About Me
I am a seasoned trademark lawyer and partner in our international IP practice group. I enjoy working on all aspects of the brand cycle, from clearance to litigation - in the end it's all about strategy.
With trademarks everything is interconnected. You cannot do clearance searches if you have no understanding of how a court would view a potential conflict. Your chances in litigation depend very much on the specifications used for the application at the time of the brand launch. Chances improve the better you know the brand you litigate upon.I have been involved in a number of big brand launches. From airports and travel brands to TV stations, online shops and energy suppliers, many of these brands are now part of our lives. When advising my clients, I always try to be an enabler. That means giving practical guidance on the legal and factual risks, including possible measures to minimise them.
I equally enjoy protecting brands, regardless of the size, against infringement. It is important to identify the right disputes, avoiding conflicts that are commercially irrelevant. I want my clients to spend their budget wisely. If an infringement is substantial and harmful to the brand, the necessary budget must be available.
While I am happy to fight for the client's brand in the courtroom (including arbitration), if necessary up to the Bundesgerichtshof (Federal Court of Justice) and the European Court of Justice, a better solution can often be found at the negotiation table. Over the years, I have been involved in highly complex settlements and co-existence agreements. These have often involved numerous disputes in different countries.
Finally, the aspect of my work I enjoy most is advising on the strategy and implementing it with a great team of experts.
Experience
- Managing international advertising campaign for a DAX 30 company.
- Representation of Dalli Group in the trademark acquisition of 'DASH' and 'BONUX'.
- Advising on the launch of Innogy.
- Clients I have acted for on various trademark matters include names such as Monster Energy, Peek & Cloppenburg, Lemonaid, Fila, Discovery Channel.
Capabilities
Cases
- BGH Sparkassen-Rot
- BGH Sierpinski Dreieck
- BGH Textilkennzeichnung
- Sparkassen Rot Infringement Case
- EuGH – Oberbank u.a. / DSGV – Sparkassen-Rot
- BGH 01051 Telecom
- BGH Farbmarkenverletzung I und II
Education
Studied
- Legal studies, University of Passau and University of Bochum
- Doctoral thesis in Attorney Advertising, University of Osnabrück
Admissions
- Admitted to the Regional Court Düsseldorf Bar in 1998
