Bock Legal

Firm overview:

Bock Legal is a consulting and litigation practice founded in 1998 in Frankfurt am Main. The firm has 16 lawyers working across three main practice areas – intellectual property, professional liability and insurance law. Bock Legal has 9-10 people exclusively on IP including design and unfair competition. The firm is a double boutique with most of the firm specialist on IP and some legacy partners working on other commercial matters.

Bock Legal is distinctive in that it is a lawyers only firm, unlike other patent attorney / lawyer mdp firms in Germany. The firm receives referral work from patent attorney firms in the region who need legal services for their clients. Bock’s trademarks focus is on litigation work, a traditional strength. The group also manages over 1,000 trademarks filings and related claims, prosecutions and oppositions, a workstream that arises when clients request.

Peers see the team as constructive in resolving disputes between clients. “We appreciate them, we see them on the other side a lot, they are very knowledgeable and prepared to negotiate and reach a settlement if needed.” The firm protects trademarks, trademark portfolios and other distinguishing marks nationally and internationally and enforces trademark rights in case of infringements for internationally renowned trademark manufacturers from the fashion, watch or automotive industry as well as numerous medium-sized and small businesses.

Bock legal has proven know-how and extensive experience in the legal enforcement and defence of registered trademarks, union trademarks (EUTM), international registrations, company names, protected designations of origin and rights to names, as well as in domain name disputes and in the defence against unjustified attacks.

Team overview:

Bock Legal has four partners, an of counsel and another lawyer with a practice focus on trademarks. The team includes name partner Andreas Bock and Dr Jan D Mueller-Brioch Partner.

Key matters:

• Bock Legal provides product piracy advice to Gucci including advising on border seizures, for new owners, Kering who own Yves St Laurent, jewellery and other luxury brands.
• Bock Legal acts for Swatch, the largest watchmaker in the world and owner of 18 watch brands, including Omega, Tissot and Langine - on product piracy and trademarks.
• Bock Legal senior lawyers Andreas Bock and Benedict Frank advise Alfred Kärcher SE known internationally for its yellow coloured cleaning equipment and power washers on colour trademark challenges to look-a-like competitors..
• Bock Legal won a competitive tender to advise the European Central Bank, a near neighbour in Frankfurt, on litigation related to the theme of the map on the Euro bank note. The bank was sued for Euro 5m by the creator of the Euro note using the ‘Best-Seller Clause’ in Article 20 DSM Directive, a Germany law which allows creators an uptick in revenue if their creation sells well outside of an original commercial contract. Bock Legal also advises the ECB on the trademarks aspects of a digital euro project.
• Bock Legal partner Reinhard Duering advises Vodafone unfair competition on  Vodafone’s advertising work in the competitive telecoms market.

Clients:

777 Capital Advisors, Alfred Kärcher SE, Danhaus Deutschland, DRYKORN, European Central Bank, Modevertriebs, GBK Trusted Partner, Kering, Mayar Capital, NextEnergy Capital, Patzer Erden, pfenning logistics, Vodafone, Volkswagen Group