The Legal 500

Bird & Bird excels at administering large trade mark portfolios and rendering long-term strategic advice, including in a litigation or multi-jurisdictional context. It is also expert in advising on interaction at the intersection of trade mark and media law, the latter being a growth area for the firm. The team comprehensively advises Peek & Cloppenburg, and handles Richemont’s Cartier and Montblanc trade marks. Christian Harmsen and Uwe Lüken are recommended.

Harmsen Utescher has ‘extremely strong capabilities and resources’ for major litigations and enjoys ‘a fantastic reputation’ at German courts. The team advises Lidl in IP and unfair competition matters in all countries where the client is active, and Jack Wolfskin on all IP-related matters worldwide. Other clients include Procter & Gamble, Sky and Ferrero. Michael Schaeffer has ‘particularly strong knowledge’, and Matthias Wolter is also recommended.

Hogan Lovells International LLP’s ‘simply brilliant’ practice has a client roster of leading multinational corporations including eBay, Dell, PepsiCo, Deutsche Telekom, Anheuser-Busch, Caterpillar and Red Bull. Estée Lauder is a client in product piracy matters. Andreas Bothe advises with ‘great sovereignty’ and ‘never leaves a question unanswered’.

Lorenz Seidler Gossel enjoys an excellent reputation for contentious matters. It has many longstanding clients, including Swarovski and Adidas. It also handles trade mark portfolio management and litigation for ProSiebenSat.1. The practice maintains ‘an extremely strong market presence’, with Reinhard Ingerl and Siegfried Jackermeier particularly recommended as energetic defenders in court.

Portfolio management and cross-border trade mark strategy are strengths of Baker & McKenzie, which also maintains a notable litigation practice. Regular clients include The Body Shop, Calvin Klein and Columbia Sportswear, and the team also recently represented Unilever in contentious matters. Michael Fammler is ‘absolutely professional, responsive and knowledgeable’.

Boehmert & Boehmert’s international client portfolio includes Mastercard, Commerzbank and Sanrio. Michaela Huth-Dierig and Jan Bernd Nordemann are well regarded, and the junior partners are increasingly gaining recognition.

CMS Hasche Sigle conducted two sets of nullity proceedings for Henkel before the European Court of Justice, advised Lacoste on product piracy matters, and provides ongoing advice to Europcar on unfair competition matters. The ‘very experienced’ Gordian Hasselblatt is ‘an excellent strategic thinker’.

Gleiss Lutz’s key strengths lie in its abilities to plan international trade mark strategies and handle litigation, and clients appreciate the ‘pragmatic focus on issues’ and ‘concise and diligent’ advice. The practice has various areas of industry expertise, including automotive, technology and pharmaceuticals. The team defended Ritter Sport’s square shape chocolate trade mark against Milka, and advised Philip Morris on plain packaging matters. Stefan Völker is able to ‘put himself in the client’s shoes’.

Grünecker Patent- und Rechtsanwälte maintains a sizeable trade mark administration practice, and frequently advises on unfair competition law matters. The team enjoys excellent relationships with many US clients. Clients include Mövenpick, Hipp and Coca-Cola. Maximilian Kinkeldey is recommended.

Jonas Rechtsanwaltsgesellschaft mbH excels at trade mark and unfair competition matters. It recently advised Saatchi & Saatchi on unfair competition matters regarding advertising for Toyota and Lexus, and advised Deutsche Post regarding the trade marking of the colour yellow. Wyeth and Merck rely on the team for trade mark administration. Sadly, name partner Kay Uwe Jonas passed away in February 2012.

Klaka Rechtsanwälte remains one of the longstanding names in the market, and recently acted in several large international litigations for clients such as BMW. Other clients include Deichmann, HVB and Adelholzener. Ralf Hackbarth and Stefan Eck are recommended.

Taylor Wessing, which provides ‘clear, business-friendly and practical’ advice, recently added Microsoft and Hewlett-Packard to its client roster. The team also represented Sky in unfair competition injunction proceedings and Tommy Hilfiger in trade mark infringement cases. Thomas Raab is recommended along with Dirk Wieddekind, who ‘comes up with innovative ideas’.

