PATENTS

"Jochen Pagenberg of Bardehle Pagenberg Dost Altenburg Geissler is the highest ranking German lawyer for patent expertise and a member of our elite group of practitioners. An 'outstanding and highly-respected' lawyer, acknowledged for his experience coordinating multi-lingual, multi-jurisdictional patent cases, but also for his expertise counselling clients on licensing matters. He is chairman of the special committee of the AIPPI on litigation concerning European patents."

Reinhardt Schuster was also mentioned to researchers as 'technically astute' and 'active in various industries'. He received particular praise for his work concerning plasma sources, semiconductor technology and chip architecture, enzymes, pacemakers, vascular stents and medical implants."

TRADEMARKS

“Throughout Europe specialist firms maintain an imposing presence at the high end of the market for trademark work. This is certainly true for Germany: specialist firms such as Bardehle Pagenberg continue to produce the country’s highest nominated lawyers. Name partner, the ‘very strong’ Jochen Pagenberg received the most recommendations in the country in this year’s research. A “big player”, he specialises in litigation and licensing. His colleague, the ‘seasoned and well regarded’ Peter Munzinger also performed well in the research.”

Expert Guides to the World's Leading lawyers - Reinhardt Schuster and Jochen Pagenberg have been nominated to appear in the guide "Best of the Best" 2008, as a result of being identified among the top 25 patent experts in the world, by in-house counsel and peers following research of Legal Media Group's's Expert Guides editorial team. The research process involves sending over 4,000 questionnaires to senior IP practitioners or in-house counsel in over 60 jurisdictions, asking them to nominate leading practitioners based on their work and reputation.

The Firm: With “outstanding breadth and depth, and high-profile mandates,” this team has a broad IP practice and impresses clients with its “wealth of experience and excellent client service.” As well as handling patent litigation, the group gives strategic advice on avoiding conflict and due diligence. The related patent filing practice advises clients from the automotive and IT sectors (…), and is also active in the electronics, pharmaceutical, chemical and biotech sectors. On the trade mark side the team handles complex litigation and trade mark filing on a worldwide level, advising domestic and foreign clients, including Deutsche Telekom and Coca-Cola, on disputes and extensive portfolio management. The firm’s copyright practice handles disputes in the film industry.

The Lawyers: Jochen Pagenberg was described as a “brilliant lawyer who is always right in judging a situation.” He focuses on patent and trade mark litigation. Johannes Heselberger enjoys an “outstanding reputation” for his expertise in patent litigation and licensing matters; he acts for clients from the technical, automotive and telecoms sectors. Peers praised Reinhardt Schuster as a “well-versed and experienced patent litigator.” He focuses on all technical sectors, including pharmaceuticals, electronics, software and biotech. Clients recommended Hans Wegner as a “technically very competent patent agent.” His technical background informs his work on domestic and cross-border patent filing and related litigation issues.

Clients/Work Highlights: The team acts for an array of German and international clients, including McDonalds; GlaxoSmithKline; Nestlé; L’Oreal and Bridgestone. 

Patents: Dispute resolution

Bardehle Pagenberg Dost Altenburg Geissler has an ‘excellent’ reputation in the market, say clients, and its ‘strong’ litigation practice continues to attract admirers: ‘not many firms in the field of IP can offer this type of comprehensive and dedicated work’, states one client. Clients single out Reinhardt Schuster for his knowledge of ‘inter-jurisdictional issues across Europe’, his ‘flexibility and negotiation skills’ winning him much praise. With a special expertise in the software sector, the team is ‘full of technical experts and lawyers’, note clients, who are ‘especially adept in complex IP issues’, where they have ‘a great eye for detail’ and a reputation for ‘investigating quickly but deeply’. The firm’s ‘good international contacts’ also impress clients. The practice’s client portfolio includes Kodak, which the firm represented in a patent infringement matter against Philips, and B Brown, which the firm successfully defended in patent infringement proceedings.

Patents: Registration

Bardehle Pagenberg Dost Altenburg Geissler strengthened its international capabilities this year with a new arrival in the firm’s Alicante office, which will allow it to provide increased services to Iberian patent clients. The firm registered numerous designs and patents this year for various household name clients from the technology sector, such as the Boston Scientific Corporation, Samsung, Qualcomm, Dell and Apple. Clients consider Dietrich Beier and Peter Hess to be the best known names for patent registration advice.

Trademark Registration and Advice

Bardehle Pagenberg Dost Altenburg Geissler is a Munich- and Düsseldorf-based IP boutique with a high number of international clients, mainly from the US and Asia. The ‘sharp and convincing’ Peter Munziger heads the trade mark department, while the ‘experienced’ Jochen Pagenberg ‘shows judgement’ and is praised by clients for his ‘strong litigation skills’; overall, clients deem that the firm provides ‘excellent service’ within an ‘outstanding response time’. Among the year’s highlights, the firm advised Marriott in relation to a dispute over the registration of its ‘revive’ trade mark; the firm’s client portfolio includes Coca-Cola, McDonald’s, Longchamp, (...), GlaxoSmithKline (...).