GRÜNECKER - Key Persons
Anja Franke has been advising her clients for two decades, focusing on trademark, competition and copyright law. In this context, she provides strategic advice on product development and market launch and enforces rights against imitators and other infringers.
Her clients include medium-sized companies and start-ups from German-speaking countries as well as globally active companies, which she represents concerning the registration and enforcement of their rights at the German Patent and Trademark Office and the courts in Germany as well as before the EUIPO, the Court of First Instance (CFI), and the European Court of Justice (ECJ).
Anja works across all industries, particularly for clients from the automotive, consumer electronics, mechanical engineering, food & beverage and fashion sectors.
Anja is currently involved in MARQUES' Anti-Counterfeiting & Parallel Trade Team. She is a member of INTA (International Trademark Association), where she has supervised and co-moderated the annual "INTA/EUIPO Industry Event" at the EUIPO for several years. Anja is now a member of the Commercialization of Brands Committee. In addition, she is a member of GRUR and was a lecturer at the Münster School of Design for several years.
Anja lives in Chiemgau and enjoys spending her free time on the water, in her racing single scull or other rowing boats. She is the chairwoman of the local rowing club.
Babett Ertle advises on all trademark-related matters, including trademark applications and infringement proceedings. She assists her clients in the development, risk assessment, and protection of their trademarks, as well as in their defence and enforcement before the German Patent and Trademark Office (DPMA), the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO), German courts, and the European Court of Justice. She also offers advice on competition law issues.
Babett's work focuses primarily on providing strategic counsel to German and international companies in the development of efficient out-of-court and in-court dispute resolution. She has extensive experience in enforcing well-known trademarks and also supports her clients in the development, risk assessment, protection, and defence of trademarks and other intellectual property rights in China.
Babett has been advising German and international companies in the food, pharmaceutical and fashion sectors for many years.
Job Titles:
- European Patent Attorney, Representative before the Unified Patent Court ( UPC )
Job Titles:
- Member of the Association of Intellectual Property Experts
Björn-Alexander is a member of the Association of Intellectual Property Experts (VPP) and the International Association for the Protection of Intellectual Property (AIPPI).
Christina Grammer advises on the registration and enforcement of industrial property rights, focusing on trademarks, designs, and copyrights.
In addition, she is active in the field of competition and advertising law and also advises clients on issues of personality rights. Christina has extensive experience in enforcing well-known and non-traditional trademarks and regularly represents her clients in complex proceedings before the courts and public authorities.
She also specialises in product piracy and counterfeiting. Other practice areas include strategic advice on intellectual property issues, particularly in cross-border disputes, and the management of global trademark portfolios.
Her client base includes major international corporations and medium-sized companies from all sectors. Christina primarily advises clients in the technology, luxury goods, fashion, retail, financial services, and real estate sectors.
Christoph Latzel specialises in patent law, focusing on pharmaceuticals and chemistry.
With over 20 years of professional experience, he is highly sought after for his expertise in managing patent grant proceedings professionally and efficiently.
His responsibilities include drafting intricate patent applications in the specified technical domains and adeptly handling demanding opposition and appeal proceedings before the European Patent Office.
Constantin Klier has been working in the field of patents since 2017 and specializes in computer and information technology, as well as automation technology. His previous scientific work in numerical physics is of benefit to him, particularly for drafting and prosecuting patent applications for inventions that rely on artificial intelligence.
Constantin has extensive expertise in drafting and defending patent applications in the above-mentioned fields, including appeal and opposition proceedings.
Constantin is a member of EPI and DPG.
Cornelia Schmitt advises on trademark and competition law. She supports clients in developing and protecting trademarks and their defence and enforcement before the DPMA, the EUIPO, the German courts and the European Court of Justice in Luxembourg. She also provides comprehensive advice on competition law issues.
A particular focus of her work is providing strategic advice to international companies on the development of efficient out-of-court conflict solutions. She has extensive experience in enforcing well-known and non-traditional trademarks and regularly represents clients in complex proceedings before courts and authorities. Cornelia also specialises in product piracy and counterfeiting.
Her clients include international corporations from various industries. Cornelia Schmitt is the contact person for some of the leading tech companies from Silicon Valley.
Cornelia Schmitt has been involved with INTA (International Trademark Association) since 2004, serving on committees, organising conferences and developing training programs.
She is the mother of two children and a passionate skier.