White & Case LLP’s Christian Rohnke ‘drills down into complex matters to reach decisive points’. Regular clients include Hapag-Lloyd, Unilever Germany and Henkel, the latter being recently advised on misleading advertising. The firm has also acted for Volkswagen regarding trade mark infringements.

Bardehle Pagenberg’s boutique practice counts several famous names as clients. It advises Campari on portfolio management, handles prosecution and enforcement for Coca-Cola, and recently represented Castel Frères in trade mark infringement and cancellation proceedings at German and European level. The ‘very commercial’ Stefan Abel gives ‘quick, clear and concise’ advice, and Claus Eckhartt is ‘more reliable and in control than many others’.

Harte-Bavendamm Rechtsanwälte’s lawyers ‘work without delay’ and ‘identify 100% with the client’. This boutique practice acts for Nestlé and affiliated companies on brand protection matters, and also advises Procter & Gamble and Levi Strauss. It picked up several new clients. Name partner Henning Harte-Bavendamm and the ‘straightforward and results-focused’ Michael Goldmann are recommended.

Lichtenstein, Körner & Partner has a broad practice but is particularly known for its trade mark administration work. Intel and Porsche are clients in litigation and administration matters, and the team also advises Amazon and EnBW on trade mark registration. Kerstin Gründig-Schnelle is simply ‘superb’.

WilmerHale’s ‘seasoned experts’ are supported by the firm’s international network, and its advice is ‘always reflective of the needs of a global player’. The team manages the global portfolio of Lindt & Spruengli, represents Ciro Paone in trade mark and competition matters, and provides strategic advice to Toni Gard Fashion. Reinhart Lange and Gesine Hild ‘translate business needs into tangible advice’.

Matthias Stecher heads Beiten Burkhardt’s team, which ‘really understands our business needs’, say clients. Recent instructions include representing TÜV SÜD in trade mark infringement proceedings, and acting for Telegate Media in disputes with the German publishers of Yellow Pages.

Bock Legal’s ‘fantastic practice’ advises Vodafone D2 on unfair competition matters; Ferrari on trade marks and design matters; and Swatch, Gucci and Tod’s on product piracy issues. Andreas Bock is the name to note.

CBH Cornelius Bartenbach Haesemann & Partners advises household names regarding unfair competition and trade mark law. Clients include Haribo, Sunpoint and Daimler, as well as Saint-Gobain Glass for product piracy matters. Ingo Jung is recommended.

FPS Rechtsanwälte & Notare’s growing practice represents Microsoft in software piracy matters, Swarovski in unfair competition matters and Chantelle regarding product imitations. Christoph Holzbach is recommended.

Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer’s ‘thoroughly trustworthy and successful’ group enjoys an excellent reputation, particularly for trade mark and unfair competition law. Mars and REWE Group are key clients, while recent highlights include advising Worldwide Brands on a new licensing agreement regarding its Camel Active business. Matthias Koch has ‘really exceptional skills both legally and strategically’, and Andrea Lensing-Kramer is ‘fantastic’.

Heisse Kursawe Eversheds has offices in Hamburg and Munich and the latter’s team is recommended for its ‘excellent value for money’ in giving trade mark and unfair competition law advice to clients such as EasyJet, Hard Rock Café and Paramount Pictures Germany. The team also handles Tyco’s contentious matters and German and international registrations. Axel Zimmermann is ‘very fast and responsive’.

Hoffmann • Eitle has a strong registration practice, but increasingly advises on contentious matters as well. The team handles trade mark registrations for Alois Dallmayr, Hardenberg and Monster Cable. Wedig von der Osten-Sacken is the name to note.

Noerr recently advised BMG Rights Management on expanding its trade mark portfolio and represented the executors of Michael Jackson’s estate in trade mark and design matters across Europe. Georg Jahn is recommended. The firm recently opened an Alicante office with a focus on the strategic management of international trade mark and design portfolios.

SKW Schwarz Rechtsanwälte’s trade marks team, which increasingly operates independently of its renowned media practice, recently represented Zapf Creation in a Europe-wide infringement action against Simba Toys, and acted for Skechers USA in design disputes. Magnus Hirsch is recommended.