US Law Firms Race to Dominate Europe’s New Patent Battleground

The Unified Patent Court (UPC) opened its doors in June 2023 and since then nearly 700 cases have been filed. Munich, Düsseldorf, and Mannheim have become patent battlegrounds and law firms, both in Europe and the U.S., are seeking to secure their place in this competitive field. 

Finnegan partner Jochen Herr told Law.com that “The UPC is the court of the future in Europe.”

The court imposes tight deadlines, granting extensions only in rare, exceptional cases. Accordingly, every procedure must be “perfectly organized, which is hardly possible without a sufficiently large team,” said Jochen. “For complex UPC proceedings," he added, "you should have a team of 10 lawyers plus X (an unknown number of additional attorneys) in order to meet the high demands on speed and quality.”

The UPC’s core mission is said to be ensuring swift proceedings.

“In 12 to 15 months, the UPC usually issues a first-instance judgment on infringement and legal status—something you almost never achieve in the U.S.,” Jochen said.

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