Vossius & Partner > Munich, Germany > Firm Profile

Vossius & Partner
SIEBERTSTRASSE 3
81675 MÜNCHEN
Germany

Email firm Visit website 49 89 41304-0 49 89 41304 111

Intellectual property > Patent prosecution Tier 1

Vossius & Partner divides its technical patent expertise into three basic pillars, namely chemistry and pharmacology, biology and biotechnology as well as physics, technology and IT. In combination with a broad legal coverage, which ranges from portfolio management and litigation to strategy consulting and contract drafting, the group is a popular address for scientific institutions and start-ups as well as for German medium-sized companies and large international corporations. The firm's broad offering is also reflected by the team's individual specialisations: Elard Schenck zu Schweinsberg is experienced in mechanical engineering, automotive engineering, physics and medical technology, while Christian Sandweg has expertise in patent granting as well as opposition and nullity proceedings among other matters.

Other key lawyers:

Elard Schenck zu Schweinsberg; Rainer Viktor; Arnold Asmussen; Raphael Salzer; Hans-Rainer Jaenichen; Jürgen Meier; Friederike Stolzenburg; Natalia Berryman; Dirk Harmsen; Andreas Heiseke; Philipp Marchand; Stefan Müller; Ulrich Sentner

Testimonials

‘Top skills in patent litigation.’

‘A one-stop shop for all patent needs, including freedom-to-operate advisory, patent prosecution and patent litigation services. This is a unique offer.’

‘Elard Schenck zu Schweinsberg is really impressive. He really understands the technology and is very quick to understand how law interacts with technology. He gets straight to the point and implements them very effectively in written and oral arguments.’

Key clients

BioNTech SE

BioNTech AT

Boston Scientific Corporation

CRISPR Therapeutics AG

Echo Pharmaceuticals

Galenicum Health S.L.U.

Hitachi Energy

Hyundai Mobis Co., Ltd.

IMC Group

ISCAR Ltd.

Taegutec

Tungaloy et al.

Max-Planck-Gesellschaft

Morinaga Milk Industry Co., Ltd.

Nestlé

NIO

Nippon Steel Corporation

ResMed

Roche Group

Sartorius

Starkey Hearing Technologies

ZTE

Work highlights

Representation and advice to Boston Scientific Corporation on its IP portfolio, including its management.
Representing and advising CRISPR Therapeutics AG in numerous opposition and complaint proceedings.
Advising and representing Max Planck Society in grant, opposition and complaint proceedings.

Intellectual property > Trade marks

Design law TIER 1

Trade marks TIER 3

Vossius & Partner's broad trade mark practice assists with both registration strategies and portfolio management as well as official proceedings before German and European authorities. It is also one of the leading addresses for design law and covers numerous sectors, including life sciences, automotive and luxury goods. In addition to trade mark and design law, practice head Mathias Kleespies also has expertise in food law and assists clients with non-contentious and contentious issues. With longstanding experience in the soft IP area, Simone Schäfer is adept in opposition and nullity proceedings before the EUIPO as well as in international portfolio management.

Practice head(s):

Mathias Kleespies

Other key lawyers:

Simone Schäfer

Testimonials

‘The team is responsive and competent.’

‘Simone Schäfer is a brilliant lawyer.’

‘We greatly value the collaboration with Vossius, which has now existed for 20 years. What should be emphasised is a diverse specialist expertise and goal-oriented approach.’

‘The legal knowledge and strategies are excellent. We really appreciate the strong teamwork of the trade mark team.’

‘The team is very experienced and competent and can achieve good results in individual cases.’

‘Simone Schäfer is very experienced in both trade mark prosecution and enforcement.’

‘Proactive and hardworking team.’

‘Clear and sound recommendations; in-depth knowledge of local practices and regulations.’

Key clients

Diageo plc

SC Johnson

Dapper Labs

Hitachi Energy

TRATON Group

Dreame Co., Ltd

Aasted ApS

Flix SE

Xiaomi Inc.

HEAD

Superdry

Miele & Cie. KG

Perrigo Company plc

McLaren Automotive Ltd.

M.J. Dairies

ADOBE Inc.

WER GmbH

5ELF GmbH

[m]STUDIO GmbH

Halfar System GmbH

Work highlights

Advising Traton SE on a global branding project.
Representation of Miele & Cie. KG in several international domain dispute proceedings.
Representation of BRUNATA Hitzemesser Hagen GmbH & Co. KG, BRUNATA-METRONA GmbH and BRUNATA-METRONA GmbH & Co. KG in a trade mark dispute.

