Christoph J. Crützen

Clients deliberately turn to Christoph when European patent enforcement must be aligned with US litigation strategy and calibrated against business tolerance for early injunctive risk.

As a registered representative before the UPC, Christoph regularly leads complex, multi-jurisdictional litigation strategies involving parallel infringement and validity proceedings, urgent interim relief, and coordinated defensive actions. His work includes:

• Patent infringement and validity proceedings before German courts and the UPC
• Coordinated enforcement and defense across multiple European jurisdictions
• Strategic management of counter-attacks and parallel nullity proceedings
• Handling of interim measures and injunction applications in time-critical scenarios

Christoph is particularly experienced in disputes where European procedural features – including bifurcation, compressed timelines, and limited discovery – create irreversible business consequences well before global legal certainty is achieved.

In complex transatlantic disputes, Christoph serves as the single European strategic owner, responsible for forum selection, sequencing, and escalation decisions across jurisdictions.

Beyond courtroom execution, Christoph advises boards, general counsel, and senior litigation teams on enforcement-driven decision-making in situations involving product launches, supply-chain exposure, and settlement leverage. His work frequently intersects with corporate transactions and strategic initiatives where patent litigation risk materially affects valuation, deal timing, or integration planning.

He is frequently engaged to assess whether, when, and where European enforcement should be initiated at all – including advising against premature or disproportionate escalation.

Christoph’s clients include international market leaders such as Maxell Ltd., Arm Ltd., Gilead Sciences, Inc., Alexion Pharmaceuticals, MediaTek, Benteler, Omnident, Hauck, Med 360° AG, and Zalando SE.

Clients value Christoph for his ability to combine deep procedural knowledge with disciplined strategic judgment, providing clear decision frameworks in situations where European patent enforcement carries significant commercial and reputational risk.

• A global manufacturer of mobile phones in relation to the infringement of ETSI essential 3G patents.
• A South Korean chemical and automobile parts manufacturer with regard to the infringement of patents in the field of manufacturing of solar cells.
• A Germany based manufacturer of LEDs before the District Court Munich and the Federal Patent Court and in relation to the infringement of patents for the manufacturing of LED.
• A German automotive supplier of ceramic solution in relation to a patent infringement in multi layered actuator technology.
• A global medical technology company with regard to the infringement of tube set patents for medical devices.
• A company in the precise mechanical and optical industry in relation to the infringement of patents in the field of optoelectronics.
• A manufacturer of household appliances in relation to the infringement of patents for temperature leveling in refrigerators.

Copyright/Trade Secret Litigation

Advised:

• A German technology company with regard to the infringement of copyrights in software, know-how and a breach of trade secrets at the District Court in Nürnberg.
• A manufacturer of aviation products in relation to copyright and trade secret litigation against a China based competitor before the District Court Frankfurt, the District Court Hamburg and the Higher District Court Hamburg.
• A Germany based manufacturer of dental solutions on a copyright and know-how claim related to the development of logistic software.
• A German developer of booking software in preliminary injunction proceedings in relation to software copyright claims against a competitor.
• A manufacturer of watches in relation to a breach of trade secrets and copyright infringement at the District Court Frankfurt and preliminary injunction proceedings at the District Court Hamburg.
• A manufacturer of aviation products in relation to the infringement of know-how and trade secrets in arbitration proceedings before the District Court Hamburg and Higher District Court Hamburg.

Trademark/Trademark Litigation

Advised:

• A beverage producer with regard to the acquisition of trademarks and forming a joint venture for a social marketing platform.
• An investment company with regard to trademark prosecution and representation in opposition proceedings with OHIM; managing the trademark portfolio.
• A jewelry manufacturer on trademark enforcement proceedings and representation in opposition proceedings with OHIM and DPMA.
• An automobile manufacturer regarding conflicts in relation to third party design and trademark applications.
• A vertical conveyor technology company with regard to trademark enforcement and prosecution.
• A German legal service provider with respect to enforcement of rights in company names.
• An independent Swiss institutional investment advisor with regard to international trademark prosecution and representation in office proceedings.
• A German brewery on trademark enforcement and the acquisition of trademarks as well as managing the trademark portfolio.
• A German subsidiary of an Italian pharmaceutical company in relation to the company slogan; managing the trademark portfolio.

Transactions

Advised:

• Hydro on the acquisition of Hueck group and its building systems and extrusions business.
• Borromin on the acquisition of EBERLE Controls GmbH.
• Avedon on the acquisition of a shareholding in FormMed HealthCare AG.
• On the sale of majority stake in Theobald Software.
• DBAG on the acquisition of German IT services group akquinet AG and two data centers.
• Turck duotec Holding on the sale of TSL-ESCHA to MAFELEC TEAM.
• Lear Corporation on acquisition of Kongsberg Automotive’s Interior Comfort Systems Business Unit.
• An international IT services company on the acquisition of a software company specialized in license management software solutions.
• A South Korean chemical and automobile parts manufacturer on the asset purchase to acquire an solar cell technology in Germany and Malaysia.
• A private equity investor on the acquisition of a German software developer of software to manage employees.
• Med 360° AG, the largest German health care service provider in the sector of, besides others, radiology in the sale by a number of shareholders of the majority of shares in the company to Sana Kliniken and Koninklijke Philips N.V.
• An international hygiene products producer on the divestiture of parts of its German bath tissue business.
• An Italian media company on the acquisition of shares of a commercial internet broadcaster and a software platform for distributing video on the internet.
• A private equity investor in relation to the proposed sale of a shipping line.
• A private equity company in connection with the sale of the shares in a leading automotive company.
• The German arm of a dutch TV production company on its joint venture with another production company.
• An online marketplace for books on the acquisition of assets of a leading online marketplace for rare German antiquarian books.
• Avedon Capital Partners in the acquisition of Seebach GmbH, a company active in the engineering production of industrial filters as well as, years later, the ultimate sale of Seebach GmbH.
• Capital One in relation to a license agreement re. software access technology.
• Various insurers in relation to W+I insurance for IP and IT rights.
• German private equity firm on the acquisition of a group of companies focused on digitization and cloud transformation in relation to IP, IT and data protection.
• Luxembourg investment funds on the acquisition of a group of companies focused on LNG marine bunkering services in relation to IP, IT and compliance.
• British-Dutch transnational consumer goods company on the acquisition of German meat substitutes manufacturer in relation to IP, IT and data protection.
• UK private equity firm on the acquisition of leading German internet and multimedia service provider in relation to IP, IT and data protection.
• German private equity firm on the acquisition of a group of companies, involving providers of data center services and of software development, respectively, in relation to IP, IT and data protection.
• German private equity firm on the acquisition of a group of companies from the plastic moulding industry in relation to IP, IT and data protection.
• A German private equity firm on the sale of a German food manufacturer in relation to IP, IT and data protection.
• A leading German automotive supplier and engineering company on the sale of several business divisions.
• A Dutch investment fund on the acquisition of several companies focused on the development and distribution of baby and toddler products such as strollers, car seats and accessories.