Sönke Scheltz
Attorney-at-law
Certified Intellectual Property Attorney
Representative before the UPC
Sönke Scheltz
Attorney-at-law
Certified Intellectual Property Attorney
Representative before the UPC
Sönke Scheltz is a member of our patent litigation team. He mainly represents international clients, but also German medium-sized companies, in complex, multinational patent infringement and nullity proceedings before all German courts and the Unified Patent Court (UPC).
In recent years, Sönke Scheltz has made a name for himself above all in the enforcement of standard-essential patents for well-known patent pools such as Sisvel and multinational technology companies such as Philips, and has played a key role in shaping the relevant case law of the German courts.
He also played a leading role in the ECJ’s decision on the requirements for the issuance of a preliminary injunction in patent cases (Phoenix./.Harting).
His litigation practice also focuses on extensive disputes relating to the ownership of patents (entitlement proceedings), of which he has conducted a large number.
Sönke Scheltz also benefits from his contentious practice in the drafting and negotiation of contracts, in particular license, cooperation and research and development agreements.
According to Handelsblatt/Best Lawyers, Sönke Scheltz is one of Germany’s best lawyers 2026 in the field of Intellectual Property Law. JUVE Patent lists him as a “Recommended Individual”.
He speaks German and English.
Technical focus
- Audio and video coding
- Computer-implemented inventions
- Standard essential patents
- Medical devices
- Telecommunications
CV
Studied Jurisprudence at Kiel University specializing in commercial, antitrust and copyright law, First State Examination in law taken in 2008, practical training in Schleswig-Holstein, Second State Examination in law taken in 2010.
Attorney-at-law since 2010; secondment at the US-American commercial law firm Ulmer & Berne LLP in Cincinnati and Chicago in 2012; Certified IP attorney since 2015.
Joined Eisenführ Speiser (Hamburg) in 2016, previously as an attorney at Heuking Kühn Lüer Wojtek (Düsseldorf) in the area of patent law.
Case studies
- Representing an international patent pool in various multinational patent infringement proceedings regarding standard-essential patents (UMTS and LTE) against several smartphone manufacturers
- Representing a manufacturer of healthcare technology and household appliances in the enforcement of standard-essential patents (UMTS/LTE and wireless charging)
- Representing a Taiwanese manufacturer of microchips in multinational patent infringement proceedings against a US manufacturer of, inter alia, smartphones
- Representing a US technology company in a multinational patent infringement case against a US semiconductor manufacturer and international manufacturers of computers, laptops and servers regarding the enforcement of a patent in the field of microprocessors
- Representing a Japanese manufacturer of optical devices in a multinational patent infringement case concerning surgical tools for artificial lenses (IOL)
- Representing a manufacturer of healthcare technology and household appliances in various patent infringement proceedings concerning, inter alia, smartphones, shavers and toothbrushes
- Representing a multinational technology company regarding the enforcement of patents in the field of video encoding against a US streaming service
- Representation of an international company from the automotive supplier industry in a patent entitlement procedure concerning carbon wheels
- Representing a fire protection company in patent entitlement proceedings relating to a machine for inserting a groove
- Representing a listed supplier of, inter alia, fragrances and flavorings as well as cosmetic base and active ingredients in patent infringement proceedings relating to antioxidants
- Representing a global life sciences company in patent infringement proceedings against an international pharmaceutical company
Memberships
- German Association for the Protection of Intellectual Property (GRUR)
- Licensing Executives Society (LES)
Publications & Presentations
And Action: the UPC’s interpretation of an „action“ in Art. 83 UPCA and implications for effectively withdrawing Opt-Outs with pre-UPCA national patent disputes co-pending
Article in "Mitteilungen der deutschen Patentanwälte", Issue 01/25
Recent Case Law in German Patent Law 2023
published by Eisenführ Speiser
Locked-out Before the UPC’s doors: Temporal Scope of Art. 83(4) UPCA and R. 5.8 RoP
Case note to UPC Helsinki Local Division, Decision of 20 October 2023, UPC_CFI_214/2023, EPLP - European Patent Litigation in Practice 01/2021
Landgericht München I 20.07.2023 - 7 O 5416/23: Einstweilige Verfügung bei Eingriff in den Justizgewährungsanspruch
in GRUR Patent 2023, 270
Recent Case Law in German Patent Law 2022
published by Eisenführ Speiser
"Inescapable Opt-Out-Trap? Scope of the blocking effect of former national proceedings with regard to the withdrawal of an Opt-out of the exclusive competence of the Unified Patent Court (UPC)"
Article in Mitteilungen der deutschen Patentanwälte, Edition 01/2023, 4-7
Recent Case Law in German Patent Law 2017
published by Eisenführ Speiser
Schutz von Software bewahrt Wettbewerbsvorteile
MM Maschinenmarkt, Edition 21, 2014