Germany

ARQIS is recommended for IP transactions work, thanks to its corporate law practice. However, its IP team is also experienced in handling soft IP matters such as trade mark and designs.

Notable lawyers: Marcus Nothhelfer, Nora Stratmann, Rolf Tichy and Carolin von Fritsch.

Baker McKenzie in Germany is recommended for trade mark work. The firm has a small team in Frankfurt who are supported by colleagues in other European offices.

Notable lawyers: Markus Hecht and Anela Winzig.

Bardehle Pagenberg is a well-known German boutique recommended for IP disputes and protection work. The firm has an impressive team of lawyers, supported by patent attorneys, for patent disputes in different technical fields, including telecommunications and life sciences. Some of its patent attorneys are also qualified as lawyers. The firm is also recommended for trade mark and design work.

Notable patent lawyers: Jan Bösing, Volkmar Henke, Johannes Heselberger, Christof Karl, Tilman Müller, Tobias Wuttke, and Tilman Müller-Stoy.

Notable patent attorneys: Georg Anetsberger, Martin Hohgardt, Tobias Kaufmann, Johannes Lang, and Joachim Mader.

Notable soft IP practitioners: Claus M Eckhartt, Philipe Kutschke, and Pascal Böhner.

International law firm Bird & Bird has an impressive IP practice in Germany. The firm is highly recommended for contentious and non-contentious IP work. Although not ranked for patent protection work, this law firm has a team of patent attorneys who handle patent validity matters and provide litigation support in infringement matters.

Notable patent litigators: Christian Harmsen, Oliver Jan Jüngst, Felix Rödiger, Matthias Meyer, Boris Kreye, and Christopher Maierhöfer.

Notable patent attorneys: Daniela Kinkeldey, Claus Becker, Felix Landry, and Felix Harbsmeier.

Notable soft IP practitioners: Fabian Niemann, Frederik Thiering, Mascha Grundmann, Uwe Lüken, Richard Dissmann, Joseph Fesenmair, Christian Lindenthal, and Constantin Eikel.

BodenseePatent is a boutique firm that specialises in patent protection and management work. The firm’s patent attorneys have expertise in areas such as mechanical engineering, life sciences, medical technology, and chemistry.

Notable patent attorneys: Bernhard Boniberger, Benjamin Merkel, Christiane Katja Schwager, Reiner Vötsch, and Oliver Schneider.

Boehmert & Boehmert is one of the established patent attorney firms in Germany. The firm is well known for IP protection and management, but it also has lawyers to take on IP disputes, trade mark work, and general IP law issues. Its patent attorney team is large enough to cover almost all key technical fields. The firm has a good reputation in the Asia-Pacific region.

Notable lawyers: Michael Rüberg, Martin Schaefer Freund, Silke Freund, Markus Engelhard, Sebastian Engels, Carl-Richard Haarmann,

Notable patent attorneys: Andreas Lucke, Ute Kilger, Karl-Heinz Metten, Daniel Herrmann, Christian W Appelt, Heinz Goddar, and Dennis Kretschmann.

Braun-Dullaeus Pannen Emmerling (BDPE) is well known for their expertise in electronics and telecommunications patent work, particularly patent disputes. The firm can also advise on trade mark protection work.

Notable patent attorneys: Karl-Ulrich Braun-Dullaeus, Friedrich Emmerling, Franck Klein, and Michael Behmke.

Notable lawyer: Heinrich Georg Pannen.

UK-headquartered firm D Young & Co has an IP practice in Germany. The firm has a group of lawyers focusing on German and EU trade mark and design work.

Notable lawyers: Jana Bogatz, Gabriele Engels, and Yvonne Stone.

Notable patent attorney: Hanns-Juergen Grosse.

IP firm df-mp is recommended for patent disputes and prosecution work, but it can also advise on trade mark matters. The firm has experienced patent practitioners for patent office and court disputes in technical fields such as biotechnology, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, electronics, and medical devices.

