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From March 1 Patronus IP have merged with HGF

March 2019

The HGF team in Germany and Austria works across offices in Munich, Heidelberg and Salzburg led by Partners  Bernhard Ganahl, Jan Robert Naefe & Markus Zoller.

HGF is widely known across Europe for the expertise and quality of advice in intellectual property to its clients and its ability to provide inter geographical and interdisciplinary teams of attorneys to clients which meet their needs across

  • Patents and utility models
  • Trade marks
  • Designs
  • Plant Variety Rights
  • Oppositions and appeals

Working across the technical subjects of chemistry, electronics, engineering, material sciences and life sciences the German team has particular expertise in the respective industry sectors.

To learn more about our attorneys please click on the links below:

Bernhard Ganahl – Partner

Jan Robert Naefe – Partner

Dr Markus Zoller – Partner

Christian Himmler – European Patent Attorney

Rudolf Erhardt Sachs – European Patent Attorney

Julia Saladin – Attorney-at-Law

Dr Jens Kienitz – Trainee Patent Attorney

Latest updates

Empowered, Not Replaced: The Risks and Rewards of Using AI Tools in Patent Prosecution

With the rapid rise of AI and extreme hype around generative AI tools in the workplace, patent firms around the world have had to seriously consider to what extent they …

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EU Agrees on NGT Plant Regulation: What It Means for Patents and Licensing

The European Parliament and Council have reached a provisional agreement for plants developed using New Genomic Techniques (NGTs) – below we summarise the main points and set out the requirements …

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When Retail Branding Meets Politics

(Inter IKEA Systems v Algemeen Vlaams Belang (Case C‑298/23) In November 2022, the Flemish political party Vlaams Belang presented its “IKEA-PLAN – Immigratie Kan Echt Anders” (“Immigration Really Can Be Different”). …

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Office Closed Dates December 2025 / January 2026

HGF Office Closed Dates December 2025 / January 2026   UK Thursday 25 and Friday 26 December 2025 CLOSED Thursday 1 January 2026* CLOSED * Friday 2 January 2026 – …

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Often Copied, Never Equaled: When Do Everyday Items Become Subject of Copyright?

The  borderline between ‘pure’ works of art and mere utilitarian objects” –  Can iconic, yet everyday products be protected under copyright? The above question was posed by Advocate General in …

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T 0883/23: Dosage claims and their entitlement to priority when only the clinical trial protocol was disclosed in the priority application

In a recently issued decision by the EPO’s Board of Appeal (BoA), the BoA held that claims directed to a combination of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) at particular doses were …

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The end of the Brexit overhang for trade marks: review, refile and revoke.

On the 31st December 2025, five years will have passed since the end of the Brexit transitional period on 31st December 2020. Why is this relevant? For UK cloned trade …

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Event - 14th January 2026

Seminar on The aftermath of G1/24 - has anything changed?

HGF is hosting a The aftermath of G1/24 – has anything changed? Which will be followed by networking, apero, and snacks. The Seminar will be held on Wednesday, 14th January …

Event details
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