Intellectual property > Patent litigation: patent lawyers Tier 2

Vossius & Partner is one of the leading patent firms in Germany, which is not least due to its mixed team of patent attorneys and lawyers. The practice is therefore able to handle the entire range of forensic matters, ranging from nullity and objection proceedings to infringement lawsuits. The team has also proven itself in international disputes involving the US, Asia and Europe and offers expertise in the areas of chemistry and pharmaceuticals, biology and biotechnology as well as physics, engineering and IT. Key contacts include Arnold Asmussen and Raphael Salzer, who are both experienced in medical technology, the two chemistry experts Dirk Harmsen and Natalia Berryman, and Hans-Rainer Jaenichen, who is adept in the biotechnology and pharmaceuticals spheres.

Other key lawyers:

Natalia Berryman; Raphael Salzer; Arnold Asmussen; Christoph Eisenmann; Christian Sandweg; Rainer Viktor; Thomas Schwarze; Elard Schenck zu Schweinsberg; Hans-Rainer Jaenichen; Jürgen Meier; Andreas Heiseke; Christian Schlörb; Dirk Harmsen; Peter Hoecherl; Ju Min Kim; Kai Rüting

Testimonials

‘A one-stop shop for all patent needs, including freedom-to-operate, patent prosecution and patent litigation services. This is a unique offer.’

‘Kai Rüting is an aspiring patent litigator and will undoubtedly be one of the future stars of the German patent litigation arena.’

‘When working with them, I particularly appreciate their high level of professionalism and deep knowledge of IP matters, particularly in the area of patents and patent disputes, as well as their ability to handle and coordinate international patent disputes.’

‘The Vossius team is highly qualified and various lawyers specialise in all possible areas, always taking a very thorough and practical approach to understand client’s needs and get straight to the point.’

‘Working with Vossius is always a very enriching experience as they are not just lawyers but global professionals who care about the client but are also very open to any kind of new business approach and collaboration on an international level.’

‘Highly qualified and provide not only in-depth legal knowledge but also a broader market sensitivity.’

Key clients

Alcon Inc.

Bestway

Boston Scientific Corporation

British American Tobacco

CRISPR

Ethypharm SAS

GOK

ISCAR Ltd.

ResMed

TASKA Prosthetics

TCL Group

Umicore AG & Co. KG

Xiaomi

Work highlights

Representing and advising CRISPR Therapeutics AG in numerous objections regarding the gene editing technology CRISPR/Cas9.
Represented Boston Scientific Corporation (BSC) in global medical device litigation, claims and infringement proceedings.
Represented Umicore in a variety of objections in the field of automotive catalytic converters as well as advising on appeal and nullity proceedings.

Intellectual property > Patent litigation: solicitors Tier 2

At Vossius & Partner, the legal team is supported by an in-house group of patent lawyers, which enables the practice to handle a wide range of proceedings, including nullity and infringement proceedings. At the end of 2022, the firm also joined forces with Dutch law firm Brinkhof to form VOSSIUS & BRINKHOF UPC Litigators, in order to jointly act in disputes before the UPC and thus further advance its international reach. Key contacts include practice head Thure Schubert, who has expertise in employee invention law, and Georg Andreas Rauh, who is experienced in FRAND and SEP matters.

Practice head(s):

Thure Schubert

Other key lawyers:

Kai Rüting; Andreas Kramer; Georg Andreas Rauh; Christian-Leopold Zapp; Zhuomin Wu

Testimonials

“What we value most is that they are very objective in their analysis and suggestions and we trust their judgment.”

‘Excellent quality of service and responsiveness and a pleasure to work with.’

‘Andreas Kramer: Great lawyer. Competent, responsive, gets things done.’

‘A one-stop shop for all patent needs, including freedom-to-operate, patent prosecution and patent litigation services. This is a unique offer.’

‘Thure Schubert is a masterful lawyer in leading many parallel proceedings in Germany. Calm, cool and collected, he has an effective style in front of German judges.’

‘Kai Rüting will be one of the future stars of the German patent litigation arena.’

Key clients

Alcon Inc.

Archos S.A.

Bestway

Boston Scientific Corporation

British American Tobacco

CHINT Group

CJ CheilJedang Corp.

