Sonn Patentanwalte Gmbh & Co Kg

What Sonn Patentanwalte Gmbh & Co Kg does

Sonn Patentanwälte GmbH & Co KG is an Austrian intellectual property law firm headquartered in Vienna with a branch office in Linz, operating continuously since 1851. The firm provides patent prosecution, utility model protection, trademark and design registration, opposition and nullity proceedings, freedom-to-operate analyses, and litigation representation before the Austrian Patent Office, the European Patent Office, EUIPO, and the Unified Patent Court, with UPC representation capability established from 1 June 2023. Its team of 9 partners and roughly 20-25 additional professionals covers biosciences, chemistry, electrical engineering, IT, mechanical engineering, medical technology, and physics.

The firm generates revenue through fee-for-service engagements on a professional services model, billing for IP prosecution, portfolio management, consultation, opposition, and litigation work. Clients range from universities and start-ups to SMEs and large international enterprises, served both directly in Austria and internationally via membership in FICPI, EPI, and the UPC-focused network EPLIT. Technology supporting the practice is limited to the proprietary SONN Port client portal for online portfolio tracking and a Mapbox-based maps integration; no proprietary AI tooling is disclosed.

Sonn holds leadership positions within the Austrian IP profession, with partners serving as President of the Austrian Chamber of Patent Attorneys and Daniel Alge on the EPLIT board. The firm is a privately held Austrian partnership (GmbH & Co KG) with no external funding, no M&A activity, and no publicly disclosed financials.

Name

Sonn Patentanwalte Gmbh & Co Kg

Legal name

SONN Patentanwälte GmbH & Co KG

Website

https://sonn.at

Company type

Private

Founded year

1851

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Sonn Patentanwälte is a 170+ year old Austrian IP law firm headquartered in Vienna with a Linz branch office, providing patent prosecution, trademark and design protection, and UPC litigation services to universities, start-ups, SMEs, and large international enterprises.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Intellectual Property Law Services

NAICS

Legal Services (5411)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro primary industry

Intellectual Property (IP) Law (BPAHAAAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Patent Prosecution & Portfolio Management (BPAHAMAA), Trademark Prosecution & Brand Protection (BPAHAMAB), IP Compliance, Anti-Counterfeiting & Enforcement (BPAHAMAK), IP Filing, Annuities & Renewals Administration (BPAHAMAJ), IP Search, Watch & Competitive Intelligence (BPAHAMAI)

Keywords

• Patent prosecution services
• Trademark registration
• Intellectual property law
• Design protection
• Patent litigation

Headquarters

HQ city

Vienna

HQ country

Austria

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Professional IP Services: Revenue generated through professional services including patent and trademark prosecution, litigation, consultation, and portfolio management. Services range from invention disclosure processing, patent applications, examination proceedings, opposition and nullity proceedings, to court representation and IP enforcement.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

SONN Patentanwälte is an Austrian patent attorney firm that advises on and prosecutes patents, utility models, trademarks, and designs, and enforces intellectual property rights nationally and internationally. The firm provides full-service IP protection from drafting and filing of applications through examination, opposition/nullity proceedings, freedom-to-operate analyses, and representation before the Unified Patent Court (UPC), serving innovative companies from start-ups and universities to SMEs and large international enterprises.

Product overview

Sonn Patentanwälte is a patent attorney firm founded in 1851, operating as a single unified law practice rather than a platform with separate modules. The firm offers a comprehensive portfolio of intellectual property services including patent prosecution, trademark and design protection, and represents clients before the Unified Patent Court (UPC). Core services include patent applications, freedom-to-operate analyses, opposition and nullity proceedings, and license agreement advisory services. The firm also provides a client portal called SONN Port for portfolio management and project tracking. Services are delivered through attorneys in Vienna and Linz, Austria.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Patent Prosecution Services
• Trademark Protection
• Design Protection
• SONN Port
• Supplementary Protection Certificates (SPCs)
• Freedom-to-Operate (FTO) Analyses
• Opposition and Nullity Proceedings
• Unified Patent Court (UPC) Representation
• License Agreement Services

