I am an Attorney-at-Law, qualified in Germany and admitted to the bar in Germany and the courts of the European Union. I joined Boult to reinforce the EU team, creating another link between the German and UK offices.
Having lived and worked in Germany, Italy and the UK, I have an extensive understanding of European IP law. This incorporates work on European cross border litigation and the enforcement of trade marks and other IP rights, acting regularly before the German and European courts such as the Court of Justice, EUIPO, WIPO and DPMA.
In my role I am always conscious of the interconnectivity and interdependence between the job we do, the potential increase in brand or IP value we can deliver, and the value this can provide to a client. I have been fascinated by the power of branding and the value a trade mark can develop for a company when managed and enforced well. I believe that the interplay between a targeted enforcement and the increase in the value of a trade mark is often overseen and that portfolio management should be considered an investment rather than an expense.
I have a particular enthusiasm for assisting brands on the use of trade marks in films and other media, including recently the metaverse. I have assisted several film productions in obtaining rights clearance for the use of trade marks, music and other copyrighted material and I have also advised brand owners when their trade marks were used in films or social media without consent. This is also important when consumer brands are confronted with new phenomena such as NFTs, virtual environments and the metaverse in general that require them to adapt their protection and enforcement strategy constantly.
I maintain a keen interest in the future development of copyright and trade mark law in the UK after Brexit compared to the development in the EU.