Eglo Leuchten GmbH

Fliteboard Europe BN

GOK

Lenovo Group Ltd.

OPPO

TASKA Prosthetics

Tomra Systems ASA

Wiko

XIAOMI

ZTE

Work highlights

Representation of Xiaomi against several licensors of the Access Advance HEVC patent pool in a dispute regarding several standard-essential patents in numerous proceedings before the courts in Düsseldorf and the Federal Patent Court.
Represented Boston Scientific Corporation (BSC) in global medical device litigation.
Representing British American Tobacco (BAT) in global litigation involving e-cigarettes, heat-not-burn products and liquidizers such as IQOS/Heats, ePods and glo/neoSticks.

Intellectual property > Unfair competition Tier 2

IP boutique Vossius & Partner is experienced in advising on competition proceedings before German and international offices and courts, but also impresses with expertise in licensing agreements, e-commerce and advertising law. Furthermore, the group's broad industry knowledge ranges from chemistry and life sciences to digital business, consumer goods and fashion. Trade mark, design, competition and food law are the central pillars of Mathias Kleespies' advice, whose clients include national companies and global corporations.

Practice head(s):

Mathias Kleespies

Other key lawyers:

Simone Schäfer; Paul Kretschmar; Marcus von Welser

Testimonials

‘Super fast and very efficient.’

‘Paul Kretschmar is a brilliant lawyer.’

“They are really committed to work and focused on their goals.”

‘The expertise of the people I work with is definitely one of the reasons I chose to work with them.’

Key clients

Diageo plc

SC Johnson

Dapper Labs

Hitachi Energy

TRATON Group (MAN)

Dreame Co., Ltd

Aasted ApS

Flix SE

Xiaomi Inc.

HEAD

Superdry

Miele & Cie. KG

Perrigo Company plc

McLaren Automotive Ltd.

M.J. Dairies

ADOBE Inc.

WER GmbH

5ELF GmbH

[m]STUDIO GmbH

Halfar System GmbH

Work highlights

Advising and representing FLIX SE in competition law disputes.
Advice to Miele & Cie. KG and Otto Wilde Grillers GmbH on preliminary injunction proceedings before the Düsseldorf Regional Court.
Successful representation of WER GmbH in competition proceedings before Hamm Higher Regional Court.

VOSSIUS is a partnership of patent attorneys and attorneys-at-law with offices in Munich, Düsseldorf, Berlin and Basel. Established in Munich in 1961, it is today one of Europe’s leading IP ﬁrms with clients from all over the world. The firm focuses on high-end advice for innovative companies concerning all questions associated with the protection and enforcement of IP rights.

As a full-service IP law ﬁrm, VOSSIUS offers its clients the technological and scientific know-how of experienced patent attorneys combined with the knowledge and competence of highly specialised attorneys-at-law. Based on six decades of experience, the firm can provide a comprehensive range of services. This translates into the best possible client counselling and the greatest possible protection of IP assets during all phases of legal disputes and litigation.

The basis of the firm’s success is above all the genuine understanding of its clients’ technology and the passion to advise on the implementation of forward-thinking innovations. VOSSIUS maintains an intensive dialogue with its clients. With intelligence, diligence and strength of character, VOSSIUS reliably protects its clients’ ideas on their way to implementation.

The firm has established a global network of partner ﬁrms, particularly in North America, Asia and Europe, facilitating reliable and efficient cooperation in transnational issues.

One-stop, full service

At VOSSIUS, this means comprehensive IP advice from a single source, which the firm can offer its clients given the firm’s size, even for major projects. The interdisciplinary composition of its integrated teams enables them to provide individual and personal service for their clients’ intellectual property.

In contentious proceedings, VOSSIUS forms integrated litigation teams consisting of highly specialised and well-versed attorneys-at-law and patent attorneys with litigation experience, who will defend or enforce their clients’ interests with passion, efficiency and excellent professional expertise before the relevant German and EU courts and authorities. This gives VOSSIUS a clear competitive advantage over firms that do not follow this integrated approach, with benefits for their clients as a ‘one-stop shop’ solution. VOSSIUS is in a position to address all aspects of the case directly and offer advice from a single source. At the same time, the firm’s litigation experience provides important insights into the development of protection strategies for intellectual property and the prosecution of protective rights, making them stronger and more efficient.

One size does not fit all: This holds especially true as far as VOSSIUS’ advisory services are concerned. By putting together their teams, the firm ensures that the teams’ composition is perfectly tailored to meet the needs of each client or mandate. As a result, the individually assembled national or international teams are always as big as necessary to meet the client’s needs.

