Braun-Dullaeus Pannen Emmerling

What Braun-Dullaeus Pannen Emmerling does

Braun-Dullaeus Pannen Emmerling (BDPE) is a German IP litigation boutique founded in 2019 following the merger of Dr. Friedrich Emmerling's patent litigation practice (ex-Prüfer & Partner) and Dr. Karl-Ulrich Braun-Dullaeus's solo firm. The firm operates from two offices — Munich and Düsseldorf — and is structured as a Patent- und Rechtsanwaltspartnerschaft mbB (partnership with limited professional liability) with three named partners holding rights of sole representation: Heinrich Georg Pannen, Dr. Friedrich Emmerling, and Markus Kreuzberg. BDPE is exclusively focused on contentious patent proceedings, with deep technical fluency in telecommunications, standard-essential patents (SEPs), FRAND licensing, wireless communications (Wi-Fi, 5G, cellular), electronics, and mechanical engineering.

The firm's core service lines are patent litigation before German civil courts, the German Federal Patent Court, the European Patent Office (opposition and nullity proceedings), and the Unified Patent Court (UPC), complemented by a smaller patent prosecution practice and supplementary trademark, design, and competition law services. BDPE operates on professional services economics: hourly-rate billing or fixed fees for specific litigation matters, delivered through partner-led engagements. The firm reportedly participates in approximately 5% of all pending nullity proceedings in Germany, an outsized share for a 15-person boutique, reflecting its anchor position in European SEP and telecom patent litigation.

BDPE's go-to-market is predominantly referral-driven, sustained by top-tier rankings in Chambers, Legal 500, IAM Patent 1000, MIP STARS, JUVE, and Handelsblatt Best Lawyers, and reinforced by repeat mandates from law firms without in-house patent attorney capability (Freshfields, Clifford Chance, Bird & Bird, Hoyng ROKH Monegier). Anchor clients include Huawei and Deutsche Telekom, with additional enterprise clients spanning automotive (Continental), consumer goods (adidas), tobacco (Philip Morris), semiconductors (Goodix), and manufacturing (Conradi+Kaiser). The firm has no external parent, no institutional investors, and no disclosed funding rounds; ownership and control reside with the named partners.

Name

Braun-Dullaeus Pannen Emmerling

Legal name

Braun-Dullaeus Pannen Emmerling Patent- und Rechtsanwaltspartnerschaft mbB

Website

https://bdpe.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

BDPE is a German IP litigation boutique focused exclusively on contentious patent proceedings, particularly standard-essential patents in telecommunications, serving multinational enterprise clients before German courts, the EPO, and the UPC from offices in Munich and Düsseldorf.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Intellectual Property Legal Services

NAICS

Legal Services (5411)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro primary industry

Standards-Essential Patents (SEP) & FRAND Advisory (BPAHAMAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Patent Prosecution & Portfolio Management (BPAHAMAA), IP Due Diligence & Freedom-to-Operate (FTO) Analysis (BPAHAMAG)

Keywords

• Patent litigation services
• Intellectual property law
• Standard-essential patents
• EPO opposition proceedings
• FRAND licensing disputes

Headquarters

HQ city

Düsseldorf

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Patent Litigation Services: Professional legal services for patent infringement litigation, nullity proceedings, opposition proceedings before EPO and German Federal Patent Court, representing clients in complex multi-jurisdictional disputes
2. Patent Prosecution Services: Patent application drafting, filing international patent applications, portfolio management, and representation in corresponding office proceedings

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

BDPE is a German IP litigation boutique providing specialized patent litigation and prosecution services to enterprise clients across multiple jurisdictions. The firm's core practice is contentious patent proceedings before German civil courts, the European Patent Office (EPO), and the Unified Patent Court (UPC), with particular expertise in standard-essential patents (SEPs), FRAND licensing disputes, EPO oppositions, and nullity actions in telecommunications, electronics, and connected vehicles sectors.