Quantifiable outcome

• Active representation in multiple infringement and nullity proceedings before UPC at local divisions in Munich and Vienna

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Fédération Internationale des Conseils en Propriété Industrielle (FICPI)coreOthersSONN Patentanwälte are members of FICPI, subject to FICPI Professional Guidelines. Firm members hold leadership positions including President of the European Union Members Commission (EUCOF) and serve as Special Reporter for EU IP Matters in the Study & Work Committee (CET) of FICPI.
• European Patent Institute (EPI)coreOthersSONN attorneys are European Patent Attorneys subject to EPI Professional Guidelines. Several attorneys are founding or active members of EPLIT (European Patent Litigators Association), the professional association for patent litigation specialists.
• European Patent Litigators Association (EPLIT)coreOthersSeveral SONN attorneys including Daniel Alge (Board Member) and Rainer Beetz (founding member) are active in EPLIT, which focuses on patent litigation before the Unified Patent Court.
• Austrian Patent Attorneys ChambercoreOthersSONN attorneys are members of and subject to professional regulations of the Austrian Chamber of Patent Attorneys (Österreichische Patentanwaltskammer). Daniel Alge serves as President and Marc Keschmann serves as President of the Austrian Chamber of Patent Attorneys.
• Politecnico di MilanominorOthersSeveral SONN attorneys (Johannes Strobl, Matthias Brunner, Philipp Weinzinger, Fabian Stanke, Matthias Scheiner, Rudolf Griss, David Trauner) obtained UPC-specific qualifications through a specialized course at Politecnico di Milano.
• AIPPI, LES, ECTAminorOthersSONN team members maintain memberships in international IP associations including AIPPI (International Association for the Protection of Intellectual Property), LES (Licensing Executives Society), and ECTA (European Communities Trade Mark Association).

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Hoffmann Eitle: One of Europe's largest patent attorney firms based in Munich with offices across multiple jurisdictions. Directly comparable as a multi-disciplinary patent and trademark prosecution and litigation boutique.
• Mewburn Ellis LLP: Leading UK patent attorney firm with offices in London, Manchester, Munich, and Cambridge. Comparable specialized patent and trademark prosecution practice serving innovative corporates.
• Maiwald Patentanwaltsgesellschaft: German-based European patent attorney firm with extensive technical specialization and UPC representation. Comparable technical-domain expertise and full-service IP offering.
• Vossius & Partner: Munich-based European patent attorney firm specializing in biotech, pharma, and chemistry patent prosecution and litigation. Direct peer in technical specialization and UPC practice.
• Wildhack & Jellinek Patentanwälte: Austrian patent attorney firm providing patent prosecution, trademark, and design services in Vienna. Direct domestic competitor with overlapping technical expertise and client base among Austrian innovators.
• Bardehle Pagenberg: Leading European patent attorney firm with strong UPC practice and offices in Munich, Paris, Barcelona, and other major jurisdictions. Comparable in offering full IP prosecution and litigation services to international clients.
• Grünecker Patent- und Rechtsanwälte: Long-established Munich-based European patent and trademark attorney firm. Comparable full-service IP boutique with strong technical expertise and UPC representation, competing for similar German and Austrian clients.
• Puchberger & Partner Patentanwälte: Austrian patent and trademark attorney firm based in Vienna offering prosecution and litigation services. Comparable boutique Austrian IP practice serving similar innovative company client segments.

Broad incumbents

• Bird & Bird LLP: International law firm with a leading IP practice including patent litigation across Europe. Broader incumbent competing for large-scale IP mandates from corporates; overlaps with Sonn on UPC representation and tech-focused clients.
• Marks & Clerk: Large international IP firm with offices across Europe, North America, and Asia. Broader incumbent offering patent prosecution, trademark, and IP litigation at greater scale than Sonn but with comparable technical depth.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 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 Sonn Patentanwalte Gmbh & Co Kg