Forresters hires CII and electronics specialist as partner in Munich

Michael Fischer (45) is the latest lateral move in the Munich patent market, joining Forresters from his previous position as of counsel at Venner Shipley. His addition to the team brings the firm’s overall number of patent partners in Germany to three; Fischer has particular expertise in electronics, computer-implemented inventions (CII) and telecommunications. He joined on 4 October.

Speaking to JUVE Patent, Fischer says, “I am happy to be joining Forresters in Munich as a partner, and to help the firm realise its plans for growth in Europe. With my technical background, I am looking forward to working alongside the firm’s clients and continuing my work at the EPO, as well as in national proceedings.”

Involved in G 1/19

After completing a master’s degree in computer science, Fischer joined Samson & Partner in 2004. Here, he qualified as a German and European patent attorney before joining Olswang in 2011 as its first employee in Munich. Here, his practice involved drafting and prosecuting German and European patent applications for companies, predominantly Microsoft, in the area of CII.

Fischer also represented clients in nullity cases before the German Federal Patent Court, as well as being involved in litigation at the Mannheim and Düsseldorf regional courts.

Michael Fischer

After the firm merged with CMS, in 2017 Fischer moved to Switzerland to work at General Electric as senior IP counsel, where he was heavily active in opposition work involving, for example, patents for wind turbines.

In 2019, Fischer returned to Munich as of counsel at Venner Shipley, where he worked alongside UK partner Pawel Piotrowicz on the ground breaking EPO case G 1/19 regarding the patentability of computer-implemented simulations.

Eventually, the Enlarged Board of Appeal ruled that established case law on computer-implemented inventions also applies to computer-implemented simulations. It also decided to retain its established approach in assessing inventive step, known as the COMVIK approach.

Forresters expands in Munich

As of 4 October 2023, Fischer is a partner at Forresters’ Munich outfit. While he brings CII expertise to the fold, the firm is also looking to expand its patent practice in Europe, given the recent launch of the UPC.

In June 2022, Vera Kühr also joined the firm in Munich from her previous role at Hofstetter Schurack & Partner. She specialises in biotechnology, and also has specific interests in molecular biology, plant molecular biology, microbiology and biochemistry. Now the firm has 19 patent-specialist partners across its four offices.

Partner Matt Barton, head of the Forresters Munich office, says, “It’s my pleasure to welcome Michael to our growing team in Munich. Michael’s technical background adds to our breadth of expertise and complements that of the existing team in chemistry and life sciences. As a computer scientist, he will be of particular help in bolstering our expertise in this ever-growing and fast-evolving area of technology.”

Venner Shipley has three patent-specialist lawyers in its Munich office, although no partners. Overall, the firm has 24 patent-specialist partners across its other locations, including London.