Developing Story
UPC Geographic Caseload Shift — Düsseldorf Overtakes Munich
The Unified Patent Court appointed two new judges (Elise Mellier to Paris, Hans-Joachim Weitz to Mannheim) as Düsseldorf's caseload overtook Munich's for the first time, signaling a shift in patent litigation forum preferences across Europe.
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## Overview
The Unified Patent Court (UPC) continues to expand its judicial bench and is experiencing a notable geographic shift in case distribution. According to an announcement published on the UPC website, the Administrative Committee appointed two more legally qualified judges to the Court of First Instance: French native Elise Mellier, joining the central division in Paris, and German judge Hans-Joachim Weitz, joining the local division in Mannheim (JUVE Patent, September 21, 2026).
Mellier previously served as a judge at the Judicial Court of Paris (JUVE Patent, September 21, 2026).
## Caseload Shift
Notably, the Düsseldorf local division's caseload has overtaken Munich's for the first time, according to JUVE Patent's reporting (JUVE Patent, September 21, 2026). Munich had historically been considered the busiest patent litigation hub in the UPC system given Germany's traditionally dominant role in European patent litigation, so this shift signals a meaningful change in litigant forum preferences and possibly local division efficiency or specialization.
## Strategic Importance
The UPC is rapidly becoming the primary venue for patent enforcement and invalidity actions in Europe, displacing some traditional national courts (e.g., the UK High Court, per related tracking of "UK High Court Patent Filings vs. UPC Competition"). Judicial appointments and caseload data are key indicators for:
- Forum selection strategy by patent litigants
- Growth trajectory of the UPC as an institution
- Judicial capacity and potential delays/backlogs
- Comparative attractiveness of divisions (Paris, Mannheim, Düsseldorf, Munich) for patentees and defendants
This is a developing institutional story with relevance across multiple ongoing patent disputes tracked separately (Samsung vs. ZTE, Michelin vs. Goodyear, Dyson vs. Dreame, Kodak v. FujiFilm, Silimed vs. Polytech, Merz Fampyra appeal).
## Outlook
Expect continued judicial appointments as the UPC scales up, along with ongoing shifts in divisional caseload that will shape litigant strategy across Europe's unified patent system.