Notable patent attorneys: H. Ulrich Dörries, David Molnia, Sandra Pohlman, Elisabeth Greiner, Philipp Nordmeyer, and Dominik Ho.

Notable lawyers: Ortrun Günzel and Angela Wenninger-Lenz.

European patent firm EIP has an office in Düsseldorf, from which it conducts national and cross-border patent litigation in fields such as electronics and telecoms. The German team can also rely on the patent expertise of their UK counterparts.

Notable patent litigators: Christof Höhne, Florian Schmidt-Bogatzky, Sebastian Fuchs, and Isabelle Schaller.

Eisenführ Speiser is recommended for IP protection and disputes work. It has experienced patent attorneys in technical fields such as chemistry, engineering, physics, and life sciences. 

Notable patent attorneys: Mark Andres, Désirée Heintz, Lars Birken, Christine Cirl, Holger Veenhuis, Rainer Fritsche, Jochen Ehlers, Manuel Söldenwagner, and Uwe Stilkenböhmer

Notable lawyers: Rainer Böhm, Harald Förster, Constantin Brecht, Julian Eberhardt, Michael Schneider, and Philipp Rastemborski.

Epping Hermann Fischer is an IP firm recommended for patent protection and portfolio management. The firm has patent attorneys specialising in technical fields such as electrical engineering, electronics, and chemistry.

Notable patent attorneys: Florian Much, Martin Brand, Matthias Richter, Michael Lettenberger, Alexander Fuchs, Jan Stieglitz, Richard Schachtner, Christoph Aufhauser, and Bastian Schmitz.

US-headquartered IP firm Finnegan Henderson Farabow Garrett & Dunner launched its German IP practice in 2022. The firm’s European IP practice focuses on patent work, but it has a few practitioners for trade marks. The German practice is recommended for patent disputes.

Notable patent practitioners: Jochen Herr, Antje Brambrink, and Moritz Meckel.

Notable soft IP practitioner: Janina Wortmann.

Grünecker has one of the largest, most experienced patent attorney teams in Germany. The firm is also highly recommended for trade mark protection and disputes work. Its patent expertise covers key technical fields such as mechanical engineering, IT/software, life sciences and telecoms. The firm also has lawyers who work with the patent attorneys on patent infringement and nullity actions.

Notable patent litigators: Sebastian Ochs, Ulrich Blumenröder and Bernd Allekotte.

Notable patent attorneys: André Nickel, Yilin Jin, Stefano Marchini, Olivia Nemethova, Rainer Plaggenborg, Gero Maatz-Jansen, Moritz Höffe, Reinhard Knauer, Heike Vogelsang-Wenke, and Thomas Kronberger.

Notable soft IP practitioners: Cornelia Schmitt, Anja Franke, Maximilian Kinkeldey and Holger Gauss.

German law firm GvW Graf von Westphalen has witnessed positive developments in its IP practice in the past few years. The firm is recommended for patent litigation and trade mark work, but it also has lawyers in the firm for copyright advice. Its head of IP Sebastian Heim is an all-round IP lawyer.

Notable patent litigators: Sebastian Heim, Joachim Mulch, and Nicolas M Dumont.

Notable soft IP practitioners: Kristofer Bott, Axel von Walter, Christian Triebe and Walter Scheuerl.

Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer has an IP practice and team in Germany. The team is recommended for patent litigation work. The team is supported by colleagues in other jurisdictions such as the UK, France and Italy.

Notable IP litigators: Ina vom Feld and Florian Schmidt-Bogatzky.

Heuking has a large, experienced team for contentious and non-contentious IP matters, including copyright advice. The firm is recognised for IP disputes and trade mark protection work.

Notable patent practitioners: Anton Horn, Detlef Raasch, Sabine Dethof, and Philipp Roman Schröler.

