df-mp

What df-mp does

df-mp is a Munich-based intellectual property law firm founded in 2000 that advises and represents domestic and foreign clients in patent, trademark, utility model, and design law. The firm specializes in contentious patent matters, including infringement proceedings, EPO oppositions and appeals, nullity actions, and representation before the Unified Patent Court (UPC), alongside patent prosecution, trademark registration, and design protection services. Its clientele spans pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, telecommunications and ICT firms with SEP portfolios, electrical and mechanical engineering companies, and research institutions, with documented representations for clients such as Datang Mobile, Conversant Wireless, Teva, and Ceva in landmark European patent disputes.

The firm's core asset is its technical-legal talent: partners and associates hold advanced natural science qualifications, including PhDs across pharmacy, organic chemistry, biotechnology, physics, and electrical engineering, enabling representation in more than eight technical practice areas in both German and English. df-mp operates in collaboration with df-mp.tech (Molnia Ho PartG mbB), a separate partnership housed at the same Munich address, providing an integrated prosecution-litigation platform. Six partners lead df-mp (Dr. H. Ulrich Dörries, Sandra Pohlman, Dr. Michael Eder, Dr. Elisabeth Greiner, Oliver Schulz, Ortrun Günzel), with David Molnia and Dominik Ho leading df-mp.tech.

Revenue is generated through professional service fees on patent litigation, prosecution, trademark, and design matters, typically billed hourly or on fixed-fee bases for specific proceedings. Client acquisition relies on professional reputation, analyst rankings (IP STARS Tier 1, IAM Patent 1000 Gold, Juve Patent), and direct enterprise relationships rather than product-led or digital channels. The firm has between 51 and 100 employees and is privately held as a German PartG mbB partnership, with revenue figures not publicly disclosed.

Name

df-mp

Legal name

df-mp Patentanwälte Rechtsanwälte PartG mbB

Website

https://df-mp.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

df-mp is a Munich-based IP law firm specializing in European and German patent litigation, prosecution, and UPC representation for global clients in pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, telecommunications, and mechanical engineering, operating alongside affiliated df-mp.tech (Molnia Ho PartG mbB).

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Munich

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Legal Services - Patent Litigation: Representation in patent infringement proceedings, nullity proceedings, opposition proceedings before EPO, UPC litigation, and validity opinions. Revenue generated through professional service fees, typically hourly rates or fixed fees for specific proceedings.
2. Patent Prosecution: Drafting, filing, and prosecuting patent applications in Germany, EPO, and internationally. Advisory on patent portfolio strategy.
3. Trademark and Design Services: Trademark registration, prosecution, and enforcement; design protection services.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

df-mp is an intellectual property law firm that advises and represents domestic and foreign clients in patent, trademark, utility model, and design law. Its services include patent litigation, patent prosecution, EPO oppositions, nullity proceedings, UPC representation, trademark registration and enforcement, and design protection.

Product overview

df-mp is a leading European intellectual property law firm offering a comprehensive suite of legal services centered on patents, trademarks, and designs. The firm provides patent prosecution and litigation services (including EPO oppositions, nullity proceedings, and UPC representation), trademark registration and protection, and design protection. Their practice spans multiple technical domains including electrical engineering, mechanics, physics, pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, and chemistry. The firm operates in collaboration with df-mp.tech and serves international clients from their Munich headquarters.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Patent Prosecution and Litigation Services Comprehensive patent prosecution and litigation services including European and German patent applications, opposition proceedings, nullity proceedings, and infringement proceedings before various courts including the UPC.
• Trademark Services Trademark registration, protection, and enforcement services for domestic and international trademarks.
• Design Protection Services Protection and enforcement of industrial designs and models under European and German law.
• Unified Patent Court (UPC) Representation Specialized representation in proceedings before the Unified Patent Court, including jurisdiction matters, procedural rules, oral hearings, and damages proceedings.

Quantifiable outcome

• Leading position in 2025 EPO antibody patent decisions - both as patent holder representative and opponent representative
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and strategic.

• df-mp.tech (Molnia Ho PartG mbB)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOperational collaboration between df-mp Patentanwälte Rechtsanwälte PartG mbB and Molnia Ho PartG mbB operating as df-mp.tech. Both entities share the same Munich office location at Theatinerstraße 16 and work together on patent prosecution and litigation matters. df-mp.tech handles patent prosecution while df-mp focuses on litigation.
• EIP (Eisenberger & Herzog)strategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with EIP legal team on major SEP litigation cases. EIP contributed legal counsel including Dr. Christoph Höhne, Dr. Sebastian Fuchs, Dimitri Kosenko, and Maximilian Häger while df-mp handled technical aspects of infringement case and concurrent nullity proceedings. Combined team successfully represented Datang Mobile against Samsung.
• EIP (Eisenberger & Herzog)strategicImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerEIP team worked alongside df-mp team consisting of David Molnia, Dominik Ho and Ben Flocke in successful SEP litigation against Huawei and ZTE for Conversant Wireless.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Taylor Wessing: European-headquartered international law firm with a strong patent litigation group in Germany; competes for tech and life sciences patent mandates while offering broader corporate, regulatory, and technology services.
• Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer: Global elite law firm with a substantial German patent litigation practice; competes for high-stakes cross-border patent matters alongside a full-service international platform, contrasting with df-mp's boutique focus.
• Hogan Lovells: Global law firm with a large Frankfurt/Munich IP team handling patent prosecution, EPO oppositions, and UPC litigation; a broader incumbent competitor for cross-border pharma, biotech, and tech patent matters.
• Bird & Bird: International full-service firm with a top-tier IP and tech practice active across UPC and European patent litigation; competes for many of the same cross-border patent mandates but offers a much broader corporate/regulatory service menu.

Direct peers

• Hoffmann Eitle: Munich-headquartered European IP boutique with strong technical bench and a long-standing reputation in patent prosecution, EPO oppositions, and litigation across pharma, biotech, chemistry, and engineering — competing directly for similar mandates.
• Bardehle Pagenberg: Munich-rooted IP boutique covering patent prosecution, EPO oppositions, UPC litigation, and trademark/design work with strong technical and scientific capabilities — a near-direct peer in life sciences and high-tech patent disputes.
• Maiwald Patentanwalts- und Rechtsanwaltsgesellschaft mbH: Munich-based IP boutique focused on patent prosecution and litigation in pharma, biotech, chemistry, and medical devices; comparable in size and specialization, and notably the former employer of df-mp partner Manuel Reiter.
• Eisenführ Speiser: Bremen/Munich-headquartered IP boutique covering patent prosecution, EPO oppositions, and infringement litigation in mechanical, electrical, and life sciences — a comparable specialist firm competing for similar German and European patent mandates.
• Grünecker Patent- und Rechtsanwälte: One of the largest Munich-based IP boutiques specializing in patent prosecution, EPO oppositions, nullity proceedings, and infringement litigation across pharma, biotech, and high-tech — the most direct head-to-head competitor to df-mp in German patent litigation.
• Vossius & Partner: Established Munich and Düsseldorf IP firm with strong life sciences and biotech patent litigation practice, particularly active in EPO oppositions and German nullity proceedings — comparable in technical depth and client profile.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/df-mp

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about df-mp