HEUKING is one of Germany’s largest law firms with a substantial Media, IP and IT department. The firm advises and represents its clients in all kinds of IP matters. The areas listed below are therefore not exhaustive.
Patent Law / Patent Litigation
With years of experience in patent litigation, HEUKING’s patent team has a proven track record of successfully defending and enforcing patents across a wide range of industries before the German national courts, the European Patent Office, the German Patent and Trademark Office and more recently also the Unified Patent Court (UPC). The team combines deep technical knowledge with strategic legal acumen to navigate the complexities of patent disputes, ensuring that the client’s industrial property rights are robustly protected. All team members are actively involved in various cases before the new Unified Patent Court (UPC), showcasing their strong technical understanding and seamless integration into the new legal framework.
Under the leadership of Anton Horn, HEUKING's patent team has grown significantly in recent years. All lawyers are Certified Specialist Lawyers in Intellectual Property Law (Fachanwälte für Gewerblichen Rechtsschutz) and all team members are registered representatives with the Unified Patent Court (UPC) since its inception in 2023.
Patent Prosecution
While HEUKING’s patent prosecution practice is relatively new, having been established just a few years ago, it is rapidly gaining recognition for its excellence and effectiveness. The team of skilled patent attorneys and paralegals is adept at guiding clients through the patent application process, from the initial filing to final grant. They work closely with inventors and businesses to draft, file, and prosecute patents that stand up to scrutiny and provide strong protection in the marketplace. This expansion aligns with HEUKING's full-service approach, providing clients with expertise in both patent litigation and prosecution, a combination highly valued by the market.
International Network
HEUKING’s patent team has also supported clients in proceedings across Europe, including Switzerland, Austria, Denmark, Italy, France, Spain, Belgium, and the Netherlands, as well as globally. The team regularly works in English, German, French, Italian, Spanish, and Chinese. As a member of the World Services Group (WSG) network, HEUKING has access to top-tier patent litigators worldwide, allowing the firm to manage and coordinate international or cross-border proceedings effectively.
Soft IP / Trademarks, Design Law, Copyright Law and Unfair Competition
Heukings Practice Group IP, Media and Technology comprises of seven expertise groups, the biggest one being „Soft IP“, covering trademark and design law, copyrights and unfair competition law. The group offers in depth expertise in all these areas, Practice Group co-leader Dominik Eickemeier confirms: „Our experienced partners managed to build a strong team enabling younger colleagues to grow and learn on the job rather than requiring them to write assessments with no client contact.“. Well-known partners like Christian Spintig (Hamburg), Georg Jacobs (Düsseldorf) and Thorsten Wieland (Frankfurt) support the team building by encouraging newcomers to work on major cases.
Registering, protecting and maintaining trademarks and designs
The team offers all services required to build and maintain trademark and design portfolios, including the defense of the clients‘ rights in all kinds of administrative proceedings. In the event of a collision with other IP rights, negotiating delimitation solutions or representing its clients before the German Patent and Trade Mark Office or the European Union Intellectual Property Office is the group’s daily work. With partners abroad, Heuking also secures its clients‘ ip rights worldwide.
Defending our clients‘ IP rights against competitors and others
Representation in court: The group members are admitted to and well-known at all important courts nationwide. They are familiar with regional peculiarities of interim legal protection, thus avoiding pitfalls.
Protection against dilution: For companies that, as trademark owners, fall victim to counterfeiting, the group conducts serial civil litigation against infringers. The Soft IP group has implemented enforcement programs to counteract the dilution of valuable trademark and design assets.
Out-of-court settlement: In addition, Soft IP advises and represent its clients in domain disputes before national and international arbitration courts, where Dominik Eickemeier also acts as arbitrator.
One of the teams specializes in combating product piracy. This includes strategic advice on product identification solutions, helping the clients and the investigating authorities to successfully take action against counterfeit goods, unauthorized parallel imports, or other unlawful activities.
Designing the clients‘ business
In addition to legal disputes, the Soft IP group also advises its clients in contractual matters and drafts license agreements, supervises licensing relationships, or helps with designing distribution systems. Jointly with the Heuking specialist lawyers in distribution law and antitrust law, they develop distribution agreements, for example for franchising or store-in-store concepts.
