firm without a high-profile litigation figure in the market.

Renewal on the cards

Subsequently, the firm hired highly experienced IP litigator Michael Nieder as of counsel. Nieder, who joined from Klaka in Munich, has particular expertise in pharmaceuticals, food law and biotech.

In Hanover, the firm recruited a patent attorney team from Gramm Lins. Joachim Gerstein, Rolf Kröncke and Constantin Günther joined Meissner Bolte as partners, bringing experience in mobile communications and connected cars litigation.

Wolfgang Thalhammer

Blow for Reitstötter Kinzebach

As one of the oldest patent attorney firms in Germany, Reitstötter Kinzebach is well-established in the chemistry and life sciences sector. Based in Munich and, until now, in Ludwigshafen, the outfit advises national and international clients in chemistry, life sciences and technology.

As a result of the move, Reitstötter Kinzebach has lost two thirds of its team. However, it retains expertise in life sciences and chemistry and three partners remain at the firm’s Munich office. This includes two patent attorneys: Georg Schweiger specialises in life sciences and chemistry, while Uwe Müller focuses on technology and designs. Third partner Katja Kinzebach is a trademark lawyer who focuses on trademarks, competition law and copyright law.

Reitstötter Kinzebach’s core clientele includes international corporations, medium-sized companies, universities and start-ups, which it represents in patent prosecution and, where necessary, litigation.

Looking to the future

For Meissner Bolte, the Ludwigshafen office brings a further strategic advantage due to its close proximity to Mannheim. This is home to a UPC local division. With offices also in Düsseldorf, Hamburg and Munich, the firm is now active in four UPC locations.

Ludwigshafen lies between the borders of Rhineland-Palatinate, Baden-Württemberg and Hesse, which host major companies such as Fuchs, Daimler and HeidelbergCement. Meissner Bolte’s new arrivals thus bring potential with their expertise in growth areas such as chemical solutions. These contribute to the decarbonisation of industry.