Müller Schupfner & Partner boosts patent team with dual-qualified litigator
IP firm Müller Schupfner & Partner has strengthened its patent practice with Stefan Bianchin, who joins as partner from the Munich office of Maiwald. He joins as the firm's only dual-qualified patent litigator, just weeks before the UPC opens its doors.
11 May 2023 by Mathieu Klos
Stefan Bianchin, who joined the Munich office of Müller Schupfner & Partner on 1 May, specialises in mechanical engineering, computer-implemented inventions, mobility and energy, measuring technology, and data processing. After obtaining a degree in physical engineering, he studied law and was admitted to the German Bar in 2007. In 2013, Bianchin qualified as European patent attorney.
The full-service IP outfit is based in Munich and Hamburg, with a five-strong patent litigation team. Bianchin will add experience in infringement, opposition and nullity litigation proceedings concerning patents and utility models to the Müller Schupfner team. Besides patent filing and licence agreements, he also advises on employee invention law and entitlement actions.
Fondness for mixed firms
Bianchin, who began his career at Bardehle Pagenberg in 2007, spent just over five years at Mitscherlich in Munich. He joined Maiwald in 2019, where he worked as partner. All three firms operate with a mixed team of lawyers and patent attorneys. Müller Schupfner has a similar setup with eleven patent attorneys and seven lawyers.
Stefan Bianchin
At Maiwald, according to JUVE Patent information, Bianchin recently advised ABB on patent strategy and EPO oppositions. He also advised a German chemical group on EPO filings concerning process technology, and a German supplier of scaffolding technology on EPO oppositions.
A boost for Müller Schupfner
Müller Schupfner & Partner is active in all aspects of patent prosecution and litigates in infringement, opposition and nullity cases. For example, it has advised clients such as Alvance Aluminium Duffel, Kamax, Odenwald Chemie, Rogers Corporation, Tata Steel, Tetra Pak and Hirschvogel on patent filing.
The firm’s patent attorneys also conduct opposition suits for most of these clients. Müller Schupfner is active across a broad technical spectrum, but has a particularly strong reputation for chemical, mechanical and medical device patents.
Preparing for the UPC
Currently, Müller Schupfner is conducting infringement proceedings for Comp SA, EMS Electro Medical Systems and Sidel Engineering & Conveying Solutions. The firm is also very active in litigation for a supplier of trucks and trailers.
Müller Schupfner’s managing partner, Peter Müller, says, “With the addition of Stefan Bianchin, we are further expanding our IP litigation practice in the area of patent infringement proceedings.”
He adds, “We are very pleased to gain an experienced colleague who will support us in the enforcement of IP rights, including before the UPC.”
Strong in life sciences
Bianchin’s former firm Maiwald is based in Munich and Düsseldorf. Following a mixed approach, the firm specialises in litigation, with an emphasis on pharma, biotech and medical products. The patent attorneys enjoy a solid position near the top of the market, while the lawyers are well positioned in litigation.
Following recent restructures, Maiwald is on a clear path towards expansion. In February last year, the patent litigation team welcomed experienced patent attorney Ulrike Herr from Isenbruck Bösl Hörschler. However, the firm also saw the departure of a non-equity partner in electronics to UK law firm Reddie & Grose earlier this year.
Nevertheless, with around 70 patent attorneys and eight lawyers, Maiwald remains strongly positioned in the German market. (Co-author: Laura King)
