The following partners of the firm are currently recommended in „Best Lawyers 2010” for their intellectual property practice, on the basis of an extensive peer review. In Germany, the ratings were published in “Legal Success”, a supplement to the German paper “Handelsblatt”, with BARDEHLE PAGENBERG being among the few firms with seven partners listed in this field of the law.

http://script01.vhb.de/tabellen/html/bestlawyers201005.php

Wolfgang Bublak, Claus M. Eckhartt, Johannes Heselberger, Peter K. Hess, Johannes Lang,
Peter J.A. Munzinger, Hans Wegner

For the 6th time in a row, Dr Jochen Pagenberg is listed in the lawyer guide  “The Best of the Best” in the field of patents. Only a few lawyers make it into this edition of the prestigious “Expert Guides” series. The selection is based on an international survey among senior practitioners and in-house counsel in over 60 jurisdictions, asking them to evaluate leading practitioners based on their work and reputation.

IP: patents Litigation
Bardehle Pagenberg provides an ‘absolutely fantastic’ service with responses of ‘outstanding quality’. The team has a great reputation with US clients, and does plenty of work in the software patent sector. Hans Wegner is ‘creative in patent claim drafting’ and displays ‘stamina in court, even after long hours of litigating’. The firm represented Cook in litigation regarding heart valves, and Teva regarding Olanzapine, while Apple and Renault are further clients. (...)  Jochen Pagenberg and Peter Munzinger are recommended.

IP: patents Prosecution
Bardehle Pagenberg has a broad practice with numerous international clients, with Hans Wegner, Peter Hess and Wolfgang Bublak visible for their expertise. The team received instructions from Samsung, Nintendo, Boston Scientific, Qualcomm, Dell Products and adidas and is renowned for its litigation capabilities.

IP: trade marks 
Bardehle Pagenberg provides litigation-related advice, where Alexander von Mühlendahl has been visible. The team established a significant trade mark practice next to the renowned prowess in the patent arena. Clients marvel that ‘advice is concise and easy to understand’ and praise the ‘efficient, helpful and commercial’ Claus Eckhartt. The firm advised Nestlé on colour trade marks, and L’Oréal was represented in litigation. Ermenegildo Zegna and McDonald’s are further clients. Jochen Pagenberg and Peter Munzinger are recommended.

Intellectual Property: Patent Filing & Patent Litigation:

THE FIRM This firm has one of the biggest IP teams in the market, and offers a wide range of IP services from its offices in Munich, Düsseldorf, Paris and Barcelona. It is primarily recognised in the market for patents work, where it advises on both prosecution and litigation cases.

Sources Say: "A technically gifted and detail-driven group of lawyers, who offer a great quality of service."

KEY INDIVIDUALS Physicist Udo Altenburg is one of the founders and managing partners of the firm. He is also one of the firm's leading patent attorneys, with a broad technical focus ranging from medical devices to traditional mechanical engineering and consumer goods, such as sporting equipment.
Jochen Pagenberg has a wealth of experience in patent litigation and is considered "a real star" by market commentators. Johannes Heselberger is both a European patent attorney and an attorney-at-law, offering clients comprehensive advice on patents. He is primarily active in validity and infringement proceedings, and his sector focus lies on medical devices, telecoms and the automotive industry.  

Intellectual Property / Patents

Comment
"A leading firm in patents which is considered one of the strongest patent practices in Germany thanks to its mixed approach. On the one hand, the firm boasts a renowned filing practice, but the work of the patent attorneys and lawyers in litigation is much more prominent, for example for Apple, Salomon and Pliva. The firm’s profile among US companies remains very strong. “Bardehle is the first firm they think of in Europe” were the words of one competitor. The practice has recently seen more growth among lawyers than on the patent attorney side. Bardehle still needs to grow in size somewhat, especially when it comes to patent attorneys. The firm is becoming ever more active in Spain, where it opened an office in Barcelona in 2008 following one in Alicante. (…)

Recommended lawyers: Dr. Jochen Pagenberg, Johannes Heselberger (“excellent patent attorney and lawyer”, client), Dr. Tilman Müller-Stoy (“good persuasive power before the courts”, client). Patent attorneys: Dr. Wolfgang Bublak, Peter Hess (“in-depth expert knowledge”, client), Dr. Hans Wegner.

Practice: All-round IP activity with a clear focus on technical trademarks. Filing on a broad technical spectrum. Close cooperation between patent attorneys and lawyers for cancellation, opposition and nullity suits and infringement litigation, litigation coordination and strategic advice. See trademarks and unfair competition. Clients: often direct connections to heavy industry. Strong international client base. (In Germany: 18 patent attorneys, 29 lawyers)

Clients: Ranbaxy concerning Altovarstatin, AWD and Pliva concerning Olanzapin; all-round patents advice to Apple and Salomon, European litigation coordination for Smartrac concerning smartcards; patents advice to Renault and Peugeot; nullity suits for Eastman Kodak; all-round filing for Boston Scientific, Samsung, Qualcomm, Dell Products, Adidas and Qimonda.

Intellectual Property / Trademarks and Unfair Competition

Comment:
The lawyers from this mixed IP boutique mainly come recommended for their prominent litigation practice in trademarks. Bardehle boasts a renowned name in European trademarks among its ranks in the form of von Mühlendahl, who competitors consider a “prominent and no doubt very fruitful reinforcement”. Indeed, the firm has strengthened connections to a number of large companies as a result of his expert opinion and advisory activity. There is an equal balance between formal trademarks and trademark disputes, with the proportion of international work seen by some partners, such as Pagenberg (especially France), impressively high. In design law the firm has recently benefited from its pre-eminent patents practice, acquiring Apple as a new client. Unfair competition at Bardehle is always largely interweaved with the trademarks practice, and the firm has also long advised several clients, including McDonald’s, on advertising law. One of the litigation highlights was work for L’Oréal concerning smell-alikes.

Practice strengths: Litigation, formal trademarks law, international orientation.

Recommended lawyers: Dr. Jochen Pagenberg, Peter Munzinger (“highly competent trademarks lawyer”, client), Dr. Alexander von Mühlendahl, Dr. Henning Hartwig (“highly skilled trademarks lawyer”, competitor), Dietrich Beier (“professional, quick and client-oriented in trademarks”, client), Claus Eckhartt (“very good trademarks lawyer, competitor).

Practice: All-round litigation in, and advice on, trademarks and design law, as well as unfair competition. Also large trademark registration and administration practice. Work relating to advertising law and on product launches. The firm has its own offices in Paris, Alicante and Barcelona. (6 partners, 9 associates)

Clients: Litigation for L’Oréal concerning Smellalikes; Apple on design law; Apollinaris/Coca-Cola; McDonald’s concerning German trademark portfolio and unfair competition disputes; Almirall. Trademarks litigation for: ESPN/Walt Disney, Mövenpick, Capelli, Nintendo, Public knowledge: trademark registration for Deutschland Card, Reckitt Benckiser, Abtei Pharma.