Cosima Oldenburg specialises in advising on trademark and competition law. She supports clients in establishing and protecting trademarks, as well as in defending and enforcing them before the DPMA, the EUIPO, the German courts, and the European Court of Justice in Luxembourg.
She also provides comprehensive advice on competition law issues.
Her work focuses on providing strategic advice to international companies on the development of efficient out-of-court dispute resolution, particularly in the fashion, media, and technology sectors.
Cosima regularly assists her clients in enforcing well-known trademarks and represents them in complex proceedings before the courts and authorities.
Job Titles:
- Patent Attorney, European Patent Attorney, Representative before the Unified Patent Court ( UPC )
Job Titles:
- German Patent Attorney, European Patent Attorney, Representative before the Unified Patent Court ( UPC )
Job Titles:
- Partner
- German Patent Attorney, European Patent Attorney, Representative before the Unified Patent Court ( UPC )
Felix Kahr has been a partner at Grünecker since 2022 and heads a team with a technical focus on mechanical engineering.
He advises clients strategically on the development and management of international patent portfolios and implements this strategy with his team.
His work focuses on European opposition proceedings and the coordination of multinational patent infringement proceedings. He regularly acts in German patent infringement proceedings and before the Unified Patent Court for the Member States of the European Union (UPC), which was established in June 2023.
His clients include start-ups, medium-sized companies in Germany and abroad and international corporations. Felix takes great pleasure in constantly enriching his expertise in the field of technology together with long-standing clients and adapting his advice to the individual needs of different clients.
He is an honorary member of the examination board for patent attorneys, to which he was appointed for the first time in 2019.
Felix is married with a daughter and a son. When he's not working or spending quality time with his family, he enjoys running or hiking in the mountains
Job Titles:
- German Patent Attorney, European Patent Attorney
Alexander Weber advises his clients on patent law, particularly in the fields of computer and information technology and automation technology. His comprehensive expertise in these fields makes him a valued and sought-after partner.
A central focus of his work is managing grant proceedings before the European Patent Office. Thanks to his many years of experience, he is a proven expert in all matters relating to software patents, particularly regarding the technicality of computer-implemented inventions.
Alexander is a member of EPI and DPG.
Job Titles:
- German Patent Attorney, European Patent Attorney, Representative before the Unified Patent Court ( UPC )
Job Titles:
- German Patent Attorney, European Patent Attorney, Representative before the Unified Patent Court ( UPC )
Job Titles:
- European Patent Attorney, Representative before the Unified Patent Court ( UPC )
Carla Abilio advises our clients on patent law since 2006, with a particular focus on semiconductor technology, and communications engineering.
She also has expertise in the technical fields of sensor technology and switching technology, particularly in the automotive industry.
She has comprehensive experience in drafting and defending complex patent applications and patents in these technical fields, as well as patent applications which require special attention with regard to technicality, such as machine learning, business methods and gaming machines.
Her clients include world-leading patent applicants as well as medium-sized companies.
Daniel Kubas specialises in patent prosecution and opposition proceedings, particularly in optics, mechanical engineering, software and medical technology.
Elvira Bertram has been working as a lawyer in intellectual property since 1999. She mainly advises and represents domestic and foreign clients in patent infringement proceedings, also with cross-border implications.
She specialises in advising and representing clients in proceedings for transfer patent rights due to misappropriation. The technical focus of these proceedings includes solar technology, semiconductor technology, medical technology and mechanical engineering.
Elvira Bertram is also active in design proceedings, both before the German infringement courts and in cancellation proceedings before the EUIPO and the German Patent and Trademark Office. The main areas of design include furniture, furnishings and jewellery, toys, sporting goods and medical devices.
Elvira's penchant for working in cross-border proceedings and with international issues has already been reflected in her academic career: she earned a master's degree at the European University Institute of the EU, Florence, and a diploma in European Patent Litigation at the CEIPI, Strasbourg.
Her favourite pastimes are her daughters, books and the mountains.
Dr. Julia Traumann specializes in patent infringement proceedings, particularly in the pharmaceutical and life sciences sector. She advises and represents her clients in infringement proceedings before national courts and the Unified Patent Court and advises in transnational, multi-jurisdictional disputes. She further specializes in litigation in the tech sector, advising on the interface with competition law, in particular in connection with the enforcement of standard-essential patents. Julia also advises on the drafting and implementation of contracts relating to IP rights.
