K&L Gates strengthens patent litigation offer in Munich with patent attorneys

With the move, K&L Gates gains a stronger foothold in one of Europe’s most important patent markets. The team from Wende IP comprises five patent attorneys including Christian Wende and Markus Eustermann. The two partners founded the boutique after they left patent attorney firm DTS Schnekenbühl in April this year.

Wende focuses on patent, trademark, design, and utility model matters, with an emphasis on the medical technology and automotive sectors, advising clients such as Onward Medical and Knorr Bremse. His work includes patent prosecution, opposition and nullity proceedings, infringement disputes and IP due diligence in M&A and venture capital transactions. His professional career includes roles at well-known patent law firms such as Lorenz Seidler Gossel, Meissner Bolte, Prinz & Partner, and DTS.

Eustermann began his career at Meissner Bolte, from where he moved to DTS in summer 2022. He advises on patent prosecution, post-grant proceedings, and patent litigation, including UPC cases. For example, he acted alongside Bardehle Pagenberg for BTL Healthcare Technology in a recently withdrawn infringement action at the Hamburg local division against Lexter concerning a medical device. His work covers technologies such as medical devices, automotive, software-related inventions, and nanotechnology.

European build-out

The Munich addition is part of a broader recruitment drive by K&L Gates in Europe. In recent months, the firm has made hires in London and Paris, however these were in other practice areas.

There are currently 15 fee earners in the German IP practice. Three focus on patent law, including Frankfurt-based partner Thorsten Vormann, who moved from Clifford Chance’s IP team to K&L Gates in 2015. Nine are active in IP litigation, including patent law. With the new recruits, the US law firm is significantly expanding its German IP team – which has hitherto maintained a relatively low profile in patent litigation – whilst relying on a hybrid approach combining lawyers and patent attorneys.

The team works closely with the US IP practice, which maintains strong ties with major tech companies in the US as well as with the automotive supply industry. Both sectors are also key areas for the German offices, offering the expanded IP team considerable potential in relation to transaction advice, prosecution, and litigation, including at the UPC.

Martina Ortner, co-managing partner Germany at K&L Gates, said the addition “expands our intellectual property capabilities in one of Europe’s leading innovation and patent markets and further strengthens our ability to advise clients on patent protection, enforcement, and UPC-related matters across jurisdictions.”

Global IP platform

Jason Engel, lead practice area leader of the firm’s global IP practice, said the team brings experience “in patent prosecution, litigation, portfolio management, and strategic counseling across a broad range of technologies, including proceedings before the UPC.”

K&L Gates’ global IP practice comprises more than 215 lawyers and professionals, including over 110 registered patent lawyers, agents and technology specialists. According to the firm, the practice filed more than 5,475 patent applications and 4,020 trademarks worldwide in 2025.