Boutique IP firm Powell Gilbert is opening an office in Düsseldorf, led by former Vossius partner and renowned German patent litigator Andreas Kramer.
Kramer will be joined by two Vossius colleagues – Hannes Obex as of counsel and Andreas Ditler as an associate.
The new German office, expected to open in September, adds to the firm’s existing presence in London and Dublin and to deliver a significant boost to its UPC practice. Düsseldorf is an important location as it is home to one of the four German local divisions of the increasingly popular court.
In a statement, the firm said that through its office in Dublin, it has acted in more than 40 UPC cases in the court’s first two years, appearing before nine different local, regional and central divisions, and the Court of Appeal.
Kramer spent more than seven years at Vossius, becoming a partner in 2018. Prior to that, he worked for two years at the Düsseldorf-based boutique Arnold Ruess. Before that, he spent six years at another Düsseldorf-based litigation firm, Krieger Mes.
He has been involved in many high-profile cross-border patent disputes, including in the fields of electronics and telecommunications, particularly in standard essential patent (SEP) and fair reasonable and non-discriminatory (FRAND) disputes, as well as mechanics, life sciences and medical devices.
Obex was at Vossius for more than seven years and began his career as a trainee at Arnold Ruess and Freshfields. Ditler spent four years at Vossius; prior to that he spent a year at the German patent and trademark office.
The trio have represented clients in many leading UPC cases, including before various German and other local divisions of the UPC and the UPC Court of Appeal, as well as acting in disputes before all levels of the German courts, and the EPO.
Penny Gilbert, one of Powell Gilbert’s founding partners, described the move as a “landmark moment” for the London-based firm.
She added: “Germany is one of the most active patent jurisdictions in the world, and Düsseldorf lies at its core. It is a natural choice for our first office in continental Europe, bolstering our presence across the UPC landscape and expanding our capacity to support clients in a key jurisdiction.”
Fellow co-founder Alex Wilson said Kramer had handled some of the most important UPC cases in the SEP field before German local divisions, complementing the “fantastic start we have had across the UPC divisions”.
Wilson added: “He is an internationalist who also brings a deep understanding of this key jurisdiction. It will be great to have him on board.”
Kramer said: “My team and I are very excited to bring our experience to the firm’s newly established Düsseldorf office, creating an exciting platform to deliver one of the most compelling patent litigation offerings in the UK, Germany and across the UPC area.”
German firms are dealing with the most patents at the UPC, according to recent figures from the European Patent Litigators Association. The data shows that it is predominantly German IP firms and the larger European corporate law firms that are appearing on the court’s caseload register.
Ireland has yet to ratify the UPC agreement. A referendum was to be held last June, but that was postponed and a new date is yet to be announced.
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