BARDEHLE PAGENBERG Partnerschaft mbB

Attorneys-at-law · Patent Attorneys

65 UPC Representatives · 47 SEP Litigators

Germany · France · Spain

Firm Website

Short self-description

BARDEHLE PAGENBERG is a leading IP law firm in Europe which has pooled the strengths and competencies of patent attorneys and attorneys-at-law for more than 45 years. Our mixed approach – legal and technical expertise – enables us to handle cases before all relevant courts through all instances.

Main practice areas: patent litigation; patent prosecution; oppositions and nullity; employee inventions; unfair competition law; trademarks; copyright; domain names; designs; antitrust law; due diligence; trade secrets.

Industry/technology focus: mechanical engineering; physics and general engineering; electrical engineering; electronics; information and communication technology; computer software; artificial intelligence and machine learning; blockchain and web3; automotive; green tech and sustainable technologies; optics, optoelectronics and laser technology; food technology (thermodynamics etc. related to food production); chemistry; pharmaceuticals; life sciences including biotech; medical devices and e-health; semiconductor technology; licensing & technology transfer; food; fashion.

UPC-related services: patent enforcement; defense against infringement claims; proactive revocation claims; defense against revocation claims; bring and pursue notice of opposition in EPO; defense in EPO opposition proceedings; unitary patent appeals from EPO; opt-outs and withdrawals.

SEP-related services: advice on FRAND negotiations for SEP holders; advice on FRAND negotiations for implementers; advice related to participation in standards development; SEP enforcement; defense against SEP infringement claims; bring revocation claims against SEPs (including EPO opposition, PTAB etc.); SEP prosecution and defense against revocation claims targeting SEPs; bring antitrust-based FRAND claims; defense against antitrust-based FRAND claims; bring contract-based FRAND claims; defense against contract-based FRAND claims; pursuit of antisuit injunctions and interim licenses; defense against antisuit injunction and interim license motions; pursuit of anti-antisuit injunctions; defense against anti-antisuit injunction motions.

Rankings and awards

  • Patent Disputes Firm of the Year in Europe and Germany 2025 – Managing IP
  • Intellectual Property Team of the Year in Germany 2025 – Legal 500
  • Top Tier in UPC Litigation 2025 – JUVE UPC Ranking
  • Best IP Advisor DACH 2025 – Leaders League
  • Patent Litigation Firm of the Year in Germany 2024 – IAM Global IP Awards
  • Best Lawyers for Intellectual Property Law – Best Lawyers® and Handelsblatt
  • Europe’s Leading Patent Law Firms 2025 – Financial Times
  • TOP-KANZLEI Patentrecht 2024 – WirtschaftsWoche

UPC achievements

Defended first-instance final judgments or provisional measures decisions on appeal

Overturned first-instance final judgments or provisional measures decisions on appeal

Overturned important pretrial or post-judgment decisions on appeal

Successful infringement assertions (main proceedings)

Successful infringement defenses (main proceedings)

Invalidated patents through revocation (counter)claim or EPO opposition

Defended patents against revocation (counter)claim or EPO opposition

Obtained provisional measures (preliminary injunctions)

Fended off applications for provisional measures (PIs)

Settlements

Other UPC-related achievements

SEP achievements

Won permanent SEP injunctions

Won preliminary SEP injunctions

Won antisuit/anti-antisuit injunctions

Litigated FRAND determination claims

In the following UPC cases NEC filed counter-claims for FRAND determination. All cases were settled prior to hearing and decision by the court:

  • NEC Corporation v. TCL Deutschland GmbH & Co. KG/ TCL Industrial Holdings Co., Ltd./ TCT Mobile Germany GmbH/ TCT Mobile Europe SAS/ TCL Communication Technology Holdings Ltd./ TCL Operations Polska Sp. Z.o.o,/ TCL Overseas Marketing Ltd. (Unified Patent Court, LD Munich, complaint regarding patent infringement EP 2 645 714 of 22 December 2023 – settled, ACT_595922/2023
  • NEC Corporation v. TCL Deutschland GmbH & Co. KG/ TCL Industrial Holdings Co., Ltd./ TCT Mobile Germany GmbH/ TCT Mobile Europe SAS/ TCL Communication Technology Holdings Ltd./ TCL Operations Polska Sp. Z.o.o,/ TCL Overseas Marketing Ltd. (Unified Patent Court, LD Munich, complaint regarding patent infringement EP 3 057 321 of 22 December 2023 – settled, ACT_596658/2023
  • NEC Corporation v. TCL Deutschland GmbH & Co. KG/ TCL Industrial Holdings Co., Ltd./ TCT Mobile Germany GmbH/ TCT Mobile Europe SAS/ TCL Communication Technology Holdings Ltd./ TCL Operations Polska Sp. Z.o.o,/ TCL Overseas Marketing Ltd. (Unified Patent Court, LD Munich, complaint regarding patent infringement EP 2 863 637 of 2 April 2024 – settled, ACT_16417/2024

Invalidated SEPs (not UPC-related)

  • Samsung/Micron/Google v. Netlist (Federal Patent Court, judgment revoking EP 2 454 735 of March 7, 2024, 2 Ni 23/22 (EP) and 2 Ni 30/22 (EP) – appeal pending)
  • Samsung/Micron/Google v. Netlist (Federal Patent Court, judgment revoking EP 3 404 660 of November 7, 2024, 2 Ni 24/22 (EP) and 2 Ni 31/22 (EP) – appeal pending)
  • Xiaomi v. KPN (Federal Patent Court, judgment revoking EP 2 291 003 of August 6, 2024, 4 Ni 73/22 (EP) and 4 Ni 88/22 (EP))
  • TomTom v. Nokia (Federal Patent Court, judgment revoking EP 2 286 629 of June 30, 2022, 2 Ni 43/20 (EP) and 2 Ni 44/22 (EP) – revocation final)
  • TomTom v. Nokia (Federal Patent Court, judgment revoking EP 2 087 629 of March 17, 2022, 2 Ni 23/22 (EP) and 2 Ni 30/22 (EP) – revocation confirmed by Federal Court of Justice with judgment of June 13, 2024, X ZR 64/22)

Defended SEPs against invalidity contentions (not UPC-related)

  • Vestel Germany GmbH v. Dolby International AB (Federal Patent Court, judgement nullity complaint dismissed regarding EP 2 777 269, 2 Ni 6/21 (EP) of 4 August 2022)
  • Vestel Holland B.V. v. Dolby Video Compression (Federal Court of Justice, judgement nullity complaint dismissed regarding EP 2 842 318, 2 Ni 3/21 (EP) – I. Instance, X ZR 82/23 – II. Instance of 17 September 2024)
  • TCT Europe SAS v. Dolby International AB (Federal Court of Justice, judgement nullity complaint dismissed regarding EP 2 777 270, 2 Ni 39/21 (EP) – I. Instance, X ZR 105/23 – II. Instance of 16 March 2024)

Won technical infringement rulings over SEPs

Settlements prior to decisions

Other SEP-related achievements