20 leading lawyers in Intellectual and Industrial Property in Germany in 2026
Impact Lawyers’ editorial selection brings together twenty professionals with particularly significant experience in this field in Germany. Lawyers are listed alphabetically by first name; the order of the table does not establish internal positions or imply that one professional is superior to another.
| Lawyer | Firm | Main profile |
|---|---|---|
| Amelie Bätz | Gleiss Lutz | Patents, trade marks and copyright |
| Christian Cascante | Gleiss Lutz | IP litigation and trade secrets |
| Christian Hamann | Gleiss Lutz | Licensing, technology and intangible assets |
| Christiane Freytag | Gleiss Lutz | Protection and exploitation of industrial property |
| Georg Jacobs | HEUKING | Protection and exploitation of industrial property |
| Heike Blank | CMS | IP litigation and trade secrets |
| Jan Balssen | Gleiss Lutz | Patents, trade marks and copyright |
| Johannes Bernhardt | Gleiss Lutz | IP litigation and trade secrets |
| Manuel Klar | Gleiss Lutz | Licensing, technology and intangible assets |
| Martin Gerecke | CMS | Licensing, technology and intangible assets |
| Martin Hitzer | Gleiss Lutz | Protection and exploitation of industrial property |
| Michael Feilke | Gleiss Lutz | Patents, trade marks and copyright |
| Michael Kamps | CMS | Protection and exploitation of industrial property |
| Patrick Schulz | HEUKING | Patents, trade marks and copyright |
| Pietro Fringuelli | CMS | Patents, trade marks and copyright |
| Rainer Velte | HEUKING | IP litigation and trade secrets |
| Ruth Jungkind | HEUKING | Licensing, technology and intangible assets |
| Sebastian Cording | CMS | IP litigation and trade secrets |
| Sonja Ackermann | HEUKING | Protection and exploitation of industrial property |
| Winfried Bullinger | CMS | Licensing, technology and intangible assets |
How the ranking was prepared
The selection has been prepared through an independent editorial analysis and an overall assessment of the career, specialisation, experience and professional recognition of the lawyers included. Multiple sources of information have been taken into account, including the websites of the professionals themselves and their firms, news and publications appearing in the media, matters and transactions in which they have been involved, their academic and institutional activity, their national and international profile, and references within the legal and business community.
Particular attention has also been paid to the perception of clients and professionals familiar with their work, assessing factors such as the trust they inspire, responsiveness, legal judgement, effectiveness in resolving matters and the recognition achieved within their respective areas of specialisation. The result reflects a combined editorial assessment of objective and qualitative factors, designed to capture not only career track record and technical knowledge, but also the prestige and professional standing each lawyer has consolidated through legal practice.
How to interpret the selection
The ranking is an editorial snapshot of the German legal market based on information available in 2026. It does not measure fees, guarantee outcomes or claim that any included professional is the right choice for every matter. The choice of counsel should take into account the precise specialty, potential conflicts of interest, jurisdiction, availability, language, budget and relationship of trust.
