Pentarc grows team with partner from Taylor Wessing

Stefanie Engmann began her legal career in 2020 at IP firm Bardehle Pagenberg, but moved to Latham & Watkins’ dispute resolution team after six months. There, in the team led by Hamburg partner Christoph Baus, she primarily conducted commercial litigation, for example in class actions or arbitration proceedings.

Stefanie Engmann

In March 2025, Engmann moved to Taylor Wessing, where she was most recently a senior associate in Gisbert Hohagen’s team. She is active in both patent litigation and advisory work, for example on licence agreements. Her practice covers all stages of litigation, from early case assessment and pre-dispute strategy to the conduct of hearings and enforcement.

At Pentarc, she will meet familiar faces from her time at Taylor Wessing. Former colleagues split from the international law firm in autumn 2024 and opened their own IP boutique. From April, she will advise on arbitration proceedings in addition to patent litigation. Drawing on her experience from her time at Latham, she will advise clients in connection with the UPCS’s Patent Mediation and Arbitration Centre (PMAC), which opens its doors in summer.

Alternative dispute resolution

Commenting on the hire, Jan Phillip Rektorschek, one of the founding partners at Pentarc, says, “With the increasing relevance of procedural strategy before the UPC and our clients’ growing interest in alternative dispute resolution, including the PMAC of the UPC, we are very pleased to further develop our arbitration and dispute resolution expertise. Stefanie’s experience will be a valuable asset in navigating complex procedural interfaces and advising clients in strategically sensitive disputes.”

With Engmann joining as salary partner, the firm strengthens its integrated disputes offering at the intersection of litigation, arbitration and technology-driven conflicts. The further addition of a young fee earner means the Pentarc team will comprise 14 fee earners, including five equity partners, six salary partners and three associates. Pentarc is planning further growth, particularly at associate level.

Following Engmann’s departure, 13 lawyers remain in Hohagen’s practice group at Taylor Wessing including three equity and two salary partners, as well as Christoph de Coster as of counsel.

In December last year, Taylor Wessing UK announced its departure from the Schweizer Verein association that connects it with the German, Austrian and other European sister firms. The British firm is joining forces with US giant Winston & Strawn to create a transatlantic law firm under the new brand Winston Taylor. The British team will continue working with their former Taylor Wessing colleagues in patent litigation.