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  • Thomas Adocker
Thomas Adocker
Thomas Adocker

Thomas Adocker

Partner

  • Vienna Austria
Contact Me Today
+43 1 71 65 50
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Featured award

Legal500 2025

Recommended lawyer - Intellectual Property: "Thomas Adocker is an exceptional lawyer with stellar performance in patent disputes, in particular at the UPC." "Thomas Adocker is very commercially minded and an expert in the field."

Scroll to featured award

For more than twenty years, Thomas has been advising national and international clients in the field of intellectual property, with a strong focus on patent law, in particular with respect to litigation, licensing and technology transfer. He has established an excellent reputation for representing clients in major Austrian patent infringement cases and is known for his broad know-how in connection with multinational disputes. Amongst the Austrian lawyers, he is the most experienced in UPC litigation.

In addition to his extensive regulatory expertise, Thomas is also frequently active in franchise law and deals with distribution agreements.

Expertise

Services and Groups

Patents & innovation
Advising on life sciences regulation
Drafting and negotiating patents & know-how commercial agreements
Resolving patents & know-how disputes
Trade secrets

Sectors

Life sciences & healthcare
Manufacturing & industrials
Pharmaceuticals
Medical devices
Biotech
Life sciences start-ups and investors
UPC

The Unified Patent Court (UPC)

The UPC and Unitary Patent will introduce the most radical changes to patent litigation in Europe in 40 years.

Read our guide to the UPC

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CV

2023 Partner, Taylor Wessing
2006 - 2023 Partner, Schwarz Schönher Attworneys at law
2001 - 2005 Associate, Engin-Deniz Attorneys at law
2000 - 2001 Legal trainee, Higher Regional Court of Vienna
2005 Austrian Bar exam, Vienna
2000 Summer Term, Miami University, Oxford/Ohio, USA
1996 – 2000 Legal studies, University of Vienna

Career

2023 Partner, Taylor Wessing
2006 - 2023 Partner, Schwarz Schönher Attworneys at law
2001 - 2005 Associate, Engin-Deniz Attorneys at law
2000 - 2001 Legal trainee, Higher Regional Court of Vienna

Education

2005 Austrian Bar exam, Vienna
2000 Summer Term, Miami University, Oxford/Ohio, USA
1996 – 2000 Legal studies, University of Vienna

Publications

Contribution on the commentary by Stadler/Koller on the Austrian Patent Act (1st ed. July 2019, 2nd ed. forthcoming): incl. commentary on the elements of infringement and the provisions on the statute of limitations

Contribution to the textbook by Hüttermann "Einheitspatent und Einheitliches Patentgericht" (1st ed. Dec 2016, 2nd ed. forthcoming): Presentation of the Austrian legal situation and the differences to the Unified Patent Court System

Contribution on the commentary by Hüpfauf/Koller on the Austrian Medical Devices Act (1st edition forthcoming, expected 2024): Distinction between Medical Devices Act and Blood Regulatory Rules

Zivilrechtliche Hausdurchsuchung und Beweissicherung nach Enforcement Directive und § 151b PatG (ecolex 2020, 669)

Zur Zulässigkeit der Einschränkung eines Patents durch Aufnahme von Merkmalen aus dessen Beschreibung in den Anspruch (OPM, Op 1/13 – ÖBl-LS 2014/20)

Zum Ersatz von Kosten der patentanwaltlichen Vertretung und Gutachtenserstellung im Patentverletzungsverfahren (OLG Wien, 15 R 109/12b – ÖBl-LS 2013/18)

Zur Zulässigkeit eines in Österreich nicht rezeptpflichtigen Medikaments (OGH 4 Ob 13/12h – Arzneimittel-Versandhandel II – ÖBl 2012/65)

Zur Zulässigkeit der Erteilung eines ergänzenden Schutzzertifikats (EuGH C-427/09, ÖBl-LS 2011/117)

Österreichischer Oberster Patent- und Markensenat trifft Grundsatzentscheidung zum Verhältnis zwischen der Erfindungshöhe eines Patents und eines Gebrauchsmusters (OPM, OGM 1/10 – Teleskopausleger, GRUR Int 2011, 673)

Nichtigkeit eines ergänzenden Schutzzertifikats und dessen Geltendmachung (OGH, 17 Ob 6/10x – Memantin, GRUR Int 2011, 385)

Vermögenswerte Interessen aus dem Namensrecht (OGH, 17 Ob 2/10h – Maria Treben, ecolex 2010/438)

Memberships & Associations

Licensing Executives Society International (LESI): Co-Chair of Meetings Committee, Member of Dispute Resolution Committee

Licensing Executives Society Austria: Board member and Secretary

International Association for the Protection of Intellectual Property (AIPPI)

European Patent Lawyers Association (EPLAW)

Austrian Biopatent Monitoring Committee, representing the Austrian Bar Association

Additional languages

English

Awards

Legal500 2025

Featured

Recommended lawyer - Intellectual Property: "Thomas Adocker is an exceptional lawyer with stellar performance in patent disputes, in particular at the UPC." "Thomas Adocker is very commercially minded and an expert in the field."

Legal 500 2025

Recommended lawyer - Intellectual property

JUVE Patent Austria Ranking 2023

Leading individual (“high level of expertise, great dedication to his cases”, competitor)

JUVE Patent Austria Ranking 2023

Recommended lawyer in patent litigation

Thomas's news & insights

View Thomas's insights
Click here to find out more
Life sciences & healthcare

Preliminary injunctions in the UPC – lessons learnt

17 June 2025

by Thomas Adocker and Christian Dekoninck

Open podcast
Patent Perspectives Quick Listens

Episode 8 - Confidentiality protection and transparency in the UPC

In this episode Paul England is joined by Justyna Ostrowska-Krupa, Thomas Adocker and Christian Dekoninck

1 May 2025

by multiple authors

3 of 10 Podcasts

Click here to find out more
Open podcast
Patent Perspectives Quick Listens

Episode 6 - Injunctions and proportionality in the UPC

In this episode Paul England is joined by Christian Dekoninck, Thomas Adocker and Chris Thornham.

31 March 2025

by multiple authors

5 of 10 Podcasts

Click here to find out more
View Thomas's insights

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