Notable soft IP practitioners: Antje Münch, Søren Pietzcker, Kai Oliver Runkel, Andreas Schabenberger, Christian Spintig, Julia Mattes, Ruben A Hofmann, Astrid Luedtke, Georg Jacobs, Verena Hoene, Dominik Eickemeier, Thorsten A Wieland, and Cécile Corbet.

European IP firm HGF established itself in Germany in 2019 thanks to its acquisition of Patronus IP. The German practice focuses on patent work, with expertise in electronics and mechanical engineering. The team can also call on colleagues in other jurisdictions, especially the UK, to deal with patent and trade mark instructions.

Notable patent attorneys: Benjamin Janutta, Bernhard Ganahl and Christian Himmler.

Notable trade mark practitioner: Julia Saladin.

Hoffmann Eitle is highly respected across Europe for patent drafting, prosecution and office proceedings. It is a name often seen in instructive EPO decisions. The firm has a strong team of European patent attorneys in technical fields such as chemistry, biotechnology, and mechanical engineering. The patent attorney team is supported by an experienced team of lawyers who also deal with trade mark work. The firm has expanded its presence in Europe with a London office.

Notable patent attorneys: Thorsten Bausch, Peter Klusmann, Anne Schön, Andreas Görg, Markus G Müller, Morten Garberg, Joachim Renken, Leonard Werner-Jones, James Ogle, C Thomas Becher, and Henrik Vocke.

Notable patent litigators: Clemens Tobias Steins, Holger Stratmann, and Dirk Schüßler-Langeheine.

Notable trade mark practitioners: Michaela Ring and Isabelle Kuschel.

European IP firm Hoyng Rokh Monegier is one of the trusted law firms in Germany for patent litigation. The firm is often seen in a range of patent disputes in life sciences, telecoms, and engineering. A team of European patent attorneys support its lawyers in patent litigation. The firm also has lawyers to handle soft IP work, especially trade marks and unfair competition. The German team collaborates with colleagues in other European offices when dealing with cross-border IP disputes. 

Notable patent litigators: Tobias Hahn, Kay N Kasper, Christine Kanz, Lars Baum, Mirko Weinert, Martin Köhler, and Klaus Haft.

Notable soft IP lawyers: Thomas H Schmitz, Christina Tenbrock, Ivan Dimitrov, and Mathis Breuer.

Maikowski & Ninnemann is recommended for patent protection and litigation work. The firm has experts in technical fields such as telecommunications, mechanical engineering, electronics, medical devices, and life sciences.

Notable patent attorneys: Gunnar Baumgärtel, Ralf Emig, Felix Gross, Christoph Schröder, Fabian Sokolowski, Andreas Tanner, and Frederick Kramer.

Fabian Sokolowski is a notable patent attorney who also leads on trade mark instructions.

Maiwald is highly recommended for patent work, with notable expertise in medical devices, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, and biotechnology. The firm is also proficient in dealing with trade mark mandates.

Notable patent attorneys: Dirk Bühler, Eva Dörner, Eva Ehlich, Martin Huenges, Sophie Ertl, Alexander Ortlieb, Lutz Kietzmann, Andreas Ledl, Berthold Lux, Christian Schäflein, and Derk Vos

Notable patent litigators: Marco Stief and Christian Meyer.

Notable trade mark practitioners: Susanna Heurung and Aliki Busse.

Maucher Jenkins is recommended for patent and trade mark protection work. The firm’s patent attorney team can handle patent protection work in fields such as engineering, electronics, medical devices, and software.

Notable patent attorneys: Cornelius Mertzlufft-Paufler, Philipp Nordmeyer, Felix Rummler, Gerrit Schultz, and Johannes Lange.

Notable trade mark practitioner: Michael Nielen.

McDermott Will & Emery’s German IP team is recommended for patent litigation. If required, the team can call on patent colleagues in Paris and London when dealing with patent disputes or issues. The team can also advise on IP transactions and arbitration.

