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Dr. Dirk Bühler
Partner
German Patent Attorney
European Patent Attorney
M.Sc. Biochemistry
Dirk specializes in the management of product-related patent portfolios worldwide as well as the associated opposition, nullity and infringement proceedings in the fields of pharmaceuticals, biotechnology and personalized therapy and diagnostics. He regularly advises clients on complex SPC matters and freedom-to-operate strategies in these areas.
His extensive experience enables him to bring strategic IP consultancy and patent portfolio creation/management into alignment with the economic interests of his clients in a rapidly changing market environment. Clients value his interdisciplinary approach of combining questions relating to patent law with regulatory requirements for marketing authorization of medicinal products in order to achieve the fullest protection possible.
Dirk has received numerous awards for his professional activities as patent attorney and regularly publishes articles on various aspects of patent law.
"Dirk Buehler is a renowned IP specialist who garners plaudits for his expertise in complex patent portfolio management and infringement matters in the life sciences sector."
– Who's who Legal IP, 2024
"Dirk Bühler has deep sector expertise and can prosecute patents across a spectrum of technological areas with medical applications. His commercial awareness routinely serves patrons on complex SPC matters and FTO strategies."
– IAM Patent 1000, 2023
"Dirk Bühler has an extremely good overview of the current case law and trends at the EPO and the German courts, which is of great value for filing strategies and opinion work."
– Legal 500 DE, 2022
"Biochemist Dirk Bühler is singled out for his 'gravitas and clarity'."
– IAM Patent 1000, 2021
„valuable input regarding FTOs, prosecution and oppositions” (client)
– JUVE Patent, 2021
"[...] and SPC maestro Dirk Bühler, who has co-edited European handbook Supplementary Protection Certificates. He loves diving into the nitty-gritty of complex oppositions before the EPO"
– IAM Patent 1000, 2020
"Dirk Bühler is a brilliant strategist with the ability, to think innovatively to develop successful strategies."
– Legal 500 EMEA, 2020
“hugely experienced in biotech”
– JUVE Patent Germany rankings, 2023
Dirk Bühler is appreciated for his “personable approach, excellent technical understanding and ability to handle matters before the EPO”. His strong arguments and compelling oral advocacy have seen him bring in significant results for those operating on the very cutting edge of their respective fields.
– IAM Patent 1000, 2024
“outstanding lawyer for biotech”, “very comprehensive analysis and arguments in EPO oppositions”, Competitors
– JUVE Patent, 2024
- Complex patent portfolio management and patent prosecution
- Opposition, appeal and nullity proceedings
- Patent infringement proceedings
- Supplementary protection certificates proceedings
- Freedom-to-operate and validity analysis
- Strategic consulting for biotech start-up companies
- Listed in Who's Who Legal, recommended in the category “IP” 2024
- Ranked as "Leading" in the Leaders League Rankings Germany 2024 in the category Patent Prosecution" and "Highly recommended" in the category Healthcare, pharmaceuticals & biotech
- Ranked as "Excellent" in the Leaders League Rankings Germany 2022 and 2023 in the category Patent Prosecution and 2022, 2023 & 2024 "recommended" in the category Patent Litigation
- Recommended in Handelsblatt | Best Lawyers „Deutschlands Beste Anwälte" 2022, 2023, 2024
- MIP IP Star 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024
- Recommended in Legal 500 EMEA 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024
- Recommended in Legal 500 Deutschland 2016, 2017, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024
- For many years listed in IAM Patent 1000 “World’s Leading Patent Professionals”
- "Recommended individuals" in JUVE Patent Rankings Germany 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024
- Listed in Managing IP's EMEA shortlist "Practitioner of the Year" 2022, 2023
- Listed in the WirtschaftsWoche "Die renomiertesten Patentrechtsanwälte" 2020
- „Frequently Recommended Attorney“ in JUVE German Commercial Law Firms 2018/2019, 2019/2020, 2020/2021, 2021/2022
- Doctoral scholarship of the Boehringer Ingelheim Fund
- Scholarship of the “Studienstiftung des Deutschen Volkes”
- Handbuch des Patentrechts, 2. Auflage, 2020
- CAR-T-Zelltherapien – Herausforderungen beim IP, 2019
- CJEU asked to clarify functional definition issue, 2018
-
Supplementary Protection Certificates (SPC), C.H.BECK, Stief/Bühler (published together), 2016
- Patent Law – A Handbook on European and German Patent Law, 2014
- Federal Supreme Court endorses functional claim language, 2013
-
Handbuch des Patentrechts, Haedicke/Timmann (Hrsg.), C.H.BECK, 2012 (together with Johannes W. Bukow et al.)
- Representing patentee in opposition appeal proceedings leading to the BGH X ZB 8/12 Dipeptidyl-Peptidase-Inhibitors decision
- Representing patentee in SPC application proceedings before the European Court of Justice in case C-650/17 (Royalty Pharma/Sitagliptin)
- Representing defendant in nullity and opposition proceedings and litigation support concerning non-invasive prenatal diagnostics
- Representing opponent in opposition proceedings leading to revocation of basis patent for 2nd generation sequencing by synthesis
- Representing patentees in opposition proceedings relating to basic CRISPR/Cas9 patents of Nobel laureates Jennifer Doudna and Emmanuelle Charpentier
- German Patent Attorney Association
- epi
- GBM
- GRUR
- German
- English