Asia desk

As business activities between Asia and Europe are constantly increasing, so do the number of patent applications from Asia and cross-border proceedings in the fields of IP law. As one of Europe’s pre-eminent IP law firms coordinating and handling the most complex multinational matters and proceedings for international clients, VOSSIUS has developed a strong focus on Asia over the past decades.

For Asian – especially Chinese, Japanese, Korean and Taiwanese – clients, as well as for clients doing business in Asia, VOSSIUS has established an integrated Asia desk consisting of attorneys and consultants from Japan, China, Korea and Taiwan, some of whom are qualified not only in their respective country, but also as European patent attorneys or lawyers. They form highly skilled teams together with European experts to address market-specific issues, as well as language requirements, and are always up-to-date with the latest developments in a rapidly evolving economic market area.

VOSSIUS has been repeatedly recognised by national and international legal directories and reviewers for the quality of its services, which is underlined by many awards and top tier rankings.

Name	Position	Profile
Arnold Asmussen	PARTNER, Patentanwalt, European Patent Attorney, UPC Representative Arnold Asmussen has extensive knowledge…	View Profile
Dr Natalia Berryman	PARTNER, Patentanwältin, European Patent Attorney, UPC Representative She has a broad experience…	View Profile
Dr Christoph Eisenmann	PARTNER, Patentanwalt, European Patent Attorney, UPC Representative	View Profile
Dr Stefan Fickert	PARTNER Patentanwalt, European Patent Attorney UPC Representative	View Profile
Dr Dirk Harmsen	PARTNER, Patentanwalt, European Patent Attorney, UPC Representative	View Profile
Dr Andreas Heiseke	PARTNER, Patentanwalt, European Patent Attorney, UPC Representative Dr. Andreas Heiseke joined VOSSIUS…	View Profile
Dr Gerhard Hermann	Of Counsel (Partner 1986-2022), Patentanwalt, European Patent Attorney	View Profile
Dr Peter Hoecherl	PARTNER Apotheker, Registered Pharmacist Patentanwalt, European Patent Attorney UPC Representative	View Profile
Dr Hans-Rainer Jaenichen	PARTNER, Patentanwalt, European Patent Attorney, UPC Representative	View Profile
Dr Ju Min Kim	PARTNER, Patentanwältin, European Patent Attorney, UPC Representative Ju Min advises clients in…	View Profile
Dr Mathias Kleespies	PARTNER, Rechtsanwalt (Attorney-at-Law) Dr. Mathias Kleespies advises his clients in all areas…	View Profile
Paul Kretschmar	PARTNER Rechtsanwalt (Attorney-at-Law) Certified IP Lawyer	View Profile
Dr Jürgen Meier	PARTNER, Patentanwalt, European Patent Attorney, UPC Representative	View Profile
Dr Georg Andreas Rauh	PARTNER, Rechtsanwalt (Attorney-at-Law), UPC Representative	View Profile
Raphael Salzer	PARTNER Patentanwalt, European Patent Attorney UPC Representative	View Profile
Dr Christian Sandweg	PARTNER, Patentanwalt, European Patent Attorney, UPC Representative	View Profile
Simone Schäfer	PARTNER Rechtsanwältin (Attorney-at-Law) What clients say: “Simone Schäfer’s case predictions are alarmingly accurate.…	View Profile
Dr Christian Schlörb	PARTNER, Patentanwalt, European Patent Attorney, UPC Representative	View Profile
Dr Thure Schubert	PARTNER Rechtsanwalt (Attorney-at-Law) UPC Representative	View Profile
Dr Thomas Schwarze	PARTNER Patentanwalt, European Patent Attorney UPC Representative	View Profile
Elard Schenck Zu Schweinsberg	PARTNER, Patent Attorney, European Patent Attorney	View Profile
Rainer Viktor	PARTNER Patentanwalt, European Patent Attorney UPC Representative	View Profile
Dr Rudolf Weinberger	Of Counsel (Partner 1993-2022) Patentanwalt, European Patent Attorney	View Profile
Dr iur Zhuomin Wu	PARTNER* Attorney-at-Law (PRC) *not partner within the meaning of PartGG	View Profile
Christian-Leopold Zapp	PARTNER, Rechtsanwalt (Attorney-at-Law)	View Profile