Notable IP litigators: Wolfgang von Frentz, Boris Uphoff, Henrik Holzapfel, Christian L Masch, and Steffen Woitz.

Meissner Bolte has a strong IP protection and management practice. The firm has experienced patent attorneys to deal with work in fields such as engineering, computer technology, and chemistry. Its merger with Würtenberger Rechtsanwälte in January 2022 strengthened its trade mark practice and added a plant variety practice to its offering.

In February 2023, the firm partnered with the French IP group Santarelli Group to launch the European Patent Litigators Network (EPLN), an association of firms working together to provide services for the Unified Patent Court. The firm also has a UK practice, which is led by Andrew J Parker.

Notable patent attorneys: Nils Ellberg, Martin Aulich, Tobias Popp, Lukas Bischoff, Hans Joachim Gerstein, Matthias Hoener, Jochen Kilchert, Jasper C Werhahn, Tilman Pfrang, Julian Würmser, Florian Meyer, Stefan M Zech, and Ulrich Kreutzer.

Notable lawyers: Oliver Nilgen, Andreas Kabisch, and Claus D Opatz.

MERH-IP is recommended for patent protection work. The firm has patent attorneys with expertise in mechanical engineering, semiconductors, medical devices, and telecommunications. 

Notable patent attorneys: Bruno Matias, Tobias Erny, Timo Schwamb, Björn Duling, Herbert Skreinig, and Wolfgang Reichl.

Morgan Lewis & Bockius’s German team specialises in soft IP and transactional IP work. The firm invested in its IP practice in 2024 by hiring Alexander R Klett and Christoph Mikyska as partners in its Munich office.

European IP firm Murgitroyd has an IP practice in Germany. Its patent attorneys have technical backgrounds in chemistry and physics.

Notable patent attorneys: Laura Fe, Janine Holzer, and Robert Borner.

Case studies show the team dealt with patent oppositions for clients such as Evonik and Dow Chemical. Robert Borner can also take on trade mark protection instructions.

Prüfer & Partner is recommended for patent filing and prosecution work. The firm’s patent attorneys have expertise in chemistry, engineering, medical devices, and life sciences.

Notable patent attorneys: Dorothea Hofer, Jürgen Feldmeier, Andreas Oser, Susanne Sonnenhauser, Christian Gärtner, Christian Einsel, Peter Klein, Alexander Lehmann, and Markus Adamczyk.

Samson & Partner is best known for its patent practice, especially in patent disputes. Its patent attorneys are highly regarded in telecommunications and electronics patent work.

Notable patent attorneys: Friedrich R von Samson Himmelstjerna, Wolfgang Lippich, Oswald Niederkofler, Tobias Stammberger, Lucas Fischer, Alexander Münster, Marcus Otten, Robert Baier, and Georg Jacoby.

Patent firm Schohe was founded in 2024 by Stefan Schohe, who was previously a partner at Boehmert & Boehmert. Schohe has a background in physics, and he specialises in computer technology. Case studies show Schohe dealt with sensor technology patent work for clients and advised a foreign firm on restoration of rights.

Simmons & Simmons is recommended for patent litigation in the life sciences sector, but the firm can also deal with TMT patent disputes. The firm has a team of lawyers and patent attorneys for client work.

Notable patent litigator: Peter Meyer.

Notable patent attorneys: Fritz Lahrtz, Tanja Pintsch, Andrea Teschemacher, and Stephanie Nottrott.

Taylor Wessing is highly recommended for IP disputes and copyright advice. The firm also has experienced lawyers for transactional IP and trade mark protection work. The firm’s patent litigation team has expertise in life sciences, electronics, medical devices, pharmaceuticals, and engineering.

Notable patent litigators: Christoph de Coster, Gisbert Hohagen, Michael Schächinger, Tobias Baus, Alexander Rubusch, Daniel Tietjen, and Roland Küppers.