Before joining Grünecker, Julia worked in international commercial law firms. She spent five months in the London office of a law firm as part of a secondment and worked for several months as external legal counsel for a company in the pharmaceutical sector.
Julia is the (co-)author of numerous specialist publications. She is a member of GRUR and LES (Life Sciences Working Group).
In her free time, she enjoys running and hiking as well as opera and classical music.
Dr. Julia Wildgans combines the best of both worlds: IP and IT. Whether it is a matter of protecting trademarks, designing innovative business models in a legally compliant mannner, or preparing companies for the legal challenges of digital technologies such as Artificial Intelligence, Julia develops tailor-made solutions for her clients that are not only legally sound but also economically feasible.
In the field of trademark law, Julia advises German and international companies on the registration and enforcement of trademark rights before the EUIPO, the German Patent and Trademark Office and national courts, as well as on out-of-court dispute resolution. She also uses her expertise to assist clients in developing international trademark strategies and in complex cross-border litigation.
Furthermore, Julia advises clients on IT and copyright law, including the use of Artificial Intelligence, software, licensing and publishing agreements, the Data Act, platform regulation (in particular the Digital Services Act) and domain disputes (including arbitration proceedings).
Julia regularly runs workshops, seminars, webinars and lectures on trademark, copyright and data protection issues for start-ups, businesses and research organisations.
Susanne Strohmeier supports her clients in the area of patent law, especially in the field of electrical engineering. Her expertise extends in particular to the fields of telecommunications, image and video coding, artificial intelligence, robotics and quantum computing..
She joined Grünecker in 2021 and regularly conducts patent prosecution proceedings, in particular before the European Patent Office. Susanne is experienced in drafting complex patent applications. She is also involved in the preparation of expert opinions. Susanne also works in a team with our attorneys-at-law on patent infringement and nullity proceedings. In addition, she handles worldwide patent application families in cooperation with international colleagues.
Job Titles:
- German Patent Attorney, European Trademark and Design Attorney
- Member of the German Physical Society
Mario Löffler focuses on advising clients in patent matters, in particular in the fields of the semiconductor industry, medical technology, mechanical engineering and software.
In his daily work, Mario deals with the drafting of patent applications, patent grant proceedings before the German Patent and Trademark Office and the European Patent Office as well as the subsequent opposition and nullity proceedings. In addition, Mario is involved in complex appeal proceedings before the relevant instances.
Mario has gained experience at renowned research institutions in solid-state physics and electrochemistry, at an automobile manufacturer and with a leading technology company in the field of electrolysis and has published numerous scientific articles.
Mario is a member of the German Physical Society (DPG) and FICPI.
Fabian Gruber has been working for Grünecker since 2017 and specialises in patent matters in mechanical engineering.
His daily tasks include, in particular, the professional and strategically well-thought-out management of patent grant proceedings and the drafting of complex patent applications. He also represents our clients in opposition and appeal proceedings.
During his mechanical engineering studies at the Technical University of Munich, he gained practical experience in manufacturing technologies at a German engine manufacturer.
Frank Dohrmann is a patent attorney specialising in representing clients in patent matters, with a technical focus on information and communication technology, process technology, and software development. He possesses in-depth knowledge of standard-relevant patents in audio and video coding and telecommunications.
Frank routinely handles complex opposition, appeal, and nullity proceedings for clients, appearing before the relevant Boards of Appeal of the European Patent Office (EPO), the Patent Litigation Boards, and the Federal Patent Court. He excels in drafting patent applications on intricate topics and advises clients on searches and freedom-to-operate (FTO) analyses.
With a background in experimental physics, Frank brings comprehensive experience in detector development, optical sensors, and advanced measurement methods to his legal practice. This unique blend of technical expertise and legal acumen enables him to deliver strategic solutions tailored to his client's needs.
He is a member of EPI and DPG.
Job Titles:
- German Patent Attorney, European Patent Attorney, European Trademark and Design Attorney
Sebastian Geier studied chemistry at the Technical University of Munich and gained extensive knowledge in the field of inorganic chemistry and electrochemistry, in particular in battery research. As part of his doctorate, Sebastian also gained valuable experience in the interdisciplinary fields of semiconductor research and in the field of solar cell research.
Sebastian is highly motivated not only in his work for his clients, but also on the soccer field and the ski slopes.