Intellectual Property
The German Industrial Property / IP practice group forms an integral part of one of the leading international practice groups in this field.
Our entrepreneurial thinking, our experience in managing complex projects and our close cooperation with specialists in other countries and from other areas of expertise create unique added value for our clients, for example in parallel infringement disputes in several countries and continents or as regards the structuring of licences for the tax-optimised exploitation of industrial property rights in international markets.
Our offering
Patents and know-how
- Representation and litigation in patent disputes, often in cross-border contexts and multi-national disputes (especially EU/U.S./China)
- International arbitration proceedings on patent and licence disputes
- High profile patent litigation in the fields of life sciences, electronics, telecommunication and mechanics
- Offices in all German cities in which the local divisions of the new Unified Patent Court (UPC) will be located
- Advice on protecting know-how and confidential information
- Representation and litigation in disputes on the betrayal of business and trade secrets, including issues relating to unfair competition and criminal law
- Advice on complex licensing arrangements, R&D projects and joint ventures
- Employee inventions and incentives to innovation
Trademarks and designs
- Advice and representation in disputes regarding trademark and design infringements, with special experience in interim relief matters
- Trademark prosecution and opposition proceedings
- Cancellation procedures on absolute grounds for refusal or against mala fide applications
- Advice on branding concepts, for example in connection with the expansion or modernisation of established trademarks, the implementation of new trademarks or rebranding concepts after company restructurings
- Advice on comprehensive product protection using trademark, design, copyright and related rights, in addition to patent protection
- Drafting and negotiating of agreements, in particular in the fields of licences, co-marketing and product development
- Co-existence and demarcation agreements in order to avoid disputes or in the course of spin-offs and other restructuring measures
Advertising and unfair competition
- Representation and litigation before Germany’s main unfair competition courts to ensure protection against counterfeiting, unfair commercial practices or misleading advertising
- Advice on all legal issues with regard to advertising and public relations, for example in connection with the market introduction of new products or with hostile takeovers, targeted advertising, below-the-line advertising, word of mouth campaigns et al.
- Securing the legal framework in connection with image campaigns, comparative advertising or the organisation of customer retention systems and online marketing including user-generated content
- Legal examination of all forms of advertising material and online contracting (e-sales), including websites, tweets, social media marketing etc.
Corporate IP and finance IP
- Comprehensive advice from a single source on all questions relating to research and technology-intense projects, in particular in R&D, licensing and joint ventures
- Advice on all transactions relating to the purchase or transfer of IP rights, copyrights or know-how and other forms of technology transfer
- Advice and organisation of various workstreams in IP-heavy transactions, from preparing a sensible IP structure or setting up a data room and carrying out due diligence to drafting and negotiating transaction documents and achieving closing
- Using intellectual property rights for financing purposes
Meet our lawyers
News and insights
Publications: 22 January 2024
UPC Insights: Divisions disagree on rules for service on non-European defendants
In a recent order, (UPC_CFI_219/2023), the Mannheim Division provided its view on the conditions of implementation for Rule 275.2 of the Rules of Procedure (RoP), which allows for alternatives methods…
Blog Post: 17 July 2023
When is the composition of a product on the market prior art?
G1/23 – EPO Enlarged Board of Appeals of the EPO “available” (referral from T 0438/19) Under which circumstances can the public prior use of a product constitute prior art for novelty or inventive…
Blog Post: 28 November 2022
Webinar - EU developments in pricing and reimbursement
Keeping up with current developments regarding pricing and reimbursement of pharmaceuticals is crucial for planning efficient and successful market access strategies. The regulatory framework…
Publications: 14 June 2022
Webinar: The landscape of the autonomous vehicle market
The inaugural program in Berkeley Center for Law & Technology’s (BCLT) Autonomous Vehicle (AV) Series in partnership with A&O provides listeners an overview of the current state of the industry.
Life Sciences Hub