Notable soft IP practitioners: Olaf Gillert, Wiebke Baars, Andreas Bauer, Marcus Hartmann, Dirk Wieddekind, Thorsten Troge, Christian Tenkhoff, Katharina Reuer, Sebastian Fischoeder, and Stefan Fröhlich.

Teal was launched in January 2025 by three soft IP lawyers. The firm specialises in trade mark work, but it can also deal with copyright and design matters.

Notable lawyers: Benjamin Spies, Patrick Baronikians, Daniel Kaboth, and Susanne Schmidt.

Twainscore was founded in 2020 by former Ampersand IP lawyer Martin Wintermeier. The firm specialises in IP disputes.

Notable lawyers: Martin Wintermeier, Jakob Nuezel, and Nathalie Wintermeier.

Viering Jentschura & Partner is recommended for patent filing and prosecution work. The firm has technical expertise in engineering, medical devices, telecommunications, software, and chemistry. Its patent attorneys are also involved in patent litigation.

Notable patent practitioners: Rolf Jentschura, Eric-Michael Dokter, Armin Kühn, Björn Sommer, Thorsten Volkmann, Simon Schilcher, Jörg Wahl, and Christian Isaila.

Notable trade mark practitioner: Pascal Rath.

European IP firm VO has a presence in the German market. Its patent team in Munich have technical backgrounds in physics, chemistry, life sciences, and engineering.

Notable patent attorney: Bettina Hermann.

Case studies show patent drafting and prosecution work in biotechnology, solar technology, and consumer goods.

Vossius & Partner is a leading firm in Germany for patent protection and litigation. Its patent team covers technical fields such as engineering, telecommunications, electronics, chemistry, pharmaceuticals, and biotechnology. The firm is also recommended for trade mark work. In September 2022, Vossius & Partner and the Dutch boutique law firm Brinkhof announced a collaborative venture for Unitary Patent and Unified Patent Court work.

Notable patent attorneys: Thomas Schwarze, Natalia Berryman, Katharina Haas, Rainer Viktor, Arnold Asmussen, Raphael Salzer, Christoph Eisenmann, Hans-Rainer Jaenichen, Christian Schlörb, Peter Hoecherl, Stefan Fickert, Elard Schenck zu Schweinsberg, Katharina Haas, and Jürgen Meier.

Notable patent litigators: Christian-Leopold Zapp, Andreas Kramer, Georg Andreas Rauh, Kai Rüting, Thure Schubert, and Zhuomin Wu.

Notable trade mark practitioners: Peter Johannes Klein, Mathias Kleespies, Simone Schäfer, Mathias Kleespies, and Paul Kretschmar.

Wallinger Ricker Schlotter Tostmann (WRST) is recognised for patent protection and litigation work. The firm’s patent attorneys can handle patent work in chemistry, life sciences, medical devices, and engineering. 

Notable patent attorneys: Christiane Maxien, Cornelia Oetke, Erich Fritsche, Christian Kirchner, Henning Luelf, Mathias Ricker, Alexander Schlotter, and Holger Tostmann.

Notable lawyer: Thomas Schachl.

Wildanger Kehrwald Graf von Schwerin & Partner is one of the long-established law firms for patent litigation in Germany. The firm’s lawyers have experience in a range of technical fields, particularly in electronics, telecommunications, and mechanical engineering.

Notable patent litigators: Ole Dirks, Soenke Fock, Eva Geschke, Jasper Meyer zu Riemsloh, Alexander Reetz, Jörg Schmidt, Peter-Michael Weisse, and Alexander Wiese.

Winter Brandl is recommended for patent protection and portfolio management. The firm's patent attorneys are experienced in dealing with mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, and medical technology inventions.

Notable patent attorneys: Simon Angermeier, Jörn Fischbeck, Alexander Kühn, Tianhao Miao, Michael Schüller, Michael Wegerer, Michael Wieser, and Alexander Wyrwoll.