Lutz Abel hires IP specialist from Grünecker

From 1 July, Karsten Brandt (56) is a new partner in the Munich office of Lutz Abel. The appointment follows Brandt’s 22 years at European IP firm Grünecker. Brandt’s expertise includes unfair competition, licensing as well as due diligence.

Following the move, Grünecker has two partner patent litigators, and seven associates. However, the firm is integrated. Its lawyers work alongside its many patent attorneys. At Lutz Abel, the hire of Brandt means there is one more IP specialist attorney with a focus on patent litigation. Previously, the firm had no capabilities in patent litigation.

Team spirit

Karsten Brandt

As well as patent, Brandt also has experience in the fields of trademark and copyright law. Brandt’s clients include companies in the fields of medical technology, dental technology and mechanical engineering, in particular in the field of automotive.

Lutz Abel has previously used Grünecker for its patent expertise, for example in patent litigation and also for prosecution work at the European Patent Office. An example of this is its work on patents in the car industry.

The two firms will retain this close co-operation following Brandt’s move. Reinhard Lutz, co-founder and partner at Lutz Abel, says “In the past, we have already successfully cooperated with Karsten Brandt in various cases for different clients.”

Lutz continues, “We are pleased to be working with an experienced lawyer to continue to grow in the field of intellectual property rights.”

Bernd Allekotte, patent partner at Grünecker, says, “We have seen constant growth in the area of patent litigation. Over the past couple of years, we have hired associates that focus on patent litigation. We will continue our efforts to hire excellent attorneys to staff our patent litigation department.”