Quinn Emanual Urquhart & Sullivan, the US's largest business litigation and arbitration firm, is extending its German coverage in Hamburg and Mannheim with a third which will put it close to the institutions of the patent world, including the European Patent Office (EPO), which are located in Munich. Partner Marcus Grosch told The Lawyer: 'For a long time we have been representing our clients in a multitude of infringement and validity proceedings before the Munich infringement courts as well as the Federal Patent Court and the EPO. The opening of an office in this location follows this development. I envisage Munich as one of the most relevant European venues for legal advice extending over and above IP.

Ideal platform

The Munich office offers an ideal platform for the further development of our practice beyond IP and competition law.'The firm has 600 lawyers and is also opening an office in Sydney with two lawyers who have come over from Herbert Smith Freehills.