JUVE has released the shortlist for this year’s JUVE Awards Germany, naming four law firms competing for Patent Law Firm of the Year and four corporate legal departments in the running for In-house Team of the Year for Patent. Winners in both patent categories will be announced in October at the Frankfurt Opera House ceremony.
Shortlist reflects market shifts
The nominees for Patent Law Firm of the Year include a mix of established players and comparatively young boutiques that have emerged from recent spin-offs in the German patent market. The In-house Team of the Year for Patent nominees span sectors ranging from life sciences and generics to telecommunications and access solutions.
The awards have focused exclusively on patent law activities since 2025, with soft IP work no longer factoring into the decision. The shift reflects the increasing importance of patent litigation in the advisory market and the greater dynamism among firms and companies operating in the patent field.
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Selection criteria for patent awards
The Patent Law Firm of the Year award recognizes a German law firm for work over the past year. Firms are nominated for performance and strategic development, primarily in patent litigation including national patent litigation and EPO opposition and appeal proceedings. The dynamism of practices is also considered, while UPC work plays only a secondary role. JUVE Patent presents a separate award for UPC work in December.
The In-house Team of the Year for Patent award recognizes a European in-house team for its work and growth. Both patent litigation and patent prosecution teams come under consideration.
At last year’s ceremony, Düsseldorf-based patent litigation boutique Wildanger Kehrwald Graf von Schwerin & Partner took the trophy for German Patent Firm of the Year. The firm prevailed over fellow nominees CBH Rechtsanwälte, Clifford Chance and Finnegan Henderson Farabow Garrett & Dunner.
JUVE Patent recognized Wildanger for its solid position as a port-of-call for major national cases, as well as its increasing role in UPC representation and involvement in cases such as the VoiceAge vs HMD litigation series. Other notable clients include Asus and Huawei.
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BASF wins in-house patent award
BASF received the award for In-house Team of the Year for Patent, prevailing against Covestro, Huawei and Valeo. The chemicals group was recognized for merging its IP department with the chemicals division’s in-house team, consolidating IP matters with regulatory expertise under one roof.
The department had streamlined its holdings and employs drafting software and AI in its work. Together with Taylor Wessing, the team contributed to the BDI’s key issues paper on Germany’s IP strategy, with several proposals reflected in the coalition agreement.
The JUVE Awards are presented annually in a black tie ceremony at the Alte Oper in Frankfurt. The 2026 awards ceremony will take place on 29 October, with awards presented in 18 categories across various practice areas.