Product overview

BDPE (Braun-Dullaeus Pannen Emmerling) is a German IP litigation boutique offering a focused portfolio of intellectual property legal services centered on patent litigation. The core offering is Patent Litigation, including EPO opposition proceedings and nullity actions, complemented by trademark and design law, competition law, and a smaller patent prosecution practice. The firm specializes in technically complex patent disputes, particularly in telecommunications (including standard-essential patents/SEPs), electronics, and mechanical engineering sectors, with particular expertise in multi-jurisdictional proceedings before German courts, the EPO, and the Unified Patent Court (UPC).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Patent Litigation Specialized representation in patent infringement and validity proceedings before German civil courts, the European Patent Office (EPO), and the Unified Patent Court (UPC), covering both offensive and defensive litigation with expertise in standard-essential patents (SEPs).
• EPO Opposition and Nullity Proceedings Representation in opposition proceedings before the European Patent Office and nullity actions before the German Federal Patent Court (BPatG) to challenge or defend patent validity, accounting for approximately 5% of pending nullity proceedings in Germany.
• Patent Prosecution Advisory on patent applications and portfolio management, including drafting and filing of international patent applications, complementary to the firm's main litigation focus.
• Trademark and Design Law Legal representation and advisory services for trademark registration, design protection, and related disputes.
• Competition Law Legal counsel in competition law matters related to intellectual property and market practices.

Quantifiable outcome

• Involved in approximately 5% of all pending nullity proceedings in Germany
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Freshfields Bruckhaus DeringercoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerCollaborative relationship for UPC proceedings where Freshfields handles legal representation while BDPE provides patent attorney expertise; working together on Huawei vs Netgear UPC case
• Clifford ChancecoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerCooperation on UPC litigation for Huawei vs Netgear case; BDPE provides patent attorney services while Clifford Chance handles legal work
• Bird & BirdcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerWorking with Bird & Bird for Huawei litigation against Amazon; BDPE supplies patent attorney expertise for coordinated proceedings
• Hoyng ROKH MonegiercoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerCollaborated on Philip Morris vs BAT e-cigarette global litigation series; BDPE provides patent-side expertise with Hoyng ROKH handling legal representation

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Vossius & Partner: Established Munich IP boutique with strong patent prosecution and litigation offerings. Competes with BDPE for technical patent mandates, especially before the EPO and German courts.
• Bardehle Pagenberg: Munich- and Düsseldorf-based IP boutique with a similar contentious-patent focus and UPC practice. Direct competitor for high-stakes German patent litigation, particularly in telecoms and electronics.
• Hoffmann Eitle: One of Germany's largest IP boutiques with a strong patent litigation and prosecution practice in Munich. Directly comparable to BDPE in serving SEP and technical patent litigation clients, but at significantly greater scale.
• Eisenführ Speiser: Bremen- and Munich-based IP boutique with a strong patent litigation and opposition practice, including technical fields like telecoms, mechanics, and life sciences.
• Meissner Bolte: German IP boutique with significant patent prosecution, opposition, and litigation capabilities across multiple technical fields. Comparable in serving international patent clients from German offices.
• Hoyng ROKH Monegier: Pan-European IP boutique with leading patent litigation practice, particularly in telecoms and pharma. Competes directly with BDPE on UPC and coordinated multi-jurisdiction patent disputes (and is a BDPE co-counsel on Philip Morris).
• Grünecker Patent- und Rechtsanwälte: Long-standing Munich IP boutique covering patent prosecution, opposition, and litigation. Comparable in focus on technical patent work for European and international clients.

Broad incumbents

• Bird & Bird: International full-service firm with one of Europe's largest IP practices. Competes with BDPE on SEP and telecom mandates, but operates a much broader portfolio and serves as a BDPE referral partner.
• Clifford Chance: Global magic-circle firm with strong patent litigation capabilities, especially before the UPC. Competes with BDPE for SEP and high-stakes patent mandates and is a documented BDPE referral partner.
• Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer: Global elite firm with a growing IP litigation practice that relies on patent attorney specialists like BDPE. Competes at the high-end of multi-jurisdictional patent work and is a documented BDPE co-counsel.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/bdpe

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 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 Braun-Dullaeus Pannen Emmerling